Stroke

[rpbert1]

recieved news this morning that my BIL was taken to hospital with a stroke.
Apparently they have a 3 hour window to get med in to him ,but this was lost as , he collapsed and was unable to get to his phone, as he had to drag himself to where his phone was, and because his right hand side was affected , took him sometime to get to it, he lives on his own. by the time the ambulance came the time had passed for the med, so apparently they need to wait 24 hours before starting treatment and the 24 hrs is a critical time for stroke patients,and if he does have another in this period they can then administer the drugs.
We where at the hospital most of the day, and he seems ok although still very ill, but has some feeling back in his right leg, but his hand has no feeling at all, and his speech is very bad.
know it is a long process , but read a post from someone on another thread , as he was very upset and a bit weepy, but this apparently seems to be normal, which has put DWs at ease a bit , as she is very upset, as this is her youngest brother.
Will be at the hospital tomorrow, but do not expect any difference from today, as we know it is a long slow process, but its good to read how people do go on to live long health lives.

[dogodisney]

So sorry to hear about your BIL. Prayers said for his recovery.

[CarolAnnC]

Originally Posted by rpbert1

recieved news this morning that my BIL was taken to hospital with a stroke.
Apparently they have a 3 hour window to get med in to him ,but this was lost as , he collapsed and was unable to get to his phone, as he had to drag himself to where his phone was, and because his right hand side was affected , took him sometime to get to it, he lives on his own. by the time the ambulance came the time had passed for the med, so apparently they need to wait 24 hours before starting treatment and the 24 hrs is a critical time for stroke patients,and if he does have another in this period they can then administer the drugs.
We where at the hospital most of the day, and he seems ok although still very ill, but has some feeling back in his right leg, but his hand has no feeling at all, and his speech is very bad.
know it is a long process , but read a post from someone on another thread , as he was very upset and a bit weepy, but this apparently seems to be normal, which has put DWs at ease a bit , as she is very upset, as this is her youngest brother.
Will be at the hospital tomorrow, but do not expect any difference from today, as we know it is a long slow process, but its good to read how people do go on to live long health lives.

I had a stroke 11 years ago and identify with many of the symptoms your BIL is experiencing now.

I was not able to receive the clot busting drugs either as I did not arrive at the hospital anywhere near the time frame needed. I had some facial paralysis and speech issues as well. The weepiness and emotional outburst is an after effect of a stroke and that should subside somewhat as he heals. I had many months of speech therapy and pushed to get more approved from my insurance provider as I was in sales and needed my speech back to as near perfect as possible. Since language was also affected, the therapy was designed to assist with that as well.

At this point the only after effects tend to show up when I am very tired or ill. I may have an occasional issue with choosing the right word, or perhaps get a tad garbled, but nobody would ever notice if they did not know my history. I may sometimes choke a bit on swallowing food or drink, but no other facial paralysis is noticeable.

I cannot advise on the numbness but I know therapy may sometimes bring improvement, especially in the first six months after the stroke. The brain sometimes can be re-patterned and other brain cells can take on the jobs of the cells that were "killed" during the stroke.

The best advice I can give is to be there for BIL and keep his spirits up. It is a very frightening time for him, but reassurance and planning for his recovery will be important. Best wishes, and I will keep him in my prayers..

[quasar4legs]

I shall be sending positive thoughts to your BIL and extended family.
It is a distressing time for everyone but there are many uplifiting stories of those that have recovered from a stroke and I wish your BIL the best for the future.

Big Koala cuddles to you all.

In a previous thread I wrote about my 83 year old mum that made a full recovery from a stroke and is back on the tennis court. Hoping things work out for your family.

[rpbert1]

Originally Posted by CarolAnnC

I had a stroke 11 years ago and identify with many of the symptoms your BIL is experiencing now.

I was not able to receive the clot busting drugs either as I did not arrive at the hospital anywhere near the time frame needed. I had some facial paralysis and speech issues as well. The weepiness and emotional outburst is an after effect of a stroke and that should subside somewhat as he heals. I had many months of speech therapy and pushed to get more approved from my insurance provider as I was in sales and needed my speech back to as near perfect as possible. Since language was also affected, the therapy was designed to assist with that as well.

At this point the only after effects tend to show up when I am very tired or ill. I may have an occasional issue with choosing the right word, or perhaps get a tad garbled, but nobody would ever notice if they did not know my history. I may sometimes choke a bit on swallowing food or drink, but no other facial paralysis is noticeable.

