Tell us your story about your stroke and how you made it or have questions

[Hope for Stroke]

All of us (stroke survivors) have different levels of stroke and different outcomes. The one thing we all have in common is that, in the blink of an eye our lives have changed. A stroke survivor relating to a stroke survivor can be more powerful than a friend or medical person at times, because they have been there and understand. May even have tips on how they made it. This is for us the stroke survivor, tell us your story...But try to stay on the topic in the forum, use the "blog" on the tab called "my page" for your discussions other than topics in the forum. You may add a topic or jump to groups or your own personal blog on my page....

[Morgan Bell]

I have had two strokes in my adult life, the first when I was 21, the most recent, and severe CVA when I was 27, that caused deep tissue damage, leaving me with left side hemiplegia, and dysarthria. I have worked hard to recover from both of my strokes, however, my most recent one I have recieved little support from medical professionals, as the prognosis for my recovery is slim, and with a hospital full of much older patients with conditions with much better prognosises, like broken hips, less severe strokes, etc; physios and doctors are loathe to "waste time" or take risks on me. I have been a Christian since high school, and am trusting God in the stuation, Christ assures eternal life to all who believe in Him, so no matter what God plans for my life, the ending, after I die or Christ returns, is going to be happy.

[Chris Ball]

Hi Morgan! I just read your post on this forum from May... How are things progressing? I feel for you with the medical pros underestimating you...I guess they make their decisions based on statistics...but there are no statistics for your heart, your faith or your courage. I'm rooting for you - I was pronounced dead myself a week after my initial stroke at 47 and told I'd never walk or live outside a nursing home again a few weeks later. Today (6 years later) I'm a successful college student, live on my own and walk a mile or two every day. Only we and God know what we are capable of, and sometimes we don't even know, but He does, so don't let any human, medical or otherwise, tell you whether or not you'll recover. My only advice to you besides that is that we'll all be at peace after we die, but don't wait until then to be happy. God gives us reasons to be happy about no matter what our situation...sometimes we just don't see them... In our crowd we face big challenges, but we have what we need to persevere and be happy. Hang in there Pal!

[Chris Ball]

I was a very active executive, coach,athlete,musician and 47 year old father of three on October 27,2002 when a stroke hit me without warning, changing everything in a moment. I am fortunate to be a long time member of a large anonymous fellowship, whose principles and practices enabled me to focus on accepting and making the best of what God put in front of me one day at a time, being grateful for the many blessings in my life and concentrating on what I CAN do...not what I cant. Today I am a full time student, I'm still singing with my old band and I have an active social life.
In the end, it's really very simple (I didn't say easy..) Accept the situation, but don't give up and don't die..it all works out in God's time. Just don't quit 5 minutes before the miracle!

[Don]

Like Chris I was a very active 47 year old living the life I ha always dreamed of having already retired from a career in the military and well into a second career son in the Navy just the wife and I enjoying life when without warning I had a brain aneurysm pop? Six weeks in the worst kind of coma on full life support and they were working on having me removed to be sent back to my island to die and I thank God every day that my Son was back in Honolulu on Emergency Leave and saw a nurse who told him I flinched a muscle while she was cleaning me so he went and got the Neuro surgeon to check me had the meeting gone through I wouldnt be writing this I suppose, It still haunts me that they were trying their best to kill me as mI showed no signs of getting better for 6 weeks? The average person has no idea of the way things are done and I hope they never will as I can say for sure that during my tanure in the Gulags known as hospitals I have suffered at the hands of people both mental and physical abuse it is sad thst MONEY instead of your well being is the issue? I fooled em all and survived coming home in a wheelchair with a feeding tube, I now walk with a cane and work out 5 days a week no real thanks to them as the island I live on had ! doctor at the time and no PT a fact that worked in my favor I suppose as there is nobody to tell me what I cant do as I was driving again as soon as I could crawl to my truck I tell all the young people here if you think you are going to die you probably will I have had to learn to walk 3 times it aint easy but it can be done, I am in contact with a young woman in California who is a quad as a result of her bleed who is now trying to stand up and Im pretty sure she will walk agai I think the biggest thing that alarms me is that there are those of us who have made recoverys that defy their spectrum and yet they refuse to examine us to find out why so they could perhaps impliment whatever it is we have to help others thats why these sites are important to me as I have gotten more from other survivors than any doctor in fact doctors have almost killed me two more times following my aneurysml

