Hemorrhagic Stroke/Recovery Times OK?

[pookiemon]

My sister-in-law had a hemorrhagic stroke with a intracerebral hemorrhage. This was on May 18th. They have done a Ventriculostomy. The gas man found her in the driveway. We figure it had been somewhere between 20-35 mins. before she was found. They have her in a medically induced coma where they say she will stay for the next 3-4 weeks. Is this normal? Also, they did a cat scan on the 18th, and 19th and we were told the bleeding had stopped. They are doing another one tomorrow, and they are now talking about putting a shunt in. Once again is this normal? They say if she survives (her chances are 50/50, she is still in critical/stable condition) she will have slurred speech, minimal movement of her right arm, and a limp with her right leg. Should they be able to tell this while she is in the coma? She was concious after they flipped her over in the driveway and upon arrival at the hospital which is approx. 40 miles away.We look forward to your response. Thank you,

Lost without her hanging with us!

Barbara

[Puzzlerissore]

Thank you so much for sharing all of your stories. My mom had a hemorrhagic stroke nearly two months ago. She had a a trach, peg, shunt and is in a wheelchair in an acute rehab facility. I had hoped her progress would be quicker, but I am very thankful she no longer has the trache ( and am really amazed how quickly that closes!!!), she is beginning to talk above a whisper (although at times she just mouths words and I'm not sure what she is saying), and can move all of her limbs. I am thankful she's alive. She is beginning to eat puréed foods and thickened chocolate milk. The facility she is in now is 90 minutes away one way. My dad drives every day just about to see her, and my siblings go 4-5 days per week. It is draining emotionally. It's been difficult. We will more than likely need to move her out of the acute rehab into a subacute rehab, and I wish there was one close to us. It's hard to gauge which ones are good. You hear bad stories about everywhere!

[murfy1]

God is able.  My 51 year old fiance had a hemorrhagic stroke on February 14th of this year.  He has since battled one medical issue after another, from pneumonia, UTI, septic shock and renal failure but God is able.  The first week in the doctors did not think he was going to make it.  when he survived they then said he would be locked in, but her was following commands, moving his head and responding by nodding his head and blinking his eyes.  Unfortunately after having a trach and peg the medical aliments began (as mentioned above).  One doctors said the mortality rate is not promising and he may not come out of the state he's in.  Just last night he has started to move his mouth in an effort to respond to those speaking to him. God is able and I believe he will come out of this to the capacity in which God chooses to use him.  I know it will be a long hike but one worth hiking.  

[Stefany85]

Hello can you please email me my name is Stephanie my mother had a hemorrhagic stroke and had the same thing what your husband is going through she had it September 16th 2015. My mom is 45 years old they were telling me the same thing about my mom but my mother is doing so much now she is speaking now.

[strokefamilymember]

Never give up on your loved ones after this stoke. My husband had a massive bleed at age 67.  Every Dr.told us to take him to hospice, we would not give up, started playing music daily, exercising his limps. talking, yelling, & working everyday.  He came out of his coma, it took months of rehap, but after the swelling in his brain went down, he is doing well.  He lost partial vision, is mind is better than mine.  Do not ever give up, work & fight for your loved one, it takes months to get them back, but they will recover.  His stroke was 7/29/13, now months later, he is walking, talking & doing well.

[helpcricket54]

I so glad for this post I am going through the same thing

[helpcricket54]

I at the same point now and I dont know what to do

[helpcricket54]

I at the same point now and I dont know what to do

[Djenkins69]

I had a massive stroke on October 27 2013. My wife found me on the floor while I was painting the bathroom. Her and my daughter found me within 1/2 hr. I really don't remember much of it so I will let you know what I went through. My stroke happen when I got hit in the head from a fence post fallen while my son and I was taking down a roof from our screen in porch.they found me in enough time for the ICU to give me the drug called TPA. The first hospital I was in wasn't equipped to handle a massive stroke like I had. They ended up medic vac to another hospital. In the ICU at the second hospital is where thing went down hill for me. While there I got a lot sicker. I ended up getting ARDS,ARFS, septic shock, pnamonia. My wife had to make the decision along with my parents and sisters to put me in a medical induce comma to save my life. My organs was starting to shut down. They couldn't control my heart rate or my breathing that's why they had to put me in a comma. They told my family that I only had a 20% chance of living. I had some nights that they all thought I was going to die. I was on life support and in a comma for 8 days. They had to drill a hole in my head to install a bolt to measure the pressure. After I started to be better they woke me up and then I was awake for 8 days straight. I spent 3 weeks in the hospital and 1 month in rehab learning to walk again. My stroke was on my right side so my left side was affected. I walk with a limp and don't have much feeling on my left side. With little feeling in my foot it makes walking a little difficult. I have to do most every thing by visual for my left side. I always kept a positive attitude through all of it. I was out of work and in a wheel chair for 7 months. My nurologist wanted me to go on permitted disability I told him that wasn't going to happen. I walk with a limp can't lift anything heavy with my left arm. Just tell her not to give up.

