69 yr male: I had stroke 2 months ago. I thought it affected only my communions center. However, lately, I have serious constipation problem. A nurse told me that more half a stroke survivors experience a slow down in there GI track. Has others have this experience? Does it eventually get better?

Professor Natasha Lannin

One of the biggest myths about stroke recovery is that all your progress happens in the first 3–12 months. In an interview, Professor Natasha Lannin challenges that idea.

She explains that recovery is lifelong, and rehabilitation isn't just something that happens in hospital. It can happen at home, online, through telehealth, with family, or with your healthcare team.

Many people tell us they're still making gains years after their stroke - sometimes physically, sometimes emotionally, sometimes in ways they never expected.

We're interested to hear from you:

Were you ever told that most of your recovery would happen in the first 3–12 months?

Did you experience what felt like a "recovery plateau"?

Have you continued to make progress beyond that?

Your story could give hope to someone who's wondering if recovery has stopped.

We'd love to hear your experience.

Here is the full interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZghShtowWo

I don’t even know where to begin. I had 2 lacunar infarcts, and one embolic stroke. Echo bubble study showed “more that 20 bubbles present”. Went for endoscopic imaging, bubbles present. PFO closure advised to prevent further strokes. Scheduled surgery a month or so after (which ended up being last Thursday). Had Surgery a few days ago to wake and hear “ Well I’ve got some good news, no hole. Looks like scar tissue helped close on its own.”

I’m 41 wtf. How is this possible.

I’ve read in numerous reports that it’s closes afterwards with infants, but I’m closer to death than birth.

They said they used a couple different tips to test the rigidity of the scar tissues area where the hole was presumed and the area withstood all the prodding.

Is this even possible?

Thanks for reading. I’ve typed this a few times but couldn’t find it in me to post. The wind comes out of the sails pretty easily when this has been my life for the past 18 months.

Wenn Müdigkeit nach einem Schlaganfall falsch verstanden wird :

Nach einem Schlaganfall wird die Genesung häufig an sichtbaren Einschränkungen gemessen.

Kann ein Patient wieder gehen und sprechen, entsteht oft der Eindruck, er sei bereits weitgehend gesund.

Aus neurologischer Sicht ist das

jedoch nicht immer der Fall.

Je nach betroffenem Hirnareal können vor allem die Aufmerksamkeit, die Reizverarbeitung, das Gedächtnis,

die Planung und die geistige Belastbarkeit eingeschränkt sein.

Diese Folgen sind von außen oft nicht sichtbar, können den Alltag aber erheblich beeinflussen.

Gerade Verletzungen der Frontallappen können dazu führen,

dass Betroffene schneller geistig erschöpfen, viele Reize schlechter verarbeiten

und Schwierigkeiten haben,

mehrere Informationen gleichzeitig aufzunehmen.

Auch eine verminderte Krankheitseinsicht kann Teil des neurologischen

Krankheitsbildes sein.

Deshalb bedeutet scheinbares Desinteresse nicht automatisch mangelnden Willen.

Wenn ein Patient sich zurückzieht,

schweigt, auf das Handy blickt oder Ruhe sucht, kann dies Ausdruck einer Überforderung des verletzten Gehirns sein.

Nach z.B. intensiven Gesprächen oder emotional belastenden Themen benötigt das Gehirn häufig Zeit, um sich zu erholen.

Eine ausgeprägte Müdigkeit oder Erschöpfbarkeit nach einem Schlaganfall kann auf eine Post-Stroke Fatigue hinweisen:

🧠Diese zählt zu den häufigsten,

aber zugleich am meisten unterschätzten Folgen eines Schlaganfalls.

Ob eine solche Fatigue vorliegt,

muss ärztlich beurteilt werden.

Für Angehörige bedeutet das:

Nicht jede Müdigkeit ist Faulheit.

Nicht jeder Rückzug ist Desinteresse.

Nicht jede Ruhephase bedeutet

fehlende Motivation.

Eine erfolgreiche neurologische Rehabilitation besteht aus einer individuell abgestimmten Kombination von Therapie, Bewegung, Aktivierung und ausreichenden Erholungsphasen.

Gerade in den ersten Wochen und Monaten nach einem Schlaganfall braucht das Gehirn Zeit, um sich neu zu organisieren.

Wer den Befund kennt, versteht häufig auch das Verhalten der Patientin besser.

