recovery after massive stroke

[aunt juju]

My 59 year old (otherwise healthy) mother had a right side brain stroke two weeks ago. The DR. said it was prety massive on most of the right side, leaving her unable to move her left side.  She is able to talk, eat, drink, and able to answer any question. (still not completely normal in thinking and talking, but really close.)
She started a live-in rehab last thursday (3 days ago) and now can move her left leg some.  Stil no movement of the arm.  She does have the neglect of the left side. my question(s)
1.  How long does the brain swelling take to go completely away?
2.  Well the neglect she has get better?
3.  Well she be able to walk and move her arm, and if so how long with rehab will that take?

[klm24]

My 67 yr old mom had a massive stroke on her right side of the brain 2 weeks ago, she is paralyzed on her left side. She is Pre-COPD, diabetic, high cholesterol, high BP She has had a lot of ups and downs in these past 2 weeks. She is on pureed food and clear liquids. Been eating not bad for lunch and dinner, but now won't eat and drinks very little. She complains of her head hurting really bad and her O2 went down last night to 74% she was cold/clammy all day and she is now on 2 1/2 to 3 liters of oxygen and also is receiving breathing treatments. We have also noticed her eyes were really blood shot now have a filmy/yellowy color. She has no movement in her left arm,hand and a smidgen of movement of her left foot and leg. Anyone else had this happen to them. This is so hard on my dad,sister and I.
Thanks katie24

[adonis94]

Hi my grandma 71 got a massive stroke and she can't move both of she's legs is that ok?

[sephalo]

My mother is suffering cerebral ayrophy since 6 days resulting right leg and arm gey paralyae she is talking well Cereton is given by Dr but no result is seen age 61yrs.pl tell how much time taken.

[neg114]

I read these comments last April 2015 when my husband, a 37 year old, suffered a massive right frontal lobe stroke due as an adverse reaction to blood thinners.  He had over 60cc of blood and had to have a hemicrainiectomy (sp).  For almost three months, he was in the ICU and then inpatient rehab.  He couldn't speak, he had left side paralysis, and major stroke damage to his brain from the intercerebral hemorrhage (ICH).  At around the three month point, he started to improve, and gradually, over the next 9 months, continued to improve.  He still has deficiets in organizing, memory, and impulsivity, but he was able to return to work full time and can drive a car.  Most miraculously, he is 90% of the man I married, and 95% a "normal" person.  He continues to work with a personal trainer a couple times a week and plays memory games.  I was told that there was less than a 10% chance of his surviving the surgery and his outlook at a "good" recovery was probably smaller.  But he was young, and the frontal lobes can withstand more loss because they don't control as many of the vital functions as other parts of the brain.  I wanted to post my story to give those of you hope that if your loved one isn't doing well month 1, that doesn't mean they won't be doing better month 11.  I found the book Stronger after Stroke by Peter Levine to be very helpful to my understanding.  Good luck to you all, this is a marathon, and I wish you all strength in enduring the race.

[haroon8495]

Same thing happend to my brother,he is 36 yrs old...can u pls contact me..im in singapore..006590737374..i need ur suggestions...thanx

[lexilovesu]

i had a brain aneurysm following a stroke I was in the hospital for 3 months I'm 33 years of age female. it's hard for me to talk about this I still can't walk in going on month 8 I prefer to talk by phone if possible 6268077063 alexis thank u

[xxmexx]

my sister 51 years old has just had a stroke on new years day, was told its savere and it wouldn't have made any difference how long it took to get her to hospital the results would be the same........she lost her speech and all her right side.. shes very sleepy most of the time.....she responds to some things words... names etc but not much else......havnt seen any doctors as yet to get any idea of whats the ongoing prognosis... and advise would be helpful

[airwolf30]

hi . would just like to know how your sister is now. my mom 56 had a stroke almost 2 months ago and also her left side.she cannot move her right side and she isnt talking but can respond to questions with nodding yes or no. I know this is a old post abt a year ago but would like to know how she is and  progressing?  if u can , can u mail me and reply to the comment? ***@****

[Woody1974uk]