[jamreed]

remember doctors don't always know everything and if you're seeing progression  that''s all that counts.Eight months ago my mom who was superwoman doing things everyday to help people suffered a  hemmorhagic stroke while putting air in one of her tires en route to church.I had spoken to her barely fifteen minutes before on her cell was called by my niece who had been called by someone who had found my mom unconscious at the wal mart gas station and called the last number dialed reaching my niece who called me and I rushed to the scene thinking mom had fallen,possibly broken her leg,when I got there and got into the ambulance it was heartbreakingly obvious mom had suffered a stroke;she gazed up blankly beyond myself and the paramedics,no idea who I was.However by the time we reached the hospital and she was being examined she knew who  I was,who my fiance was,my sister and niece,her sisters,even members of  her church.The er doc predicted death based on scans they had run,but I knew she was better because she went from not knowing me to knowing not only myself but everyone else.He had suggested surgery which could kill her yet a neurosurgeon came in and didn't feel surgery was necessary,had seen worse cases than ours that didn't demand surgery.It's been a very slow progress but for once,for example a lot of stroke survivors suffer from pnumonia,some unable to fight it and prior my mom was highly susceptible yet while in lifecare during winter she never came down with it so again that was a sign to me.People constantly asked what were the doctors saying,which was only time will tell because there is no way anyone can tell you when your loved one will recover,only God knows that.Sometimes we go through things to make us stronger and those things will take a scenic route rather than an expressway.Mom spent 3 weeks at lifecare,90 days in a nursing home with her memory in tact.Paralyzed on her right side with speech problems.,but still mom,still bossy.I believe she will recover fully or at least have a quality of life that's not submerged in stress.I hope this inspires you never to give up.Good luck,my prayers are with you

[needanswersinmississippi]

My 35 year old cousin had a brain bleed stroke, they did not do surgery, the bleeding stopped on its own. She is morbidly obese and has high blood pressure. They have kept her pressure down, occasionally she will have a fever cold compresses gets it down. She has a trach and a feeding tube in her nose. She is given her daily meds through the tube. She will open her eyes for a few minutes and then close them again. They are trying to ween her off of the ventilator but each time she goes into distress and they have to put her back own. It has been four weeks since she had her stroke and they say that she is not getting any better and she is not getting any worse. She responds to pain, yawns, moves her mouth like she is eating, and blinks as if she is understanding what you are saying. What are the chances of her survival and what frame of mind would she be in?

[pebs9]

Pree92,

I know it's a difficult time for you right now.  But let me tell you a little story.  On September 14, 2009, my Mom had a homorrhagic stroke.  I live in Texas, she lives in CA.  I had talked to her earlier that morning everything was fine.  I got a phone call that evening with the news.  I headed to CA on a red eye flight.  I was NOT prepared for what I saw when I arrived.  She was in ICU in a medically induced coma.  They asked permission to drill a hole in her skull to release pressure.  I said yes because at that point I wanted them to do everything and anything they could to save my Mom. Now this is where the story gets interesting...they told me she may live 3 days to 3 months...on September 14th 2013...it will have been 4 years...God is sooooo goood.  It has not been easy to my Mom or me during this time.  She has gone thru sooooo much.  I go visit her once a month but talk on the phone to her every other day.  I talk to her as if nothing is wrong with her.  When I visit her I sing to her, play her favorite music, show her pictures, message her scalp, give her a pedicure (which tickles her feet...she's found a way to let me know that).  This past weekend I was visiting and I motioned to her..."I LOVE YOU"...she just started at me.  Then I motioned in reverse to ask her if "She LOVED ME TOO"...and guess what...she slowly shook her head YES (I'm in tears right now). That was be best gift she could have given to me.  So many had told me I was being selffish to keep you here.  I should just let her go.  I'm so glad I did not listen to family, friends or even medical professionals.  Everyone is different therefore the healing process will be an individual one for your Dad.  The key is to keep him spiritually motivated.  Don't let him give up.  Also the body is amazing.  I believe it will heal itself if given enough time to do so.  Also keep praying...pray for him and with him.  I wish you and your Dad the best of luck and a speedy recovery...remember DON'T GIVE UP.  