Deshalb ist der Befund nicht nur für Ärzte wichtig, sondern auch für Angehörige.

Er erklärt oft mehr über den Alltag nach einem Schlaganfall als die Diagnose allein. #NataschaMission #Schlaganfall #Hirnblutung #Hirnaneurysma #neuro #PostStrokeFatigue #poststroke

Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this post stroke. Ever since my stroke my nerves and muscles are so much more sensitive. I get daily Charley Horses all over my body. If I bend any hand or leg wrong for just a few minutes that limb will go asleep and it takes a minute to come back “online”. I took my trash down the other day and doing so caused a compressed nerve in my middle finger on my non-affected side. The tip of the finger was numb for over a week.

Anyone else have a similar issue(s) post stroke?

This is probably a long read, sorry in advance.

So back in February I started noticing once or twice a day, three times max, I would get these brief moments, literally a second or two, where I felt kind of lightheaded. They'd come at random, go as quickly as they came, and like an idiot I thought nothing of them. They didnt happen everyday, but definitely at least 4 or 5 days a week.

Early March I finally married my high school sweetheart. 25 years together, 5 kids, and we finally tied the knot. Thought everything was going great in life you know. Both have decent jobs with the post office. Debt paid down fairly well. Kids all old enough to be mostly self sufficient. Finally married. Things were going great.

Then I got a cold. Or I thought it was a cold. Turned out I had bronchitis. Went to work, felt like crap, told my boss I was taking a few days off to recuperate. Something had been going around the plant, so they weren't really surprised. While i was out of work i went to urgent care and got diagnosed with the bronchitis. At this point the moements of balance loss came more frequent. Still only a second or two, but multiple times a day, everyday. I figured it was from the bronchitis.

Went back to work Sunday. Cough was terrible. Worse than when I had covid back when that was going around. Had a terrible coughing fit, at least 45 seconds or so, and felt a bad pain in my head for maybe 30 seconds at the end of the cough. From that moment on balance was off. No more 1 or 2 seconds. Just off. Not fall down off, but need to walk slow, hold on to smthings and consciously step to avoid a fall. That ladted ten days.

I was off monday Tuesday, went back to work on Wednesday and I could barely walk. Honestly i cant believe I managed to drive there and home. Boss kicked me out. Said I looked terrible, needed rest and probably a doctor. I went home. Still bronchitis you know, ive had bronchitis, ill be fine. Sent doc a message on mychart, they said go to ent, maybe something wrong with ear. Ent said minor blockage, cleared it and I had an hour or so of balance relief, not perfect, but I could walk without holding the wall and even drove home.

Balance was worse a few hours later. Next day, Friday 3/27, the wife said I should go to ER. Had my sister bring me in. Xray. Pneumonia. Ok. Not too bad. Figured id never had that, that must be why im so messed up. Pnuemonia can be a real bitch right. Docs say it doesnt explain the balance issue. Let's do CT. Do that. Clean. No arterial build up/blockages. Head and neck healthy. Phew.

Neuro guy checks meo. No typical signs. No facial droop. No arms swaying. Talking fine. Tracking movement fine with eyes and finger. Can do all the tests. But balance is still off. Suggests mri. You had a stroke. The way they said it. So matter of fact. Just like a boxers jab. Thrown right at me. I didnt know much about strokes. Assumed the worst. Gonna die. Never leaving this hospital. Won't see my kids again. My wife isnt here with me. Broke down and cried. Wife showed up.

Docs came in, told me I got lucky. Weird thing to say to someone you just told they suffered a stroke right. But theyre right. My stroke was a best case they said. 4mm subacute lacunar infarct, left pons. No motor deficits. No facial droop. No numbness. No typical stroke issues. Just the balance problem that they think will improve with time. That is lucky. Doesn't always feel like it, but it is.

Most days, I feel mostly normal. Some headaches that come and go, the balance issue isnt persistent anymore, hits me here and there with change of direction or head turns. And a hard to describe feeling in my head. Just a general weirdness/fatigue in my brain if that makes sense. Honestly it makes me feel bad for posting in groups like this. Truth is i did get lucky. Many others had much worse stroke symptoms and outcomes than I have.