I had a massive stroke brought on by a bike accident  every stroke is unique and every person will react differently the one thing I will say is never give up be supportive she will be fighting with herself depression is not good as the brain is saying I could do that before but the docs told my family If I made through through the night he night the best they should expect is me lying in bed staring at the cieling i2.5 years on back at work walking mainly with a stick but have managed to walk without rehab is for life after a stroke especially after a sever one I'm sad to say but stay strong the body can do amazing things as I've found out and just keep getting better
All the best for your family just try to stay strong and positive docs don't know everything I'm living proof of that

[RachelWu]

Hi woody came across your post. My husband had similar bike accident followed by 2 strokes a month ago. He is still in RHL. Would very much appreciate your advise if you don't mind call me on 00447799628880. Thanks. Rachel

[Godshelper1]

I can a image how hard it is. My mom is gone and  we (brother&sisters) took care of her until she passed. I now have a girl friend ex coworker who had a stroke just about a year ago I found out three days after it happen. She has a fiancé and three children and a sister. I have taken  her in my home to help her in her recovery. God and I have gotten her from incontinence to using the toliet to walking to talking. We still have a long way to go but I know God is able. You have to have faith and watch God move. Don't ever wish you weren't born. God knows you can handle this and he will give you uneducated to make it. God bless you and your mother.

[Jen0925]

This is in reply to a post put on here almost 7 years ago by Iaaz who was shaming a young lady who was the YOUNGEST and had seven older brothers who said she wish she had never been born. Iaaz, I am glad you are such a saint as to never have had those type of feelings towards you parent but quiet frankly I am not buying it. Every caretaker I have known has had SOME negative feelings about the situation with their loved ones. If this young lady feels like her life was over maybe it's because at that point it was. I have cared long term for FOUR of my family members and have as of now been taking care of my mom for 18 months THIS TIME. I love my mother but can't stand her. She has been a control freak for my whole life and controlled me and my four siblings like we were her puppets. I left home at 17 because I couldn't take the mental games of guilt and manipulation that my mother used and still uses to this day. My mother had lung cancer in 2010. Three SMALL spots on her lung. My father was ate up with lung cancer at the same time but it had to be all about HER. She survived and had a MINOR stroke less than three weeks after her last chemo treatment which was caused by the chemo AND her smoking pot. She made a full recovery except slightly droopy lips and cant always tell when she has to pee. However, she went to bed and refused to get up. My dad died on hospice less than two months later because she had to be taken care of her way even when she didn't need it and he ignored his health because she made a big deal that he wasn't the one that was sick. HE was horribly ate up with cancer that had spread from his lungs to a tumor on his lower spine. He suffered horrible pain. After he died she went to bed like she was the only one who had suffered his loss with all the drama of Joan Crawford. Just like she did 30 years earlier when my grandmother died. She didn't console us, her five children, in any way. We had to console HER instead of all of us being there for each other.  It has now been FOUR YEARS and she STILL refuses to get up and do anything for herself. We have had home health send therapy out 8 different times and she will only do the exercises when they are here and will not do them any other time but expected us to lie and say she did. When I try to get her up to do them she will fight like hell and tell me what a sorry daughter I am. She also proceeds to tell me how much better off my ex is with his other ex wife and how it should have been me instead of my sister that died last year. I have ruptured disc in my back, arthritis really bad over my whole body and a bad SI joint. On top of that I need a hip replacement. My body is far worse than the spoiled woman who is laying in there calling herself my mother. I have begged crying on my knees for her to please do whats right for herself and me and get up to take care of herself. She got up and took care of herself for three days before she lost interest and put herself back to bed. Her exact words were 'Why? Why should I get up'. I loved my mother and got along with her my whole life till about 16 months ago when I started realizing how badly she uses everyone around her. I personally have tried to put my mother in a nursing home and if she would go willingly would have her there TOMORROW. She has made me her personal slave and the only time I told her she had to go into the rehab (the fourth time) and do well or I was moving out she told her home therapist that I was being abusive and could they get her out of here. Ironically, that Friday they put her willingly in the very rehab she was scheduled to go into the following Monday. Four days later she was calling begging to come home. 7 days later she told the nursing home she was leaving to come home period so they were about to allow her to get onto the senior transportation BY HERSELF with her stuff. I had to call the adult protective services lady that I personally had opened a case with against MY MOTHER last year because of her being physically and mentally abusive to ME. She told me if I ever tried to put her in a home she would make me pay and she almost did when she lied and told them I had been abusive. However, the members of the family who had caught her in lies about it before reported what they had seen and heard including the fact that she had lied to two of us before that my sister was being mean to her when my sister was taking care of her. I also had pictures of what she had done to me including kicking me, head butting me and busting my lip, slapping me, pulling my hair, and verbally abusing me. Now all of this being said. The post you responded to was a short post, who the heck in all your self righteousness do you think are to talk to someone else that way when you have no clue WHAT kind of relationship she has with her parent. We are just so very happy of your Dorothy in Oz relationship with your parent that meant so much to you but in real life not all relationships are like that and not all parents are good enough people to have those feelings about. Before you verbally bash someone who is going through one of their hardest times with what could be a horrible parent that they have been saddled with why don't you do something that is actually constructive and try to HELP instead of just running your mouth? I felt that the personality you displayed in your answer was FAR worse than any of those very real and true feelings that judi670 wrote about. The shame Iaaz is YOURS.

