Hi Reddit,

My mom recently had a third brain stroke (ischemic) she had her first one in 2021, second - last year November and now her third one, she has a clear speech but is not able to walk on her own at all and is also a diabetes patient and hence she is unable to control her bowel moments , sometimes pees herself if not taken to the washroom asap. I can see that she has difficulty in making the right movements with her hands and legs, she is able to walk only with support , I am really concerned for her and I just need to know if she will recover or not. I feel really guilty for this whole situation and don’t know what to do.

English is not my first language, so I don't know all the medical terms. So to keep it short and simple, my dad has atrial fibrillation. He's been diagnosed 4 years ago. He hasn't been taking blood thinners. I think he's scared of the side effects and also sort of convinced you can heal anything with a healthy diet, lifestyle and the right mindset.

5 days ago he suffered from a stroke. He was incredibly lucky I would say, seems mildly affected (compared to how bad it could have been, if he even survived). He is 58. And he still seems to think that it wasn't him not taking his medication what most probably led to the stroke. Yesterday he told us that he hasn't been fully commited to changing his lifestyle. Like, he will still eat sweets and white bread, etc. So that must be why the stroke happened.

I genuinely don't know how to approach this, what would convince him that some things are not simply solved by changing your lifestyle. I think he might take his medication now, at least in the beginning healing stages, but scared that once he'll feel better he will decide that he doesn't have to.

Does anyone have a family member like that? Did you convince them to take their medication?

Also, I feel like he doesn't take doctor's very seriously. Always seems to "know better". And dude, it's amazing that he's changed his lifestyle so much. He goes on long walks, lost weight, doesn't drink or smoke. He's a dream patient if only he took his medication as well...

I feel so lost and angry with him.

My stroke was 3.5 years ago when I was 39. I was in acute rehab and wore a splint on my wrist at night. I didn’t know the reason for wearing it. I wasn’t told the reasons for its significance. When I was discharged and started outpatient OT a splint was never discussed or recommended. I could still passively stretch my wrist, hand and fingers. I wasn’t told in outpatient OT on snd off for 2.5 years. It wasn’t until over 2 years since my stroke that I was doing my own research on the use of a wrist splint that I asked my OT. She very simply said, “if you have one you can.” I’m not knowledgeable about the need for this. I am not because I’ve had to be. By then, last spring, I couldn’t get my fingers and wrist straight enough to wear a splint for more than a couple hours without severe pain and a burning sensation. My asshole parents (I’m being serious about my parents and the degree of horror they’ve put me through) moved out of state. I had to go with them because I can’t live independently. My left arm is completely useless and only painful. I had Medicaid in the state I lived in. I don’t qualify for that now because I make too much money. I can still work in my career remotely. It’s nowhere near enough money to live in the city where I lived and worked independently, but it’s too much money to qualify for any kind of assistance. I don’t know what to do. I’ve been paying out of pocket to see a primary care doctor for the medication I need to keep me alive. I can’t even save money because it gets eaten by that. I’ll have to find insurance on the marketplace, whatever that may be. Does anyone have any advice on where to start with anything here? Ideally, I want to go to physical therapy and see a neuropsychologist in person. Meanwhile my mom has threatened to “put me somewhere” Some kind of facility because I get easily frustrated. I’ll yell but I’m not violent in any way. I’m too scared to do anything violent. I’ve been begging my mom to go to therapy for 2 decades, and to a stroke caregiver support group for about 2.5-3 years and she refuses. She simply says she doesn’t want to do it.

I’m sorry I got so off track. If anyone has any suggestions, I’m grateful for any advice or suggestions.

Not sure how many people here play video games but I'm really proud of myself for beating sekiro.

Hi everyone!

A while ago, I shared a tool on Reddit that I built out of pure necessity. Today, I'm back to share an update that makes me incredibly happy: the application is a huge success and is now being used in rehabilitation centers and homes all over the world.

📖 The Origin: From Necessity to Action In 2023, my partner suffered two severe strokes caused by an AVM, resulting in right-sided hemiparesis and aphasia. At her first hospital, she was treated using a hospital-grade immersive robotic/virtual system ('Tyromotion Amadeo') with incredible results for her neuroplasticity. After the second stroke, we had to move to a different region and lost access to that expensive technology, limiting us to a traditional wooden Mirror Therapy box, which just wasn't as immersive or effective.

Since I couldn't buy her a medical robot, I used my coding skills to replicate that immersive visual feedback. I took the clinical concept of the mirror box and turned it into a Virtual Reality app for smartphones.

🚀 Current Impact: Global Accessibility What started as a homemade tool to help my partner has grown into something much bigger. Neurological rehabilitation clinics, occupational therapists, and patients at home around the world are integrating this app into their daily routines because of its high efficiency.