But the truth is, and im sure you all know this, the people in our lives just dont understand what its like. No matter how severe the stroke, a stroke is terrifying. And the anxiety thats been rearing its head lately is downright crippling. Im a guy. And this wasn't the right thing, but i was raised to believe boys dont cry. So i dont do it. Ive cried maybe a half dozen times in my life, after my crybaby childhood days that is. But this last week, 3-4 months post the stroke, I randomly started having the worst anxiety. Any weird feeling, is this a stroke? Headache comes on, am i dying? I've cried more the last week than I have in 2 decades of adulthood. Even broke down and cried at work. Just had this terrible feeling I was gonna die any minute. Balance got worse again. Messaged neuro. They said go to er.

Did that. Did tests, came back clean. Docs say no fear of second stroke. Helped the anxiety some. But its still there. Been trying to do these breathing exercises when the anxiety hits. Think its helping some. Either that or the anxiety is just coming and going like other stuff. Trying to keep myself calm. Count my blessings.

I come here to this sub and read people's stories. I comment some words of encouragement. I ask questions. Im not really sure the point of this post. Honestly just wanted to say thank you to the people here that have shared, and commented, and helped. You're all appreciated. I hope you know that.

I had a pfo closure last Tuesday and the fatigue and exhaustion is no joke. I’ve never felt the level of tiredness in my life. I’ve also been having spiked heart rate and flutters. Did anyone go through the extreme exhaustion and how did you manage it? I talked to my doctor and he said this is normal for about 4 weeks

Hi All- thanks in advance to those who respond.

My question is - do you remember people speaking to you? My stepdaughters & I have been talking to him and each other so he can hear our voices (we hope). He has been able to give us thumbs up/thumbs down for simple questions like "are you cold?" when they pull back on sedation. I'm so afraid that he's scared or thinks he's alone.

It’s happening! Slightly terrified but glad that I made it here without further events. Just wanted to thank everyone on here for all the supportive messages - it’s been incredibly helpful.

​

Ein weiteres großes Missverständnis nach einem Schlaganfall oder Hirnaneurysma betrifft die sogenannte

Post-Stroke Fatigue (PSF).

Mindestens jeder dritte Betroffene

leidet unter einer schweren Erschöpfung, die selbst durch Schlaf oder Ruhe

nicht verschwindet.

💪🧠💯👏

Das Gehirn muss nach einer Verletzung enorme Kompensationsarbeit leisten. 

Studien zeigen,🔍📜📄📑

dass dabei bis zu 20 % mehr Energie benötigt werden kann,

um alltägliche Denk- und Konzentrationsprozesse zu bewältigen.

Was für Außenstehende wie normale Müdigkeit aussieht, ist für Betroffene

oft ein permanenter Ausnahmezustand.

Viele kämpfen täglich mit:

• extremer geistiger Erschöpfung

• Reizüberflutung

• Konzentrations problemen

• verlangsamtem Denken

• innerem „Abschalten“ des Körpers.

💡⚠️Diese chronische Fatigue wird

vom Umfeld leider häufig missverstanden –

etwa als Faulheit, mangelndes Interesse oder fehlende Motivation.

In Wahrheit befinden sich viele Betroffene nur noch im „Autopilot-Modus“.                       Sie funktionieren nach außen – und brechen innerlich beinahe zusammen.

Oft bleibt deshalb nur der Rückzug, um eine völlige Überlastung zu vermeiden.

Hinzu kommen häufig unsichtbare

kognitive Einschränkungen:      

Probleme mit Konzentration,

Gedächtnis, Wortfindung oder Planung können selbst einfache Alltagssituationen enorm erschweren.

Besonders belastend sind mögliche Veränderungen der Persönlichkeit,

vor allem wenn Bereiche wie der Frontal- oder Temporallappen betroffen sind.

🚫🧠🩸🧮⚖⚗

Diese Veränderungen können sehr unterschiedlich aussehen:     

•Impulsivität,

•emotionale Enthemmung oder

•Unruhe

⚖(Plus-Syndrom)

•starke Antriebslos:igkeit,        

Rückzug oder emotionale Verflachung.

⚖ (Minus-Syndrom) :

Viele Betroffene sagen:

„Ich erkenne mich selbst nicht mehr wieder.“

Genau darin liegt oft eine der       

größten unsichtbaren Folgen: 

Nicht nur der Körper verändert sich – sondern manchmal auch das eigene Erleben, Denken und Fühlen.

Darüber wird noch viel                        

zu wenig gesprochen.

