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

[bettervalue]

Hi, Do not give up hope and never quit trying to get all the help possible for your dad. My wife also had a hemorrmagic stoke in Dec 2011. She spend several months in the hospital, rehab center, outpatient physical therapy and in home care from OT s and PTs until all of our insurance benefits ran out. .PROGRESS REPORT My wife was making great progress ( walking with my assistance, being able to get from her wheelchair into another chair with just a little help) after all of the care mentioned above but unfortunately had a bad fall after 9 months of hard work and fractured her hip so we basicaly had to start all over with therapy. Her insurance company would not pay for any more therapy so I enrolled her in an outpatient physical therapy program and could pay for it over a period of time. We are now waiting till next month to get her medicare coverage and I will enroll her in all the possible programs again with the hope that medicare will cover some of the expenses and she will continue to make progress. I know it is hard, but like Jimmy V said DON'T EVER GIVE UP.

[hopeful47]

Hello everyone,

I need some help and advice, my 65 years old otherwise healthy father had a stroke on 3/24/13 due to high blood pressure.  Hemorrhage 2.7x2.8 cm.  When it happened he was home alone and while he was on the floor he was able to make a phone call and get help rather quickly.  He didn’t go into a coma, didn’t need surgery and cognitively he was with it from the begging.  He didn’t need feeding tube or breathing tube and his speech is back though some words are still hard for him to say.  He was in ICU for 5 days and by April 1st he was moved to inpatient rehab for three weeks.  His progress is very slow but the third CT scan which was taken while he was still in ICU showed no new hemorrhage and no extra-axial fluid.  Paralysis on the right leg and arm, he is doing well and we have PT, OT and acupuncture as well.  We walk on quad cane with a lot of help because of right side but I feel his weight on me less and less every day.  My question is what can I expect from here, is he going to gain mobility?  He was so active and strong and it just kills me to watch him like this, is he going to gain anything back and how much longer?  I am a single woman with full time job but I moved him with me and so far I am managing well but I know it can’t be like this in long term, he is all I have please someone tell me it is going to get better.  I am loosing hope.

Thanks

[dankedoo]

Hi,
I am Debbi and my dad had a massive brain bleed at end of July 2012. That day he was scheduled to go on a 10 mile bike ride with my sisters. They found him to be not at home as he had been taken to ER and was continuing to bleed into the brain. Apparently, 2 weeks prior, they had put him on one of the newest blood thinners (like Pradaxa) and they were unable to stop or reverse the blood thinner effect. He was in great pain in his head, continuously vomiting into a tube from the increased pressure. He was restrained so he couldn't pull the tubes out but he was responsive. Left side was paralysed . For some reason, the staff pulled out the breathing tube, maybe to see if he could handle secretions. But he could not at that time. I am haunted by the decision made by my family to not reintubate and give palliative support.....dad always said he would never want to live with tubes, unable to care for himself. But he was responding when asked, that he wanted to put the tube in again.....it was a right brain stroke and we don't know if he realized what was going on. Later that night when he was no longer intubated, he whispered to me, "am I ok"? I said no dad, you are not ok. You had a big stroke and ......So, he was moved to a wonderfully caring area in oncology wing where we could all visit/stay and  where he was made very comfortable till he passed a few days later. Could he have made it to a point that would have satisfied him or would he be angry that we kept him alive? The pulmonary doctor stated that he felt it was unethical to have him reintubated but that he had to because not all of our family listed on advanced directives agreed on what to do .Later that day after my sister kept crying "please stop torturing my dad", all came to agreement with a doctor conferring. The confusion, hurt,hope,shock and incredibly strong emotions all came into play as we only wanted to do what dad wanted. It was a really bad time for all. But I am happy for so many of these families who hang in there and come to a place of some healing and life. I know that God is good and gracious and that "nothing can ever separate us from the love of Christ", "not even death". And that is where my hope lies.

[glorycarrier]

I had the same kind of stroke that affected me on the same side also in the same year October 2007 so I kind of know what he's going through. My name is Gloria Johnson I was 45 yrs old when all this happen doing alot better now still have numbness and arm and leg still paralzed but i'm alive be patience show kindness and love you will see a change

[M_I_M_81]

Hi My Nephew had the same thing 5 days ago they are telling us he will either have weakness in the left side of his body or total paralyses. If you get to read this can you please give me an update and tell me is there any change? Can my nephew get back to normal he is only 18 and we are all very worried

[Koala_melb]

My mother is 79 years old and a little over 3 weeks ago suffered a severe stoke followed by massive haemorrhaging in the brain as a result of introducing a catheter into the artery with the blockage in order to unblock it. Doctors  didn´t think she would survive. Three weeks on she is still alive and is stable although in a semi-coma. Doctors give us little or no hope and they say she can´t go to a rehabilitation program because she can´t understand commands. After reading this blog I´m certainly more hopeful. We are looking to move into a nursing home where she can receive at least physiotherapy and OT if she recovers some cognitive capability. I certainly hope I can post that she has improved significantly shortly.