Speedy recovery
I hope you recover soon and fully. Take care.
daveT — Hang tough, my p-net buddy
– Last Updated: Nov-04-05 11:46 PM EST –
Dave: I have treated stroke patients as part of my medical practice for 16 years. Much of the advice you heard above, including about the recovery time for 6-12 months, and the depression as part of the picture, is very true. If I can give one piece of wisdom, and one constructive piece of advice, here they are:
Wisdom: Keep the faith because this is the darkest hour. Beyond this time you will heal, mentally and physically. It will be brighter, slightly every day. If it seems dark, discuss with your doctors and social workers and family, for in reality, each day is brighter. Many people become frustrated early, and do not understand that each day of recovery, as I tell my patients, is a "drop in the bucket of time", with gains so slow at times to seem imperceptable. But when you look over an expanse of time -- a week, a month, end eventually a year-- you will see the gains. Your stroke was still recent, and only a mere fraction of of the time that you will have for recovery; remain resolute. Remain optimistic.
And now the advice part -- you must get out. If you are out of the hospital/rehab, get outside. Many with new strokes stay indoors, and with darkness of winter upon us, becomes particularly important to get out. Get a family member to help you out. Have them drive you all over in the car, look at the water, remember your paddles, see kids playing in the park... it will make you feel better, and alive again. Go eat at your favorite restaurant, and have a margarita. Enjoy life. Shed the indoors for the light, and you will see that life is ahead. You will see that life is worth living. You will see that, regardless of what concerns you about how society, friends, and others will "think of you" and how they will see you, it is your life to live. It is your life to live. You have been given a second chance.. a change in life for certain, but a chance to live. Hold tight, my paddling friend, hold tight to life. You will live fully again.
Good Advice/Insight
A stroke victim I met…
at an ACA adaptive paddling clinic was one of the most amazing people I’ve ever paddled with.
We fixed up a good supportive seat in the bow of a tandem canoe for him then we fitted up a paddle and gloves rig with a bit of velcro – and he was paddling all afternoon!
He was NOT going to be held back – he was living on the tail of the curve!
Stroke
Dave: I’m not sure why, but your posting struck me, and the advice that has come in response is unusually supportive and good as well.
You have reached out, and seem to care about others – those two qualities will help as you work to put it together again. Don’t give up, work hard, and use this time to be as ready for spring as possible, and the summer that will follow. Good luck and best wishes!
JRS
stroke and depression
Hey Dave, The advice about depression is good–don’t be reluctant to try a medication like Zoloft. It clearly helps post-stroke mood disorders, and may improve stroke outcomes in patients who also have depression. The data’s already pretty good for sertraline benefiting outcomes after MI, and there are very large clinical trials running in stroke that will be completed within the near future. These don’t happen if the preliminary results aren’t promising. Keep up the rehab–as others have said, recovery will be slow but steady. Take good care, John
Would you like information
about the healing power of God? I’ve seen hundreds of people healed over the last 30 years.
stroke rehab
tanks for all the positive respones therapy is going well walking is getting better and left arm strength and mobility is improving. I’ll keep my p-net friends posted