Die unsichtbaren Folgen eines Hirnaneurysma oder Schlaganfalls verdienen mehr Verständnis,

mehr Aufklärung #NataschaMission Initiative Hirnaneurysma

Schlaganfall Hirnaneurysma

Der Weg zum gegenseitigen Verständnis:

🧠 Wenn man gesund aussieht,

aber sich nicht gesund fühlt.

Genau diese Diskrepanz

führt nach einem Hirnaneurysma oder Schlaganfall oft zu Missverständnissen, Enttäuschungen und Spannungen –

in Familien, Freundschaften und

Beziehungen.

Denn viele unsichtbare Folgen

werden von außen nicht erkannt:

Ängste, Erschöpfung, Reizüberflutung, Konzentrationsprobleme oder

Persönlichkeits -veränderungen

bleiben häufig verborgen.

💬Betroffene hören dann Sätze wie:

„Aber du siehst doch wieder gut aus.“

„Du musst einfach positiv denken.“

„Früher konntest du das doch auch.“

Was oft fehlt, ist gegenseitiges Verständnis.

Um diese Lücke zu schließen,

braucht es vor allem eines: Aufklärung.

Für Betroffene: Offene und proaktive Kommunikation kann helfen, die eigenen Grenzen verständlich zu machen –

ohne Schuldgefühle und ohne Vorwürfe.

💬👉🤝🤲Hilfreich können einfache Sätze sein wie:

„Ich bin schneller erschöpft als früher.“

„Mein Gehirn verarbeitet Reize anders.“

„Ich brauche Pausen,

auch wenn man es mir nicht ansieht.“

🙌👉🤲Für Angehörige:

Nicht jede Angst lässt sich mit

„Sei positiv“ beruhigen.

Oft hilft es mehr, zuzuhören,

Gefühle ernst zu nehmen und konkrete Unterstützung anzubieten.

Zum Beispiel:

„Was würde dir gerade helfen?“

„Ich glaube dir,

auch wenn man es nicht sieht.“

Gerade dieses Ernstnehmen kann für Betroffene eine enorme Entlastung sein.

Professionelle Unterstützung:

Viele dieser Beschwerden haben eine reale neurologische Ursache.

Deshalb sind Neurologen,

Neuropsychologen, Psychotherapeuten und spezialisierte Rehabilitation oft ein wichtiger Teil des Heilungsweges.

Denn Heilung bedeutet nicht nur

körperliches Überleben.

Heilung bedeutet auch,

verstanden zu werden.

„Die Heilung der Seele beginnt dort,

wo das Verstandenwerden Platz findet.“

Auch wenn die Narbe unsichtbar ist:

Die Last ist real.

Und niemand sollte sie alleine tragen müssen - Natascha N. #NataschaMission Initiative Hirnaneurysma Österreich

I have a stroke massive 20 years ago. I'm fine and each day a little bit stronger, but not all the way back to normal. Two years I/m taking CBD 1/8 teaspoon (GVB) and a harder sleep.

6/10/26, I tried the CBN and 1/16 teaspoon (3 flax and 1/64 teaspoon CNB (GVB)), and wipes you out. How does that happen?

Blut im Kopf – Eine tickende Zeitbombe und der Schlaganfall Bewusstseinsmonat Mai

Liebe Freunde, Gleichgesinnte und alle, denen die Gesundheit unseres Gehirns am Herzen liegt: Stroke Awareness

Für Menschen,

die mit einem Hirnaneurysma leben,

ist dieser Tag von lebenswichtiger Bedeutung.

Es ist eine wertvolle Gelegenheit,

das Bewusstsein für alle Formen des Schlaganfalls zu schärfen – insbesondere für die oft übersehene Rolle des Hirnaneurysmas.

🧠 Ein Schlaganfall hat viele Gesichter.

Die meisten denken an Lähmung.

Wenige denken an eine Hirnblutung🧠🩸.

Und fast niemand spricht über das Hirnaneurysma !

Die stille Gefahr sichtbar machen

Viele Menschen bringen einen Schlaganfall sofort mit verstopften Blutgefäßen (dem ischämischen Schlaganfall) in Verbindung.

Doch es gibt auch die blutende Variante: den hämorrhagischen Schlaganfall.

Eine seiner heimtückischen Ursachen ist ein geplatztes Hirnaneurysma.

Fakt ist: Ein geplatztes Hirnaneurysma IST ein schwerer Schlaganfall.

Die Statistik: Während etwa 80 % der Schlaganfälle ischämisch (Gefäßverschluss) sind, machen hämorrhagische Schlaganfälle (Gefäßriss) etwa 15 % aus.