[chenoby]

My husband is 70 and had a pulmonary embolism leaving his left side lame, we had him in hospital within the hour, he has now been in rehab for seven weeks, his brain function is very good, slight forgetfulness in short term memory, but otherwise great, yet there is no movement in his left arm or leg at all, the physio lasts for about an hour and half a day five days per week, yet his hand is curling up and they are not opening it onto a splint or anything, they can't find any other problems, is this usual, the lame side to stay this long?

[chenoby]

My husband is 70 and had a pulmonary embolism leaving his left side lame, we had him in hospital within the hour, he has now been in rehab for seven weeks, his brain function is very good, slight forgetfulness in short term memory, but otherwise great, yet there is no movement in his left arm or leg at all, the physio lasts for about an hour and half a day five days per week, yet his hand is curling up and they are not opening it onto a splint or anything, they can't find any other problems, is this usual, the lame side to stay this long?

[NRammy]

Is there any movement on the fingers now? Please let me know

[voguettte]

I will like to talk to you by email, my father is going though the same as your father did. I need support. Please. Email ***@****

[michniak]

cathyofone, i'm sorry to hear about your sister.  it's hard to say what would have happened if you found her sooner.  how is she doing now? is she at home?

[cathyofone]

My sister has had a massive stroke we didn't find her for almost 48 hours. She will not talk and has very little movement on her left side. I am not even sure if she knows where she is. She was talking a little but now she is not. Will this be a harder road since we didn't find her sooner?

[joe1283]

i had my stroke february 23rd 2013 and i can close my right hand but the opening part is the trickiest

[sara12345]

If you're still around here, I'm wondering how are you doing?  To not even take medication is being very obstinate.  I hope that you are not staying in a destructive relationship if it still is one.  Wish you the best.

[LexingtonKY]

My mom had a stroke on Mothers Day. She is 81. No movement on the right side even though she had the tpa within 4 hours. She can swallow a bit.She will give one word answers. Her rehab will end in two weeks. I hate to go the nursing home route. I wished she was home but I can't lift her. Until she can scoot her trunk and lift up herself, I fear back trouble. I keep hoping for improvement. This is in Lexington KY and the doctors there aren't into robotics.

[jan061369]

I am in the same situation with my 89 yr old mother. 4 days ago she had a massive stroke on the right side and is paralyzed n the left arm and leg. She had to have a feeding tube put in today as she cannot swallow. She talks with slurred speech but comprehends completely. Do not know if she has any type of vision at this time. Anyone have similar experiences?

[JosieinDom]

Thank you for sharing this. I find it very helpful as my friend is in recovery.  

