Welcome Beth. I am so very sorry for the situation you describe. I just read a book by a woman with strokes whose marriage fell apart. There were children too. That angers me so much. How can someone abandon another when they are in need? I cannot understand such self-centeredness.
But, in fact, we never know what something is good for. Your conscience is free and that's worth a lot. And the best revenge is living well. The consequences of stroke can be a bumpy affair. We never, never give up or give in. We may take a step back but then charge two forward. I have read that acupuncture may help with pain. Always exercise as much and as best as you can.
We extend a warm welcome to you wanting to support you however we can. I meditate, do yoga and qigong and started a thread on these topics. Perhaps reading some of it can help as well as some other threads. Stress will give us setbacks so, as you say, we want to minimize it as best as possible. Wishing you the best.
The Following User Says Thank You to tinam7 For This Useful Post: Travelmom (10-28-2012)
Hi Beth
Hopefully this finds you well. If someone leaves you in time of need they are not much of a partner to begin with. You need to concentrate on yourself and do things to control your stress. Sounds easy, right? Not really. It's hard to teach a old dog new tricks. Think of a wonderful place and go there when stress starts. I like the outdoors and that's where I go. I wish you health and happiness.
Last edited by guyp; 10-28-2012 at 09:14 PM.
The Following User Says Thank You to guyp For This Useful Post: Travelmom (10-29-2012)
Thanks Guyp. It is pretty low to walk out on a woman who gave up her life goals to support the career of her husband right when she needs him the most. Despicable really and this is what my sons are learning about how to treat women. I can only hope and pray I get a chance to undo that damage.
How are you feeling? Is the numbness continuing to increase? What type of stroke did you suffer? I have just endured a particularly stressful week and my left arm/thigh have been in excruciating pain with tingling & burning sensations. I am also having probs with low potassium levels which doesn't help. Am off to the doc again on Wednesday so hopefully will get some relief from at least the potassium issue. I never want to have to endure IV potassium again as long as I live. It is like having liquid fire put into ones veins!
Well honestly the stroke I had was ischemic. The doctor said my arteries are clear and my MRI shows the damage and small infarctions. My numbness continues to increase and my arm and left hand are suffering. They still work but I am feeling the pain of continuing. I will but I feel the pain. It has been quite a journey and my friends here tell me to give it time. I agree. Time is our friend also. Here's hoping you have health and happiness.
The following user gives a hug of support to guyp: goingtorun (10-31-2012)
I understand that you had an ischemic stroke, but I am wondering which section of your brain was affected. Some of the things you talk about sound so very similar to what I have experienced with my stroke. Mine was also ischemic and was in my right rear thalamus.
I understand that you had an ischemic stroke, but I am wondering which section of your brain was affected. Some of the things you talk about sound so very similar to what I have experienced with my stroke. Mine was also ischemic and was in my right rear thalamus.
Hi travel mom...I was told mine was left frontal ischemic affecting my right side. With the hypersensitivity I am having I also think I had thalamus damage as well. Guyp and I are running along the same time frame and symptoms. Hey guyp, I laughed when you said something about acting like a baby.....I was thinking the same about myself.hahahaha Has this cooler weather affected you????
Hope you're having an awesome day!
Iwamura
Hi Iwamura,
I have seen you posting with Guyp. I am so sorry that you both have joined the stroke club. At least we all made it through and are able to talk to each other about it. I know that thalamic strokes present differently from regular strokes in that they are completely unilateral in their damage. A regular stroke will affect one side of the body, but the opposite side of the face. With my stroke, I lost feeling from the top of my head straight down the midline to the tip of my toes on the left side. Once feeling began to return, it came as tingling sort of like novacaine wearing off after a dentist visit. Unfortunately, that is as good as it got for me. After that, pain and burning sensations began. I also have that feeling that I believe Guyp was talking about like tight bands on his wrists. Mine are like supper tight bike shorts on my left thigh and a band around my left rib cage. Such weird sensations. The hardest thing for me to get my mind around is the fact that the doctors say that all this pain I am in doesn't really exist. Where the body normally tells the brain that something hurts, my brain is now telling my body that it hurts even though there is no actual injury. Freakin' weird I tell ya. Then people try to jump on that and tell me that it is all in my mind. I want to kill people sometimes! I calmly try to explain that while there may not be an actual injury, my brain is responding as if there were so the that I really am in pain regardless. Frustrated, but glad to be alive.
Hello travelmom,
It is true that there may not be anything wrong with your arm or leg but merely the signal your brain is sending. I will say that we tend to no use the limb that hurts and that's when it's important to stretch the tendons and muscles to prevent it from drawing. My hand/wrist and my THIGH especially hurts, tight, numb, and tingles making it difficult to walk and I completely avoid stairs now. For some strange reason at bedtime it gets more sensitive making me feel so restless and uneasy that I can't lay still!
Hi travel mom. We certainly are similar. I cannot express the frustration when the numbness. Continues to actually invade where the tingling used to be. My neck going down to my shoulder and down my left arm and through to the fingers. Down my left leg like a band that is tight and through my foot out to my toes. I refuse to stop working it all as I walk up and down stairs and use my hands quite a bit. I am not complaining, I just want others to know my symptoms so that it may help someone else through it. Thanks for listening.
Heck, I say complain all ya want! At least here people will understand your frustrations. It is very mind boggling to have tingling & numbness come and go in the same spots. The tightness is a particularly odd feeling for me. I had felt tingly before, but never like my leg was being squeezed. I actually felt my stroke begin in my left hand in my little finger and then it spread across the hand and up. Just after the little finger, it also began in my toes and spread out and up. Eventually I could not even tell you if I had limbs, or a body for that matter, on my left side unless I could visually see my body. Was the strangest thing I ever experienced to not know where my arm was just to find it twisted behind my back because I couldn't feel it at all. I had to learn to walk, move & eat all over again by sight. Without the sensation in my body, I would drop things all the time. As I filled a cup with water, I had to learn at which point to squeeze a little more so as not to have the weight of the cup crash to the sink or floor depending where I was filling it. It took time and even now 4yrs later, I still have trouble making sure to lift my left foot when walking. The tip of each of my left shoes is all scratched up! Haha. I keep on going though. I figure if I will lose it if I don't use it. I just wish my husband would have taken the time to try to understand what I was (and am still) going through. Instead, he saw me as lazy, not trying to heal. While others applauded my strength & courage (as I do yours), he felt I wasn't pulling my weight. Now he has left me, stolen my little boys & left me uninsured. He first made sure to bring me here to Singapore under the guise of a better job/life. Now I find out that I have very few rights here and will most likely be left with nothing, not even my children. This kills me because it was my baby boys that made me fight so hard to get through this trauma. Arrrgh, sorry for the rant. It's been a tough few days in that arena. I guess more so than I realised.
Take care of yourself, do all you can, but make sure to rest as much as you can as well. The brain heals as we sleep. That is why so many experience so much exhaustion after stroke. Our bodies know what we need and we must learn to listen.
Wow and to think that someone could ever consider you lazy and unwilling. That is insane. Keep going and never give up. Your boys will one day understand. Keep your spirits high and know in your heart that your doing everything you can. Never let anyone put any kind of label on you. You are trying and you are right. Keep the faith and keep plugging away.
The following user gives a hug of support to guyp: Travelmom (11-05-2012)
The Following User Says Thank You to guyp For This Useful Post: Travelmom (11-05-2012)
Well my forearm down to my wrist is very numb. Also my left backside and left rib cage. I am tired. So I'm going to let it be. Hope everyone had a nice holiday.