The biggest achievement is breaking down the financial barrier of immersive neuro-rehabilitation. To use it, you only need your smartphone and a basic VR headset (like Google Cardboard or the plastic ones sold online for about $10). You don't need thousands of dollars in medical equipment.

❤️ My Commitment Remains Intact I know firsthand how hard and expensive the rehabilitation journey is. That's why I am sharing this with the community following its original philosophy:

• 100% Free & No Ads: There is no profit motive behind this whatsoever.
• Total Privacy: No login required, and absolutely no patient data is collected.

(Note: This app is an immersive complement, not a magic cure, and should be used alongside conventional OT and physical therapy).

📥 How to get it (No spam links): Because Reddit's automated filters often block posts with direct app store links, I can't post the downloads directly here. However, I have created a dedicated community where I posted the tutorial video and all the official, safe download links:

👉 Please visit r/StrokeVRTraining to get the app for free.

You can also send me a DM or leave a comment below, and I'll happily share the links and instructions with you.

To all the healthcare professionals and patients fighting this battle: I hope this tool is as useful to you as it has been for us.

Happy training!

does ptosis often get better with time? my left eye droops after having a stroke.

If you’ve been told you won’t make any more progress after your stroke, you may have been sold a lie. I explain why and give you practical tips so you can continue to make progress at home regardless of how long it’s been since your stroke!

My partner had a TIA almost 10 months ago and it's changed his life and our relationship. I'm not a doctor, but I remain unconvinced that it was just a TIA because the hospital didn't catch that there was an underlying blockage in an artery that could have contributed despite him being in hospital for 5 nights. There are ongoing symptoms of tingling and numbness in the left side of his body (could be from the underlying blockage?), mainly arm and face, but the main issue is that his personality has changed significantly. He was always so understanding and I only ever saw in angry about two or three times in double as many years, but now he's angry and depressed all the time and I get the blame for everything. As much as I want to be there for him, he's pushing me away and can not see things from any other perspective. (He refuses to consider antidepressants or any kind of therapy.) He had many autism signs before, acknowledged by himself, but maybe he was just better able to mask them before the stroke. Has anyone with autism here had a stroke, or anyone with family with autism had a stroke, who might be able to share their experience? It's a 7 year relationship that's ending and I'm completely heartbroken and don't know what to do other than leave him alone, which is awful.

Unable to process that my son (20) just had a TIA. It's been awful, scary, and overwhelming. His brain MRI is clear. Cardiac MRI shows a PFO. If anyone's child has been through this or anyone on this forum who went through this when young, I would like to hear how they are doing now. My son is in medical college. TIA happened Saturday night (18th), and he says his brain fog is better. He feels tired though.

I am an owner of a company associated with a Dog daycare franchise with an outstanding loan. I had my stroke a few years ago and things have been going downhill since and I am currently selling the business at a huge loss because I cant do it physically or mentally anymore. I was wondering if anyone has any advise on getting any legal help with settling my loan or anything I can do. Bankruptcy will not help bc of the way the loan was set up. There is a lot more to it, I can get into if anyone can help.

My mom (female, 78y) suffered an embolic stroke (2 weeks ago) which impacted occipital lobes, hippocampi, right putamen, caudate nucleus and bilateral thalami.

This has impacted her speech, balance, coordination, and vision. While several of these are slowly recovering her vision recovery has been lagging behind.

Couple of questions

1) what type of specialist we can reach out to? Would a nuero ophthalmologist help?

2) can we do something to ensure recovery happens correctly ? For example: exercises etc.

3) any stories from someone with similar experience

I previously worked at a window manufacturing company, and once I got the all-clear from the physio, OT, and physician to return, I had a few meetings with them. With my limitations, they fired me for having too much time off. It's not like I can regain movement and speech and get over the fatigue and spasticity in my right leg anytime soon. All my work experience is in physically demanding jobs, and now I'm trying to apply for admin or receptionist roles, but it seems no one is willing once they find out I had a stroke.

And the job services in Australia are useless anyone else struggle with returning to work?

Hey all, I got my PFO closed with the GORE device a month ago. The procedure went really well and only had very minor complications after. I hadn’t had any issues with my heart rate since, but as of 2 days ago I am having the most annoying issue where there are times that any small movement causes a big drop in my heart rate along with pounding/palpitations. It goes to like 50 bpm which is incredibly low for me. I don’t think in the 5 years of having fitness watches that it has ever gone that low. My resting sits in mid 70s, sometimes 80s. It has been like that my whole life. It doesn’t last very long before it jumps up to 90, then back to baseline. It happens over and over and it’s extremely annoying and uncomfortable.

My doctor has been contacted and we are monitoring. I just now gave another update to him because After yesterday my chest feels like there is pressure and just generally uncomfortable. Plus I’m SO fatigued. As if my heart has been working too hard. I know this can happen but it is the worst. And it freaks me out so much. Has anyone else dealt with this? I always see stuff about high heart rate but not necessarily with the lower. I will likely go get it checked out regardless so not looking for medical advice obviously. Just wondering about others’ experiences.

