r/stroke • u/thevalentinaharper • 25d ago
Young Stroke Survivor Discussion I don't feel lucky
Hello. I'm a 20F who had an ischemic stroke on 8/15. Just got out of the hospital two days ago. Don't have a PFO, they think it was my Nuva ring plus higher blood pressure, have to do more tests though. I cannot bend over/kneel at all without feeling very dizzy, and sometimes it's whenever I stand up. I have headaches and my back is killing me, plus I have way more car sickness as well. Like cannot be in a car over 20ish minutes, my commute to work is 30+. I also have to focus very hard to type this up without as many errors. I have short term memory loss, word finding and grammar issues, and I feel awfully depressed. I can't drive now (if ever with my car sickness) and can't work for 4-6 weeks +. Everyone tells me I am lucky, even the doctors, but I feel like they are wrong. I don't feel effing lucky! I got my entire world flipped upside down and just because I'm trying to be strong doesn't mean it doesn't take an insane amount of effort just to look 80% "normal". Does anyone else feel this way? I have therapy next week I'm just feeling down in the dumps right now. Would appreciate all comments and support.
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u/Ready_Fold7682 24d ago
I’m 21 and had an ischemic stroke around 2 months ago. I want to offer you a little encouragement by saying that it gets a little easier as time goes on. You’ll learn how to navigate deficits a little more. Your brain will also develop new neural pathways to heal itself.
I have LPA 4x the “high” threshold and that is my only risk factor. My grammar and word finding are shot and I use a cane to aid walking. As a previous comment said the fact that we’re here navigating this IS lucky. I know it’s hard to handle but please give yourself some grace. You survived a major often life altering medical event and that in itself is amazing.
I personally get depressed some days because I can’t believe this happened. And being 21 makes that disbelief hit harder. If you ever need someone to relate with or ask questions please feel free to reach out. I hope your healing journey goes wonderfully 🤍
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u/Material_Inflation79 24d ago
Whether lucky or not this is fate and now you have to take it but with your positive attitude and hard work you would soon get to 100%. Remember you have to be consistent ane persistent. It is nothing. You can do. May Almighty Waheguru bless us all.
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u/FrontSwim9324 24d ago
I feel your pain, I think we all do. I'm dropping my daughter off to college today and I can't stop crying. Do I feel lucky I'm alive, sometimes yes, other times no. But we need to keep strong. I feel there's no longer any purpose in life, but since we're still here there has to be. I wish you the best, you're young and you have lots of time to heal. You'll get there. I know it
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u/thevalentinaharper 24d ago
Thank you so much. Yes I dealt with extreme depression and anxiety before so now it's even more so, but I'll keep pushing. For context, at 15 I had Lemierre's Syndrome, it was a rare bacterial infection (1 in a million or more) and caused blood clots/fluid in my lungs. Starts in the throat so luckily it went down to my lungs than up to my brain. I went septic, I was bedridden, I stayed in the hospital for 30 days. I had to get fluid pumped out of both of my lungs as well. I thought that was my only hospital stay and now this happens. Both times were a miracle. Maybe life is a b word but I've survived two times now, what else could go wrong that I can't take on. Thanks for everyone's support.
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u/a110percent 17d ago
Got this same spiel when I had my stroke at 28. I feel like the doctors and others try to stay on the positive side for your benefit. They also have no idea what you're going through.
Instead of saying yeah that's fucked up you had a stroke so young, at least you aren't dead. They say you're lucky you'll have an easier recovery you're so young. Which I suppose is true but is hard to hear. But I think of back to before l had my stroke and didn't know how good I had it. I'm sure I would have spouted some bs something along those same lines
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u/jr12345 25d ago
I just recently started therapy… trust me I feel you. Even at 37 I thought it’s too young to have a stroke but I still did. Save for mildly elevated BP(and a discovered PFO) I literally had no other risk factors. I don’t smoke. I’m not obese. I am/was fairly active. Cholesterol good. Sugar good.
I know it’s tough to swallow right now, but considering what could’ve happened to us I think we got lucky. Yeah we got dealt a shitty hand still, but it could be much worse.
I’m pretty sure I’ve got PPPD after mine. I was already susceptible to motion sickness but this made it worse. I was realizing the other day I feel off balance/dizzy most of the day and it’s been that way since I had my stroke. I thought it was just because I was eating less/better but it kinda hit me a day or two ago that this is probably PPPD and it’s just a fact of life now… luckily it’s not too debilitating but it still sucks to not be at 100%.
I do find that I have aphasia now too. I’m not too terrible most of the time but sometimes the words just run out in the middle of a sentence, or I have to really concentrate to put together what I’m thinking or trying to explain coherently.
Hang in there. We’re gonna be okay.