Stroke recovery time

[skuhl]

I noticed a number of questions about recovery time from strokes.  The most recovery occurs in the first 3 months.  The next 3 months is the next most recovery and the next 6 months the next. After about a year some recovery will occur but the pace is typically very slow.

Think of it like driving a car. The first 3 months it goes 100 miles an hour. The next 3 50.  The next 6 months about 25 and after that about 5 miles an hour.

It's important to take full advantage of early recovery periods.

It is important to get help at the earliest signs of problems (e.g., within 3 hours) because there are medications that can prevent further damage in some people.

A stroke isn't a 'cold' nor a 'death warrant'. It is serious and you need to take action but with planned measured effort you can make a difference in functioning.

I recommend keeping a journal of events-- then you can look back for patterns.  A stroke can mess up ways of processing information, of communicating. The stroke person and the significant others need to learn to communicate anew which can be done with good humor and attention.  

My mother can't get pronouns right...so we've joined her in screwing them up and we now rely on context more than precision of language.  We also don't hesitate to translate for medical staff who don't have the time to learn the new language. It also takes her time to process information-- as much as 12 hours at the start of the stroke. So we'd ask something in the morning and literally get the answer at the end of the day.