[pree92]

my father who is 55 years old had undergone a brain stoke on recently it has been 22 days that he is in the ICCU, doctors say that a blockage has occurred in the cerebrum ,he is under ventilation and with feeding tube.Doctors say that the time is uncertain i.e they cant say when he will cure up and even if he cures up he will only breath and nothing else.. bt as i visit him, i see him improving and when i call him he stares at me and starts crying even he tries to bend forward and i feel as if he is trying to speak something to me. can anyone tell me that whether he will be alright? the time to cure up? hearing everyones story i am feeling Quiet good..  plz do reply..                        -its pree (with lots of prayers and hopes)

[Ftworriedson]

Hi Tommahwk, no update from your site. Hope your mother recovered well and living healthy life.

[jay7134]

i had stroke last week of december, intracerebral hemorrhagic and stay in the hospital for 15 days. am two months and hoping to fully recover. everything is functioning but a little weak in my right arms and sometimes a speech problem. there is hope for everyone.

[jay7134]

i had stroke last week of december, intracerebral hemorrhagic and stay in the hospital for 15 days. am two months and hoping to fully recover. everything is functioning but a little weak in my right arms and sometimes a speech problem. there is hope for everyone.

[JulietBinoche]

My mother had a stroke and heart attack in March 2012 and only went to Cardio once and never Neuro.  She did see her PCP and was taking BP med. My dad brought her to hospital Dec 30 and they did CT for headache and sent her home with pain med.  The next day she arrested and my dad did CPR, medics defibbed. She was put in coma and hyporthermia, respirator, feeding tube. They did one stint. After Heart Cath, she had another stroke. She almost coded when they tried to do MRI.  She woke up on her own and would stare in our direction when we were talking. After Cath, she has been less responsive. Neuro said on a scale of 1 to 1,000 she is a 3.  Not looking good. CT on Friday showed damage on both sides of the brain.  They didn't know if the old stroke progressed or if it was new.  She can breathe for an hour and a half on her own, twenty minutes without alarm going off. They did a PIC to keep her BP up.  Heart breaking.  We signed DNR because that is what she would want and made clear to us.  My dad feels guilty for doing CPR, but we told him he did the right things.  They are doing TEE to scope heart and try to find blood clots. She also has Metabolic Acidosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Pneumonia under control, running fever.  So difficult to see her like this.

[Skaria]

Hi All
My wife age 30 years, name Jeena, recently had hemmoragic stroke after 12 days of pregnancy. We had our one of the best gift from God, a twins (boy & a girl). Later 2 weeks of pregnency she developed an acute pain in the head & fainted. We took her to the Hospital, were they confirmed that she is very critical & needs an urgent surgery. After the surgery its 20 days, she is improving her health in terms of an infection which effected her in between but her responses are very little. She is opening her eyes less frequently & showing no further signs.

We are frequently trying to stimulate her but could not find any quick results. I am aware that the patience is the key, as each day passes my frustration level is rising.

I have lot of questions hoovering in my mind regarding the time taken for her recovery & what to do at this stage to mprove her response. Are this time taken a common way. Looking at the age of my wife the doctors were expecting a faster response, while she is not coming upto their  expectation.

I appreciate if someone can guide me better.

[cherublove]

my husband had hemorrhagic stroke in basal ganglia, right side, on oct. 27 2012. his left side paralyzied, but is conscious, eating, etc.  doctors say will never be able to walk or move left side.  does anyone have any experience with loved one being able to move , doctors say if he hasn't moved by now, never will.  I need hope.  