[QueenMyssie]

He is capable of doing the exercises on his own but says he's in too much pain from the muscle spasms in his leg. Again, he can dress himself but complains of pain doing that as well. He (in my opinion) finds it easier to have someone help him. He has tools given to him (and he was shown how to use them) to help him get dressed and undressed but resists to do so because of pain. The neurologist gave him muscle relaxers to help him out but he really hates taking medicine (which is a struggle to get him to take). Anti-depressants would be great if they weren't in pill form considering his aversion to taking medicine, plus, when he took them while in the hospital, they did very little to change his demeanor. People keep telling me maybe the stroke has him showing his true colors and now he feels no need to censor his true feelings and actions. I do love him and want to work things out but dealing with offensive racism is driving me away. He has driven off his family and friends willing to help by being overbearing and not caring who's feelings he hurts with his words. His mother (who is disabled) does all she can but she has no car and no way of truly helping him physically. I have considered counseling for us, individually and as a couple, but time constraints on the schedule are hard. I am sure through prayer and meditation I will find the way. Thanks for your words of encouragement.

[sara12345]

No, you don't owe him your life.  First of all, it seems odd that all in-home therapy has stopped and he cannot get disability, yet he can barely do anything. Is he capable of doing the exercises that were given to him during all his previous physical therapy?  Why can't he do more than walk and feed himself?  To be able to walk is major. I'm wondering if his psyche is so down and depressed that he has given up. Could you try to get him to take anti-depressants?  That could help his bad behavior and his lack of doing anything. Does he have any friends or family that could take him to therapy?  No you don't need to put up with his bad behavior. If he can't behave better, which he may not be able to since strokes can dramatically change people's personalities, my vote would be to cut loose. I hear it in your posting that you want to.  What good are you going to be to yourself or to him if you can't stand it?  I know it seems very difficult, but you never married him.  Some may fault you for it, but from what you say about your sanity suffering, I don't think that you have a choice. I would read him the riot act about getting on an anti-depressant, that he needs to behave better, or you are not going to put up with it.  And try to get someone else to take him to therapy. See if the physical therapy place has any transportation available.  Some do. If he learns to function better, he may get a better attitude.  Wish you well.

[QueenMyssie]

My fiance had a massive stroke on the right side of his brain in September 2012. His stroke (as the doctors told us) was unique. He had an infection in his teeth that spread into his blood stream and festered in his sinus area (just behind the eyes & nose under his brain) causing swelling to his brain damaging his pituitary gland and leaving scar tissue under the entire base of his brain. The swelling also caused a pseudo aneurism behind his right ear (inoperable) that began to leak. In the 7 months of hospitalization and rehab the problems that caused the stroke were stabilized. He is now into his 5th month home. 2 months ago all the in-home rehab stopped but now we can't get to any outpatient therapy unless I (the only income because the state of Maryland says he's not disabled and keeps denying disability) take off work and this can't happen because we will lose our home. I am dismayed that this is the life that we have been given. I have no words to express how I feel about all this. His personality changed after the stroke and he tells me that I am the one that changed. His recovery has been slow. He can walk and feed himself but relies on assistance for everything else. I was sure I could do this but now his personality has changed and he is degrading and belittling in a way that I find offensive to me and others! How does I deal with being treated like it is my obligation to care for him REGARDLESS of how badly he speak to and treats me. Am I suppose to just eat my self-worth and sanity because I agreed that I would be in this til death do us part!? His attitude has me second guessing the ring that has been on my finger since May of 2012.

[sara12345]

I can understand how upset you are about losing your grandma before you could get there.  But I think that she did get her goodbye with you on the day that she died.  (I have my own reasons for believing that the loved ones who have left us, are still with us.  I know that others would disagree.)  It's unclear whether your grandma would have known that you were there from the way that you described her.  But I am absolutely sure that your grandma knew how very much you loved her, that your loving thoughts were with her, and that you were too far away to get to her.

[Taniel19]

May 2nd. My grandma has passed away waiting and waiting and waiting for her favorite son. She came to me in my dream the day she died, she was smiling and happy, but then she slowly turned around and started walking on all 4s away from me. I was afraid that I knew what it ment. I did't come home in time to see her, something I will always regret not being able to fulfill her last wish to see me...I just thought I had 2 weeks to get my things together before I make this 24hour flight home, which will very well end up being where I'll stay for a while before getting back on track with the rest of my life, I was throwing everything away, my job, my stuff but I just needed lil bit longer just 2 more weeks. I wish I let it all go and got myself a ticket the day I found out about her stroke, because now that I didnt get to see her for the last time , the damage is so much more devastating than it would have been if I got to kiss her cheecks one last time.