Hemorrhagic Stroke Recovery

[Shrish]

My 55 yr old mother had a "massive" hemorrhagic stroke Feb. 18/05. The neuro surgeon said it was a large deep bleed in the left side of her brain, apparently she is lucky to have survived it and without surgery. The latest CT scan 3.5 weeks after the stroke the blood has started to re-absorb and swelling is going down. She is currently in a rehab hospital (March 18) with paralysis on the right side (arm and leg) and has aphasyia - she understands us but has a hard time getting her words out (she does put small phases together at times).A speech therapist works with her and she can read, write some (copies words) and has progressed with food (a feeding tube to puree foods to soft - ground foods). The speech therapist has positive prognosis for speech improvements over the next year. I'm wondering how paralysis recovery works? She has physio and Occupational therapy working her muscles but do people with paralysis get some motor function back and if so what type of time frame (3,6,12, months?)Is there any recent research or therapy to aid in the motor recovery process such as magnetic stimulation or emg that we should be considering or inquiring about? Any questions I should be asking the rehab or dr.'s to find out about my mother's prognosis for it....or is it giving her brain time to heal and see if rehab can help?

Thank for your time and any comments/direction are appreciated.

Shrish

[michniak]

KayKay143... I'm very glad to hear there is positive results with your Dad.  Sending lots of prayers and hugs your way.

[KayKay143]

My father had a hemorrhagic stroke on September 28,2014 and they told us that he was not going to make it. The placed a temporary drain tube into is head, which helped a lot. His BP was up and down as well as his temperature. They say if the bleeding continues they will have to do the SHUNT process which is the permanent tube inside of his head. At this point I was like whatever will keep my father here, I am down for it. So they did the procedure and called all of the family in the room and said that he might not have needed the tube, because is wasn't really working, I was like what?? if he didn't need it why would you do it. Then I had to think to myself and say God has a reason behind all of this and that he will take my family out of this situation. The doctor then came in the room the next day and said that my father would be in vegetative state for the rest of his life, I became devastated and I had to snap back into reality and remember to keep the faith. The nurse came in and said Mike can you squeeze my hand and he did it, and then she said can you wiggle your toes and he did it. My dad is now in neuro-step-down and is responding sometimes he do hallucinate and sometimes he say things that doesn't make since but he still remembers everyone and still has his sense of humor. He is doing great! My dad is my world, And if you pray and pray and pray until God answers your prayers, he knows you are a believer. God bless you all and I believe my father has a testimony to share.

[Chathamgirl]

On July 13, 2013, I suffered a hemorrhagic stroke. I was 53.  They only gave me a 40% chance of survival. I don't remember the first month of the 54 days that I was in the hospital, but my family tells me that I was on a vent, I was dazed and unresponsive.  I was in ICU for 11days and then I was moved to a step down unit, where I began rehab in my room. I could neither sit up on my own, nor hold my head up.  I couldn't talk, read or write.

In my 10 month recovery, (today marks the date) I have certainly come a long way. I have had a lot of people all over the world praying for me. My sister says I'm a miracle. I've decided to write this to encourage those of you who may have suffered a stroke, or have loved one who has, to NEGU - Never Ever Give Up! I learned this from Jessie Rees during her battle with a inoperable, incurable brain tumor that she was diagnosed with in March of 2011. She lived only 10 months, but she was an example to me and many others by her positive and caring attitude.  

Today I can eat normally, read, write, type (with one hand because my right arm still isn't working YET), talk, & walk with the aid of a hemi-walker. I still have a long way to go, but I am still improving in baby steps every single day. Today my PT had me walk on my on for the first time since the stroke! I can also go from sitting to a standing position without using my hands for support.  
My OT uses e-stim therapy on my arm and leg.
My advice:  If your head starts hurting out of the blue and it's the worst pain you've ever experienced -CALL 911 Immediately. Try to get into rehab as soon as you can and if you're told to do 10 reps of a particular exercise, do a dozen. E-stim does help. Never listen to anything negative and if you get depressed, don't stay there too long. If you have particular ?'s, feel free to respond.
This site has given me hope that there is still more recovery in my future.

[Kaylester]

Thank You. We have just experienced this in my family. It has been a very tough thing to go thru.

[hope2204]

Hello,
Recently my Grandmother had a hemorrhage stroke which has devastated me, my family and especially my Granddad.  I am so amazed that her story is so similar to everyone else's here on this page.  She also went into hospital the day before her stroke for a catheter and suffered 2 strokes.  The second one was the hemorrhage which put her into a violent sort of coma where she didn't respond to sound or touch but she was kicking and jerking and fighting to sit up.  The traumatic thing is that even though she was in hospital when it happened nobody discovered her until my Granddad came to collect her and found her all alone.  You can imagine how upsetting it was for him, they have been married for 58 years and they do everything together.
The doctors told us that she would probably die or be like a vegetable for the rest of her life which was the most distressing thing I have ever had to listen to.  And then as if by magic she opened her eyes on the second day.  It is now the eleventh day and she can walk, go to the toilet and feed herself.  
I am worried that she doesn't remember me and that she won't be the same person ever again.  I love her so much and she is so lively and energetic. I don't know if she always understands me when I talk. She can talk back sometimes, but often it is nonsensical.  She can read and sing but she can't find her own words.  Her memory is so bad that she forgets who she just spoke to or what she ate for dinner 2 minutes before.   I am also very upset for my Granddad who is 81 years old and is now living without her.  It makes my heart crumble to see the destruction that the stroke caused.  I know I am very lucky that my Granny has coped so well so far.  I just hope that she will recognize me and carry on loving me.  I am confident that she has some understanding of who I am, and I hope she knows how much I care about her.
These posts have been so useful to me.  Thank you everyone.
from a worried Granddaughter x

[hopeful47]

Thank you. Good luck with your wife. My dad doesn’t even have any insurance though I moved him to the states in 2011 and in order to be qualified ears Medicare he has to live here for 5 years so you can imagine what I am going through emotionally, physically and financially.  He is doing well with walking on quad cane and needs less help to keep his balance ever day.  I am super careful because I know if he suffer a fall it’ll be a major setback.  Was your wife walking at all before the fall? Admire you for standing by her side and keep encouraging her not every man takes “till death do us apart” serious.  She is even younger than my dad so I am sure she will bounce back, nutrition is very important too, increase lean protein, vegetable and whole grains in her diet and I would suggest even supplements.  It has been a week since I brought my dad home and I can see changes, he has more energy and feels better being off the nasty hospital food.  I use low sugar protein shakes and bars in between meals and increased antioxidants such as blueberry in his diet, it helps with the cell recovery.  I hope you are allowing others to reach out and take care of you while you are taking care of her, I am learning to do so myself.   Best of luck and thank you