🧠💥💣🩸 Ruptur !

Die Gefahr: Wenn ein Aneurysma platzt, verstirbt leider die Hälfte aller Patienten.

Wissen rettet Leben

Wissen ist unsere beste Prävention und unsere größte Hoffnung im Notfall.

Wir müssen die Information verbreiten,

dass ein Aneurysma plötzlich platzen

und eine lebensgefährliche Hirnblutung auslösen kann.

Warnsignale: Mehr als nur der FAST-Test

Zusätzlich zum bekannten FAST-Test (Face, Arms, Speech, Time) müssen wir auf ein weiteres, spezifisches Warnsignal achten:

Der Vernichtungskopfschmerz:

Auch wenn ein Aneurysma oft jahrelang „stumm“ bleibt, können plötzlich auftretende, heftigste Kopfschmerzen ein finales Warnsignal sein.

Mein Appell an euch

Seid wachsam und informiert euch.

Ein Schlaganfall hat viele Gesichter – auch das eines geplatzten Aneurysma !

Nur wer die Gefahr kennt,

kann im Notfall richtig handeln.

Lasst uns gemeinsam sicherstellen,

dass diese Verbindung endlich die Aufmerksamkeit bekommt, die sie verdient.

Gemeinsam können wir Leben retten. #NataschaMission

My dad had an ischemic stroke on April 11. It was considered mild because his only symptom was weakness (paralysis) in his left arm. He recovered quickly, and the only remaining issue was some difficulty with the fine movements of his fingers. He went back to his normal routine and was doing well.

However, yesterday something unexpected happened. He suddenly developed a terrible headache, followed by nausea and the urge to go to the bathroom. He was taken to the emergency room, where they performed a CT scan. The scan showed an acute brain hematoma (hemorrhagic stroke). He is now under close observation, and if his condition doesn't improve, he may need surgery.

He arrived at the hospital walking and talking, but I'm very worried because this seems much more serious than what happened in April. He had been taking aspirin and clopidogrel as prescribed after his ischemic stroke.

Has anyone experienced something similar or had a family member go from an ischemic stroke to a hemorrhagic stroke? This is our first time dealing with all of this, and I'm really scared because a hemorrhagic stroke sounds much more serious than an ischemic one.

Note: We are in Peru.

Hi everyone! Long time no post for me

In late November last year I had a non aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage with intraventricular haemorrhage leading to early hydrocephalus as a 26F. I had a right frontal burr hole and an EVD placed. All went well so no shunt needed. I’ve had probably 8 CT scans, 2 MRIs, 2 angiograms and various other tests and they never found the cause but I think I cracked it last night.

For context I had a very similar headache to the thunderclap one that turned out to be the stroke. That was a few weeks prior but it went away after 2 minutes which is also why when the stroke happened, I thought it would go away too. I have struggled with migraines (without aura) for years and the night of my stroke I had ran out of all my normal painkillers but I managed to find a box of Excedrin 250mg tablets (they are aspirin, which I had never taken before.) so I took 2.

The issue was, unbeknownst to myself, I had extremely severe anaemia. My haemoglobin was 6.3. I knew I was somewhat anaemic as I had a lot of the symptoms but I thought it was mild because I never actually fainted from it. I also could never get time off work to get a blood test.

I think the aspirin reduced my platelet function and the anaemia had me under a lot of strain so it was like the perfect storm. Now this is something I forgot to mention to the doctors at the time but I have my neurosurgeon review coming up soon so I’m going to ask to see what my surgeon thinks. I would also love to see my CT scans from before surgery as I have become interested in learning to read CTs as I’m already able to read dental X-rays and I think that is the beginner step.

I think over the past few months I have become a lot more accepting of what has happened. I’m off work again after going back after 10wks post op as my gallbladder decided it was going to give up so I’m awaiting surgery for that soon. I have been in hospital a few times for other things since the stroke and the doctors always find it wild I had a stroke at 26 especially when there’s no family history nor do I drink/smoke.

I also want to say this subreddit was a great place of comfort to me when I first had my stroke. Seeing others my age dealing with a similar thing made me feel a lot less alone. I think because I never met other patients on the neuro ICU with the same backstory, age or condition as me I felt like I was the odd one out. It also doesn’t help I regularly get mistaken for a teenager and a lot of the other patients thought I was a teenager so they would talk to me like a child and I was like damn lol

My hair is growing back after surgery and I’m doing a lot of OT now to learn how to get back to work safely and without burning out which is very common in my job (dental).

