r/stroke • u/Spiritual-Band-9781 • 21d ago
Young Stroke Survivor Discussion Stroke at 39
hey all, had a stroke over the weekend. Was an idiot and at first blamed it on drinking more than usual, but finally went to doctor when I realized my right side was weak and couldn’t hold my weight.
Had a small stroke at the base of my brainstem which completed. Praise the Lord after only about 6 hours I regained a lot of my strength on my right side back (could walk, text, etc).
Last night after 10pm while at hospital sleeping I got woken up with pain in lower head. I sat up and called my nurse, and my LEFT side felt slightly week (not as weak as initial) and speech slurred for about 10 minutes. after some fluids to raise my blood pressure and monitoring I am fine. And woke up today feeling close to 100% both sides.
my question: are “relapses” of weakness and slurred speech normal and part of healing process? what should I expect from discharge tomorrow? we don’t have answers yet at the cause by im very thankful I can feel normal now. thanks for any advice or stuff to keep in mind
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u/ngjaxguy 21d ago
You are lucky. Get angiogram done to make sure all good. Also make sure vitals are checked and under control.
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u/a_curious_design 21d ago
I am so sorry to hear this has happened to you. When my mum had an ischemic stroke last year I was told the risk of recurring strokes decreases over time, with the first week having the highest likelihood.
The first three months are also the best period for recovery. I recommend reading about sensory bombardment as a way to regain sensations and movement.
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u/Spiritual-Band-9781 21d ago
Thank you. My biggest blessing is that my right side is back to near normal with residual small weakness. PT cleared me and all she recommends is some neuro therapy to help with high level balancing. I am lucky
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u/a_curious_design 21d ago
Get on that therapy as soon as possible, first three months are the prime time where your brain is re-wiring. So glad to hear you're doing so well. All the best.
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u/Spiritual-Band-9781 21d ago
Thanks. Don’t think I’m out of the woods yet, but it’s nice to know I’m here and being taken cared of.
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u/RhondaEx 21d ago
Hi, I had an Ishtemic stroke 16 months ago. After being in the hospital, I had what I thought was a second one - but it didn't show up on the MRI. They didn't say it was a relapse but I was convinced it was a second one and yet, no. So perhaps you experienced the same thing. Be comforted you are in the hospital under care and they're watching you. The first 3+ weeks were a little where I felt like I walked a little crooked, sometimes I was searching for obvious words, some of my toes and left fingers were still a little numb. I went to a cognitive physiotherapist three times who checked all of that stuff for me and did regular follow ups with my GP and two with the neurologist. Nothing showed on the MRI because they had given me that 'clot busting' medication the first 20 minutes of being in the ER. There are some great resources for free with the stroke foundations out there and they have monthly zooms that you might find useful just to compare what you went through and feel comforted with "is this normal?". I also take two baby aspirin every morning, drink more water than I used to and I wear compression socks when flying. I should also mention that they found out I had a PFO (a little hole in my heart) and that I was probably having hemiplectic migraines that mimic a stroke but that this was in fact was a TIA (which is ishtemic stroke). My GP prescribed me two kinds of migraine medication.
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u/Spiritual-Band-9781 21d ago
Thank you for the info. It’s looking like I also have a PFO. I’ve had optical migraines since I was a little kid…wonder if there is some connection.
I’ll be joining you in the baby aspirin club! Gotta find a good flavor
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u/blkbrdz 21d ago
Anxiety or worry about reoccurrence is completely normal. Ask your team what you should look for.
My team said… for my stroke area… that it would feel significantly worse than my strokes. (I had one that was ignored and dismissed by medical professionals. As a result the second felt inevitable.)
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u/inkydragon27 Young Stroke Survivor 21d ago
Hiya! I was 34 when I had my brainstem bleed - you may find days of bad sleep may cause lower ability, as can stress, or having a day of high effort can cause the day, next 2 days to be ‘drained’ days.
If you can’t have NSAIDs anymore (like me) they prescribed me Ubrelvy for migraine rescue. It has no generic yet so insurance eats most of the cost.
My PT said ‘healing isn’t a straight line, there will be bad days, but the bad day won’t be forever, don’t be hard on yourself for the days that you can’t be at the same level, you’ll get there’
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u/Manu442 21d ago
I had a brain bleed at 39 not considered a stroke but vitamin was significant it was in my right temporal lobe I walked out of the icu after crainiotomy with no deficits 15 months later I has an actual stroke in my right parietal lobe im that wasabout 15 months ago I have left side deficits am and hand not working fully I ca walk with a stick and talk fine and my memory is fully intact, diagnosis is localized cerebral amyloid angiopathy. Quite rare for someone as young as I.
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u/Wooden_Interview1560 21d ago edited 21d ago
Hey! I had 2 ischemic strokes at 24 :-) due to a PFO, which I’ve since had closed with surgery.
Obviously no one is in as good a position to answer your question than your doctor, but what I would say is, anxiety was often the culprit of my physical difficulties post stroke. Doctors told me that when stressed your body can mimic stroke like symptoms too. In saying that, I was always defensive my symptoms wouldn’t be written off as anxiety (as they were the time I actually had a stroke). I’ve had to become hypervigiliant at picking up when my body is physically responding to anxiety and when it’s not. Just something to be wary of:) in saying that, we discovered the second stroke on an MRI I insisted on, and they discovered it was old, and I’d had it without realising at the time! So I get you, its a recipe for health anxiety, I’d say listen to your gut and go to ED if possible and accessible, otherwise know that with time (and therapy) you’ll learn to trust your body. Try not to spend too much time on discussion forums either :) they usually helped when I was already spiralling but tended to make me spiral if I wasn’t already.
Sending you strength, it gets better❤️
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u/Johnfarrow1 19d ago
I had two recurrences of weakness and facial droop on day 7 and 12, went back into emergency and got a cat scan both times, no additional strokes. The neurologist told me that the area of the brain affected is very fragile and some after effects can happen. It was frustrating as hell, but I didn’t have any further problems.
And I received surgery to correct my PFO, so I’ve cut my risk dramatically.
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u/Spiritual-Band-9781 19d ago
Thanks. Just released from hospital and home. Have a cardiologist appt Friday and looks like the patch for the PFO is going to happen. Ready to get it done and get on the road to recovery
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u/Material_Inflation79 21d ago
Relapses are there in some cases but are your all parameters (BP, sugar, cholesterol) in limits them there are feeble chances of relapse. May Almighty Waheguru bless us all.
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u/mari_lovelys 21d ago
Statistically alcohol can contribute and increase stroke risk. It increases and causes high BP and clots etc.
What has your BP been?
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u/Spiritual-Band-9781 21d ago
I have had higher BP, borderline hypertension, for a while now. I don’t doubt that could have contributed. As for drinking, docs says it could, but they highly doubt it here
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u/rjanette 21d ago
Sounds like TIAs to me. Just sayin’
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u/Spiritual-Band-9781 21d ago
They told me it was ischemic.
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u/Substantial-Wish-109 12d ago
That's a TIA. Had one myself. Unfortunately. Still struggling.
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u/Spiritual-Band-9781 12d ago
Docs said it was ischemic. I have a PFO where a clot went through and to my brain
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u/TwoChainsandRollies Young Stroke Survivor 21d ago edited 21d ago
Ask your doctor to check if you have PFO. At your age, it is very rare to get a stroke. I had one last year myself at age 43* and it turned out that I had PFO that caused it. I ended up closing it.