[Chris Ball]

Doctors are mostly good professional caring people, but money will always be an issue, and unless they've experienced a stroke, they will never really understand our position or what motivates us, so our best source of support will always be our fellow survivors. Its not something I'd be angry about, it's just a reality of the world we live in

[Don]

Well in my case I have EVERY right to be angry as so few of us survive brain bleeds they dont know what to do with us and its a fact they shuffled me to a re-hab facility and tried to bend me in positions I never was in when healthy? And would look puzzled when I would scream out in pain so they decided to give me massive doses of Cortico steroids for god only knows what reason and it gave me osteoporosis so bad my spine broke in 5 places and I spent 3 months in bed on morphine IVs until I underwent a new surgical procedure known as a kyphoplasty that allowed the compression fractures to be repaired and was able to walk for the third time I am not making any of this up they also destroyed the vision in my left eye by not patching it properly during the 9 hour crainiotomy to remove the brain tumor that started this whole mess the list goes on and I am thankful that I have the ability to see through the ruse, in fact my family was about to have me commited to a facilty because I was so delusional on Phenobarbital?
Once I got away from hospitals I started getting better, trust me I could have eaten the first week I woke up but they starved me 3 more months on a feeding tube for crying out loud I know if I can swallow or not just cause I would almost puke when they tried to feed me boiled chicken dipped in Barium to do the swallow test? As soon as I got home I ate and drank and gave the liguid food away? I also pulled out that stupid Trach tube and threw it out the car window the first time I was allowed to leave for a day? I know if I can breath or not?
I used to be like you and believe that kind of thing but however nice the doctor may be unless he owns the facility and calls the shots there is potential for the suffering I have and still endure, if you ever go to see a doctor and he does not listen to EVERY word you speak get up and leave my last hospital stay was the result of an ER Dr. who couldnt read an x-ray and had me medivaced on an air ambulance for the cement in my spine which he thought was an embolism in my lung? I had a pain in my side which was my gall bladder getting ready to burst but he was more interested in why my blood oxygen was low instead of listening to me and ordered a chest x-ray? It gets better as the NEW surgeon who operated to remove my gall bladder did not know what she was doing and I now have a 24 inch scar on my right side and no feeling on the skin on my stomach? She was supposed to do a laproscopy and made the incision less than 1 inch from a hernia in my navel and didnt repair it? Glad it all works for you but sadly there are those of us who have suffered and have every right to be angry and you better hope we stay on top of it or somebody you know or love will be the next victim I am a grown man and know its not a perfect world and mistakes are made but DO NOT try to cover it up and put the blame on me? I have written evidence that with the right lawyer would make me rich no doubt like the transcript from my tumor operation that says Im a female and the incision was made on the opposite side of my head and my name and SSN appears at the top? This caused me all sorts of grief, leave no stone unturned and no question unanswered, your the customer and the customer is always right.

[Peter]

I had not read this before I replied to your post re guitar. At last I have found a soul mate. I agree with everything you say. I can't comment on the various mistakes as I have no knowledge of your medical history but I agree we can not trust our lives to them without some amount of questioning. We obviously need our doctors and great things are done by them on hopefully most occasions. I question every investigation and drug they want to administer.

[Don]

Like I said I also as a young man believed all was well but later found out I was lied to just got an e-mail tonight from my good friend and aneurysm survivor in Austrailia how she just had her first compression fracture in her spine so I might as well warn all of you if you were administered cortico steriods during your journey get a bone density scan broken backs are waaay more painful than brain aneurysms

[Linda Wheeler]

I AM SO THANKFUL TO BE ALIVE.
I had a heart defect which caused my brain stem stroke in December of 2002.
I am working on learning to walk and talk again.
All I need is time!

[Chris Ball]

Good attitude Linda! It all works out in God's time...just DON'T QUIT!

[Elizabeth Carter]

Hi Linda,

Iam also grateful to be alive.
I wish you well with learning to walk and talk again. Take courage from the many people who have trod that path successfully.
Cheers
elizabethc

[Chris Ball]

Isn't it strange how it just happens out of the clear blue sky and changes everything? Some probably give in to the depression, fear, anger etc., but this is a strong crew and we don't quit that easy. Hang in there,Buddy!