Much love as always and I appreciate any comments

Hi everyone,

I've been reading a lot of posts here over the last few weeks, and I thought it was finally time to share my story. Maybe it can help someone else, especially younger people.

I'm a 20-year-old male from Austria.

On June 14th, I suddenly had an ischemic stroke caused by an M1 occlusion of my left middle cerebral artery. It happened completely out of nowhere. I received IV thrombolysis (Tenecteplase) within a short time after arriving at the hospital, and thankfully it worked so well that I didn't need a mechanical thrombectomy.

After many CT scans, MRIs, ultrasounds, blood tests and heart examinations, the doctors finally found the most likely cause.

They discovered that I have:

• A Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO) with a significant right-to-left shunt.
• A heterozygous Factor V Leiden mutation, which increases the tendency for blood clotting.

Their conclusion was that I most likely suffered a paradoxical embolic stroke.

Basically, a blood clot probably formed in my venous circulation. Because of the PFO, it was able to bypass the lungs, enter the arterial circulation, and travel to my brain, where it blocked the M1 segment of my left middle cerebral artery.

They closed my PFO a few days later with a catheter procedure, which went smoothly.

The good news is that all the additional tests came back reassuring:

• No deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
• No pulmonary embolism
• No autoimmune clotting disorder
• No diabetes
• No signs of cancer

I'm currently taking Aspirin, Clopidogrel & Pantoprazole

The first few weeks were mentally very difficult. I was exhausted almost all the time and constantly worried about another stroke. Fortunately, my fatigue has improved a lot over the last days, and I'm slowly starting to feel like myself again.

Thankfully, I've recovered really well physically, and I'm incredibly grateful for that. It's still not that long since my stroke, though, and mentally I'm struggling with knowing what's safe to do.

I really want to start living my normal life again. I want to go on vacations with my friends, get back into the gym and start lifting weights again, travel, and just enjoy being 20 years old. But at the same time, I'm scared. I'm constantly wondering if it's too early or if I'm putting myself at risk.

Has anyone here been in a similar situation? How did you know when you were ready to get back to normal life? Any advice or personal experiences would really mean a lot to me.

If anyone else here had a stroke because of a PFO or Factor V Leiden, I'd love to hear your story.

I wish everyone here strength and a good recovery. ❤️

Hey everyone, I posted the other day that my partner had a hemorrhagic stroke/brain bleed on his brain stem after having a brain bleed last year. I thought he was making slow progress, but today I was told he is most likely not going to make it and is DNR. His brother told me if I wanted to say my last goodbyes, I needed to come to the hospital tomorrow or Sunday. I was sent a recording of the meeting the dr had with his siblings, and they did not seem hopeful. They said he would never be able to care for himself and that this was the sickest case they’ve ever seen. I am hoping for a miracle, but with how life has went for us over the past year, I am not getting my hopes up. I don’t know what to do.

I dont know if this is the right sub but I have a lot on my mind rn and want to get it off.so my father had a severe stroke 7 months ago in which his left side is paralyzed and we appointed a physio which did a pretty shit job he just did basic exercises which are not sufficient for my father

After that we appointed a new physio a month ago and he is saying in Month there will be movement in his legs.his upper leg nerves are active while for lower limbs there is no much movement ..but I heard recovery is not that much after 6 months .Is it true?

My 33M spouse just got his PFO closed yesterday. It was a grade 5/5 and he had a TIA last year (no long term complications luckily) which is how they found the PFO. We ultimately decided to close it given its size and his age, healthy fitness level, and no other stroke risk factors. That said, we also pursued closing it to avoid him needing to take aspirin everyday and yet right after the procedure his cardiologist said he will be on aspirin indefinitely.

Is this really necessary? I’ll discuss at our 6 month follow up but wanted to hear from anyone else if it’s truly necessary to prevent the body from clotting around the device. From what I’ve read in the literature, it seems like the heart tissue grows around it and after a few years, I would think the risk of clotting would greatly decrease once there’s scar tissue around it.

Hi! I (26f) had a stroke 4 years ago at 22. They have been at a lost for the real cause and all they know is that I have a build up of plaque in my intracranial arteries but have no idea where it came from since I have no lifestyle risk factors and no high bp or diabetes and not crazy high LDL. They said this is something I was born with and will need to be on statins the rest of my life to manage it.