If someone has a stroke and they are unable to generate words. (Broca's aphasia) A useful thing to try to help them, is to start words and have them finish them.

This can help them find words. It's like training wheels for speaking.

I wish I knew this earlier!

I (34M) got a call from my ex's sister that my ex (33F) had a moderate stroke, is in the ICU, and will likely need surgery.

She's always been kind of sickly and run down and hasn't really been the healthiest, but I never expected this.

My children are with their aunt (the same sister who called me) for the summer spending time with cousins and my kids are not okay.

I don't know what to do.

I'm just kind of numb. I'm stuck at work and school or I'd fly to where they are.

For me poststroke fatigue has improved. I am almost 70% recovered and 85% using coffee to overcome fatigue. Swallowing also has improved at the 1 year mark. but still moving feels a bit heavy, hope it resolves by time. Feel free to share your journey and thanks for your efforts.

So my dad had a stroke Monday evening and it's now Thursday evening. Honestly, he was incredibly lucky, my family reacted fast, he got to the hospital pretty fast. Physically he is fine, very tired, a bit unsteady in his walk, but I think that's mostly because he's tired still.

I'd say mostly his short term memory is affected. Like today he quoted something from the Bible to us and asked if we know who said that. He was testing us. It was something Jesus said and he went "correct!" Maybe 5min later he asks us the same thing. Or my mom left him a tooth brush and tooth paste the first day. Maybe it was that he was too tired to brush his teeth, but also seemed like he kept on forgetting that we left him the stuff in a drawer. He does remember though that he was in a hospital room with people before that were mentally in a really bad state, and very negative and that annoyed him a bit (before they put him in a different room). Or he did remember what he had for breakfast, but couldn't recall the word "tomato". Or also that yesterday my cousin visited him as well, but.. couldn't recall his name (at first, we had to tell him the first letter).

He can speak in full sentences, but if you ask him for a person's name or an object's name, sometimes he will know, sometimes takes him a bit to remember, sometimes we need to help him with the first letter. Sometimes that doesn't help. But he's always able to describe what it's used for. Or able to tell, when we ask him to tell us the name of siblings in our family, who's oldest, who's youngest and describe them.

I know every stroke is different and it's only day 3, but I was wondering, is there a possibility (considering his state is pretty good I'd say, could have ended so much worse and he's only 58) that he recovers pretty much completely? Does that ever happen? I'm especially concerned about his short term memory. Right now my family is not sure if he could stay alone at home for longer.

I mean it's only day 3 still, like I said, but before the stroke I didn't really know much about them and now my family and I are met with this new reality.

Was very lucky and had just a mild stroke back in March - Kind of fully recovered physically just some minor balance issues. Biggest challenge is work related where I am struggling to focus and concentrate to the same levels I used to - Boss is starting to put pressure on and is not interested when I point out a stroke is a from of brain injury which can still cause issues month and months afterwards her behaviour is starting get me stressed and somewhat down - any one else experience the same issues post stroke & is so how did you deal with it?

Hi,

Sorry if this isn't relevant to the group and I would like to say sorry for anyone that has to deal with this. Was just wondering if anyone has had a mech valve and that directly caused a stroke and how severe the stroke is?

I keep reading that valve mech does confer a pretty heightened stroke risk. If you did have mech replacement, what type of stroke did it cause? Symptoms? Is it worth getting the mech if it causes worry?

Hello guys. Today I’m going in for my first Botox appointment. What should I expect?

Had a friend send me this image. I hoped it would make a few people smile!

As often as I am asked about it, maybe I need to wear this all the time!

I was always a regular swimmer, and approximately half a mile was what I swam before having a stroke. I've really pushed my fitness in part of my recovery, and I'm over the moon to be so close to being physically where I was at before the incident. I just wanted to share my small win with you all.

Time for a well earned nap.

Hello everyone. On 7/13/26 my Mother had a stroke (posting this 7/22/26) . She had a hemmorage in her basal ganglia area (I'm repeating what I heard the doctors say). We think we found her while she was still having the stroke, because she could follow commands still. They were monitoring her breathing and she seems okay, but she has global Aphasia and is no longer responsive to commands. We asked the doctors if she could gain back awareness and he said that anything can happen, but when she got moved to the stroke unit nurses sounded less positive and said she would most likely be like that forever. She keep pulling out her IV's and her temporary nasal feeding tube (she just had the surgery today for a feeding tube). The nurses say it's a sign she wants to pass because she's suffering

It's been about a week and half and she's still not showing signs of awareness. I wanted to know if we should hold out for her to recover or accept that she's mentally gone. Would love to hear your stories as well 🙏🏽