I cannot advise on the numbness but I know therapy may sometimes bring improvement, especially in the first six months after the stroke. The brain sometimes can be re-patterned and other brain cells can take on the jobs of the cells that were "killed" during the stroke.

The best advice I can give is to be there for BIL and keep his spirits up. It is a very frightening time for him, but reassurance and planning for his recovery will be important. Best wishes, and I will keep him in my prayers..

Thanks for all the positive info CarolAnnC, and its good to know all the things going on at the minute with him is all a natural symptom of the stroke. We know it all takes a lot of time, and good to know about the choking because of the paralyisis, as they did say his throat was badly swollen.

[rpbert1]

Yes i read your post quasar4legs, and was very uplifting , and whi i posted about BIL as we knew nothing really about strokes. Its good to get feed back from people who have had a stroke or family members like yourself who have first hand experience. Hopefully a few months down the line , we will start to see a slight improvement. At this time we just need to get things in place for when he gets out of hospital, as we all know he will not come to stay with any of us.

thanks to everyone who posted

[Mackey Mouse]

Hope your BIL continues to improve and that they are able to work with him, I am so glad Carol responded here as she has that firsthand information that is so good during these times.. Please do let us know how he is doing..

Thanks..
Marsha

[rpbert1]

Hi guys, been having comp problems
forget how tiring it is visiting people in hospitals.
BIL has his feeling back in his leg which is great news, and doctors are happy with his condition, and that he should make a good recovery in time. his speech is still quite bad and his right hand is not good, but he is getting help with this, but it will take time. There is some scarring on the right side of his brain, but thay say he was extremely lucky.
he has been through as bit this while back, he was an alcholic, and got help 6 years ago and has not looked back, and we are all really proud of him, he has had a few health problems because of the drink, but if he had not stopped drinking , he would have been dead a good few years ago.
He now has a good life and is happy with what he has, and he never complains about anything.

thanks to everyone who replied

[dogodisney]

So glad to hear he is doing better. May he continue to show progress.

[denegate]

Originally Posted by rpbert1

Hi guys, been having comp problems
forget how tiring it is visiting people in hospitals.
BIL has his feeling back in his leg which is great news, and doctors are happy with his condition, and that he should make a good recovery in time. his speech is still quite bad and his right hand is not good, but he is getting help with this, but it will take time. There is some scarring on the right side of his brain, but thay say he was extremely lucky.
he has been through as bit this while back, he was an alcholic, and got help 6 years ago and has not looked back, and we are all really proud of him, he has had a few health problems because of the drink, but if he had not stopped drinking , he would have been dead a good few years ago.
He now has a good life and is happy with what he has, and he never complains about anything.

thanks to everyone who replied

He sounds like a good man, I hope the best for his recovery and continued happiness.

[rpbert1]

Thanks guys.
Just back from hospital, he has started his physiotherapy, and he has been doing it in his room as well , as he says the sooner he can get himself going the sooner he gets out.
Think he was hoping to be out this week, but we knew it would be longer, so they told him he would not be out for a few weeks at the earliest, depending on how he responds, so reckon he will be doing the exercises in his sleep, so he can get out as soon as possible.
Oh and he has decided to stop smoking ,which is another excellent step for him

[Deesknee]

Happy to hear your BIL in progressing. Prayers for strength for you all, as well as a complete recovery for your BIL. One day at a time. Hang in there.
I have a very dear friend who had a stroke on DEc. 12th. He is still in rehab, but his speech is perfect, facial expressions have completely returned, memory is coming along wonderfully, and although his memeory slips once in a while, he comes right back when corrected, almost like he already realized it. He is frustrated with the process of getting walking again, but it is wonderful to have him back. I pray the best for you all.

[rpbert1]

BIL was released from hospital, here in the UK there is a shortage of beds , and without them saying , this was one of the reasons he was sent home. He was able to make tea and toast bread for himself, so they said he could go home.
He still cannot use his right hand , and speech is still not great, but he is going to get speech therapy and physio for his hand. so it is good that he can get about as it could have been worse.
We go up 3 times a week, and his other brother calls 3 times a week, and another calls during the day. just to help him with things for his dinner that he is unable to do because of his hand.
He knows it will be a slow process, but is in good spirits.