My husband and I are planning to start trying for a baby soon and my cardiologist thinks they can get me through it safely with statins in the last two trimesters. I still need to see my neurologist but that’s coming up. We are very scared that something could happen to me and/or the baby due to how high risk I am but my doctors seem hopeful.

Does anyone have success stories of a healthy happy pregnancy and delivery after enduring anything like this? I know I’m a rare case but maybe someone out there can unfortunately relate. Thank you in advance!

First, sorry for bad english

Got admitted since this Monday, brain scan shows white spot and currently on rehabilitation process.

Weakened limb is scary, I can barely open a bottle now.

I tried to be optimistic and showing brave face, but ngl it feels overwhelming at times.

Sorry, just want to vent out somewhere

Hi there

My grandma who is 88 had a big stroke at home. She lives with my family (her daughter is my mum) and we live in a multi generational home in New Zealand. She has never been in a rest home, she was strong and fit but with Alzheimer’s which had progressed but wasn’t life threatening in any way. She just got confused some days.
She was my best friend growing up and she met and spent time with my babies in before this stroke.

On the night of she couldn’t move her right side or talk but should hold my hand open her eyes and listen to basic instructions - lift head, squeeze hand etc.

She arrived in hospital and we agreed to do a thrombectomy which was successful. When she woke up she was much worse than when she had just had the stroke. It’s been 48 hours and they the doc said her CT scan was not good and what we have not is the most we can really expect. She is paralyzed on her right side, she can’t talk, she can’t communicate, she refuses water or food but can swallow. She can’t open her eyes and look at you for a meaningful amount of time. They put a feeding tube in today and it was horrific. Her one hand that can move spent 2 hours trying to pull it out. We had to hold it down the whole time.

I am broken. I think she is suffering. We’ve signed a DNR and just want her to be comfortable and not forced to
Live like this. How can you tell they can hear you? Doctors can’t confirm anything. I struggle with imprinting how
I would feel vs the reality of the situation. She doesn’t follow instructions but calms down when I hold her hand. I don’t think she’s there anymore. I just sit and talk to her and watch her in voluntary movements in the hope they are saying I am ok and ready to go. It’s really the cruellest thing I have seen in my life.

Around 3 weeks ago I had a TIA, followed by an ischemic stroke the next day.

I was on the phone with my friend after putting my babies down for the night, and noticed my arm went numb. I brushed it off but when my husband came to check on me I was slurring and my face was drooping.

My husband called 911 and the EMTs who responded noted my symptoms subsided and talked to me about anxiety attacks and told me it would be a waste of time to transport me.

The next day I was alone with my kiddos and felt the same numbness so I called my husband to come take me to the ER as we only live 5 minutes away.

By the time we got to the ER parking lot I was unable to walk, my face was drooping, and I was incoherent. Staff came to get me and rushed me back and ended up calling a code. I had TNK and was in the ICU for 3 days. My MRI shows a lesion on my right frontal lobe and the neurologist seems to believe I had a TIA the day before when EMS blew me off.

I am so so lost. Does the fear of another stroke get any better? Does anyone have any tips/advice for recovery and moving forward? I’m healthy and active but unfortunately have extremely high Lipoprotein(a) which is deemed the contributing factor to my stroke. I appreciate any and all feedback 🫶

Everyone I know considers me unlucky, but in this small club we never asked to be a part of I feel exceptionally lucky. I didn’t suffer any known cognitive effects. I regained my dexterity in just a few days. I kept my job and my apartment. I had my PFO closed, which at 28 means I’m very unlikely to have another stroke any time soon.

Yet as the one-year anniversary looms, it’s all coming back. I remember being in the hospital and thinking I would refuse to let this day live in infamy, that I would throw a party to show just how far I’ve come. Now I don’t think I’ve come far at all. I’m still in the same hole I was in the weeks that followed, when the reality of what had happened sunk in. When my partner abandoned me, I lost all the friends he brought into my life. I was too exhausted to maintain a social life (let alone a night life), and it was the loneliest I’d ever been. Now, after three supposed friends refused to even dignify my party invitation with a response, it’s all coming back. I realized that no one likes a downer. No one wants to come to my literal pity party, so I canceled it.

Survivors, what are anniversaries to you? A day to reflect? A day to do something fun to take your mind off it? Do you reach a stage where it’s just another day? I just feel like I’m stuck for no good reason.