[flamingmamie]

Thank you for your store.  My husband, who is 74, had a hemorraghic stroke on July 27, 2012. I was able to get him to the hospital within an hour and he was later transferred to a university training hospital 45 minutes away.  He had surgery the following evening.  He did not have the ventilator when he came from the recovery room.  He was talking exactly as he always had and telling me about a book he had read the day before his stroke.  He did so well that he was moved to the intense rehab unit in 5 days after the stroke.  The second day there he developed a fever of 103 and no one had any answers for me.  Three spinal taps didn't give any answers either.  He was moved back to the hospital for several weeks. I didn't tell you that he only weighed 112 when he went into the hospital.  This is as bad as being obese.  They did not know what to do with him.  He didn't want to eat because everything tasted like cardboard.  He did drink some, but he got dehydrated twice and had to keep getting fluids.  Finally he had to have a pick line put in and they gave nourishment through it.  These were 1800 calories based on his blood work and individual needs.
He never passed the swallow test and everything was pureed.  He was moved back to the intense rehab unit and stayed there for several weeks before they gave me notice that he had to go because he wasn't making the progress needed for Medicare to pay.  The last day there he walked around the gym three times with the Swedish walker and twice with a regular walker and went up the steps and down once.  He had just gotten to eating 75 to 100% of his meals.  Anyway, I found another facility in another down that has skilled care and rehabilitation.  He is getting OT, PT, and ST there and making slow progress.  He just wants to sleep all the time.  The doctor and caseworker at the University Hospital tried their best to get me to "let him go" naturally or put in a feeding tube.  I did neither!  He eats everything on his tray and drinks a liter of fluids a day to keep hydrated.  I stay every day from about 10 to 9.  You really have to stay on top of what is happening.  I give him a bath, change him, put him in his wheelchair, roll him around outside every day and try to work with him in his good times with card reaches, stacking colored cups, picking out ABC's or numbers.  Do everything you can and learn everything you can!

[nalini06]

Gr8 to hear this!
My husband 33 yrs old had a stroke last july and now in his cognitive retrainig. 1 coil was placed for his aneurism bleed. your reply has given me a great hope even my husband will recover fully. but if you can mention your time frame for your wife will be of great help to me. My husband is now mobile but has a problem with his cognitive memory. Your post has given me a gr8 hop thank u so much.

Nalini

[onebadbunny]

you have no idea how much i needed your story.
my husband had hemorrhagic stroke 5 days ago. i was losing hope because they keep seeming to give him medicines, and he keeps getting worse. now he has pneumonia in the lungs.
i cried muchly & got angry at him because promised to never leave me.

i hope i hope i hope.

[Alexl30]

i am currently going through the same thing however my father had severe bleed in the left lobe however i see the same responses as well as a lift with the right leg,right leg bending a few times, shrugging of the shoulders,side to side movement of the head when spoken to i get the same nothing but decisions im not ready to go to that i see improvement... with prayers,faith, and lots of hope

[sammanthhaa]

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[sammanthhaa]

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[Annie1301]

My mom (85) just had a hemmoraghic stroke on Dec 13, 2011.  She had great care for 3 days in ICU then she was moved to a regular room with just average care.  The doctors gave very little information to us and were difficult to track down.  On the sixth and ninth days we heard from the two doctors and both were very pessimistic...."she'll never go home again, will have to live in a long term, skilled-care facility for the rest of her life".  

It was quite a shock since she passed the swallow test on day three and was responding to commands to lift her left arm, open eyes, etc.  She could speak some words that we understood and when upset, could speak much more clearly.  It does seem that these doctors skip the class on bedside manner and giving hope to families.  

Mom got the quick rush out of the hospital on the 9th day (right before Christmas) and was was transferred to a skilled-care nursing facility, which is barely staffed because of the weekend Christmas holiday.    It amazes me that the hospital staff has no procedures to lead the patient's family to make proper decisions for the ongoing care.  The social worker had never even been to any of these facilties.  She didn't even know what the staffing was at each one.  To complicate matters, this is happening in Miami, Florida and many of the facilites "speak no English".  

I am considering asking my dad if we can move Mom to where I live in Charlotte, NC for a few months to get the first part of Rehab done under my supervision.  My dad is very strong and capable but it is very difficult for a spouse to handle all these details, choices and be able to have the strength to advocate for their loved one.  Just because a patient is old doesn't mean the medical community should give up on any real recovery.

The comments here are encouraging!