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It
was
the end
of August when
it all happened, a Friday to be precise,
two of
my brothers asked if I fancied a boat trip going fishing, I jumped at
the chance, and started arranging things. A little while later my wife
looked at me, she noticed I was different, sort of out of character I
looked a little odd, “let me take you to hospital”
she
said, you do not look right” Of course being a typical man I
dismissed this, shortly after I was lying on the settee. My arm seemed
to have weakened, I could not lift it much, it felt too heavy, by that
time my wife had telephoned for an ambulance. When it arrived I was
still coherent, I personally cannot recall anything about this, but my
wife informs me that I could still
hold a conversation.
I
was
obviously very ill but I had settled
down, it appeared as if the worst was over. That weekend one of my
brothers had booked a holiday abroad, he was to be flying out on the
Monday, of course he was apprehensive about going, and was to cancel
the flight, but after a conversation with my family it was decided they
should go as I was still conscious and obviously I was going to
survive. read
more
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Since
my stroke
in Dec 06, the need to improve and sustain
a
reasonably adjusted life has been foremost
in my life.
The need
NOT to be totally dependent on
the
wheelchair,
the
need to make my hand semi
functional, and the desperation
to try
and gain some
independence.
I decided to go ahead and
seek more help by
asking
Dr Tom
Balchin of ARNI to recommend an
Instructor.
Can
you Imagine what it
feels like to
be buried
alive? Lets bring hope
and
raise awareness for people and their
families coping with
the
effects
of
locked-in following a severe stroke.
"Hello I
thought you might be interested my
story? On Feb 7th 2010 I
unfortunately
suffered a major stroke.
My
survival chances were 50/50 and it was
utterly devastating. Not
any
normal stroke for a fit 40 year old
mum of three young
children,
but
an awful blood clot to my brain stem
which caused me to
become
paralysed
with locked-in syndrome. I used to
road run, such as the
Sheffield
half marathon 1:35 (tagged) 42
min 10kms eg the
percy
pud
in
Sheffield then I moved
onto fell
running with Jaqui and Anita around
12 miles at a time.
Imagine
being buried alive, only able to
blink.....? read
more
|
I'm
Dottie. Here is my story.
I'm a 64 year old woman who lives in northeast Connecticut in the
United States of America. about an hour's drive from the Atlantic
Ocean. I was in good physical condition, a nonsmoker, nondrinker, who
ate lots of fruits and vegetables with no known health issues. I was
outside at 8 a.m. on Monday November 15, 2010 when I felt my stroke
starting.
I managed to get inside my kitchen then collapsed on the floor. I was
unable to call for help. I live alone.
Wednesday after 7 p.m. I was found still on my kitchen floor. My 100
pound dog was laying next to me, keeping me warm and doing her best to
guard me.
I
was taken by
ambulance to the nearest hospital, 30 miles away, then transferred to a
trauma critical care unit in another hospital another 25 miles farther.
I was totally paralyzed on my left side with my arm and leg swollen to
twice their normal size. I didn't get care admitted untiThursday
morning.
.
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The
locked-in
syndrome
is caused by an insult to the ventral pons, most commonly an infarct,
haemorrhage, or trauma. The characteristics of the syndrome are
quadriplegia and anarthria with preservation of consciousness. Patients
retain vertical eye movement, facilitating non-verbal communication.
Ten year survival rates as high as 80% have been reported. Even limited
physical recovery can improve quality of life and enable patients to
return to live with their families. Early referral to a specialist
rehabilitation service for specialist care andtechnology is therefore
important.
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Locked-in
syndrome is a rare neurological disorder in
which there is complete paralysis of all voluntary muscles except for
the ones that control the movements of the eyes. Individuals with
locked-in syndrome are conscious and awake, but have no ability to
produce movements (outside of eye movement) or to speak (aphonia).
Cognitive function is usually unaffected. Communication is possible
through eye movements or blinking. Locked-in syndrome is caused by
damaged to the pons, a part of the brainstem that contains nerve fibers
that relay information to other areas of the brain.
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For
a long
time
we thought that individuals who were in a state of diminished
consciousness were unable to respond. Through years of working with
people with severe brain injuries and diminished responding capacities
we have learned that the person may be receiving information but be
unable to produce an effective response. Some people may communicate
with an eye blink, a facial gesture or even by moving a toe
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A
warm
welcome to
Stroke Support Group and thank you for taking the time and trouble in
joining this website. Stroke Support Group is the concept of
several Stroke Survivors who felt the importance of imparting their
experiences – some good, some bad – and to share
their feelings, emotions and to aid and support one another through the
exchange of information. We value the participation of Stroke
Survivors and Carers and we hope you grow with us in maintaining an
informative website for all past, present and future users,
the signs of
a
stroke are
now well l publicized thanks to TV
advertising.
However, few people actually know what the effects of a stroke are, the
immediate care and treatment required and the long-term care that may
be needed in the future. A stroke is a major event in
anyone’s life and can have long lasting effects on families,
friends, employment and social activities. Most families are completely
unprepared when someone has a stroke. Our group recognized
this
and is
able to offer support right from the start, or when needed. However to
become a member, of our forum it
simple and free so
start
your
support here
think
my story
began in
1982
with hypertension in pregnancy,4 children later and severe problems
with the pregnancies I commenced medication in 1988.I lived a normal
life with husband and 3 young children[our eldest died] and worked on a
bank need as a staff nurse,we were happy,content and fairly healthy,we
had problems with our son who had menigititis following measeles and
this left him with kidney problems and he had freguent admissions to
Alder Hey Hospital,Liverpool.In 1999 myhusband
had a lump which read
more
it
was march 9th
2008 a
nice Sunday afternoon
and I was out with my boyfriend to relax because I was little bit
stressed
about the language exams which I had to pass…
He brought me to the bus station and it was 17:50 I just know that coz
my mother wrote me an sms at that time and I didnt
feel it anymore
I was sitting
there and we were waiting for the bus
and talking when I suddenly lost consciousness for a short time. I
didn’t
realize what happened.. I just know that I saw the floor
coming
closer when I fell down. At that moment I thought that I've
made a wrong step or something like that but my boyfriend was
yelling at me..
I don’t know anymore what he said to me.. I just know that
all
the people were standing around me and staring at me. I
“told”
them that I am fine and just made a wrong step like I
thought… I was “speaking” with
the people
around me
not to make such a
stress and to let me sit up… but the
didn’t listen
to me.. then I tried to sit
up but I
was not able to. That was the point where I realized that
something was
was wrong
Visitors
please read. The information
given on our forum is
for
general stroke information only. It is not intended
to
be, nor should it be treated as an
alternative to medical
advice
given by a doctor. Anyone who thinks
they have suffered a stroke
or anyone else has suffered from a stroke should
seek
medical advice without delay.
|
While
everyone’s experience is
different,
meeting other stroke survivors or caregivers who understand what you
are going through can help you throughout your recovery. With
over
110,000 people stroke survivors, and 150,000 new strokes occurring in
the U.k. each year, you are not alone. In addition to providing social
opportunities, support groups promote wellness by helping members with
making difficult decisions, problem solving and locating local
resources, as well as providing:
- stroke
chatroom
-
- stroke
support
- stroke
advice
- Recreational
activities
- Rehabilitation
support
- Self
help
-
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Groups
may meet yearly, or and
at different times of the day. There are a wide variety of support
groups for stroke survivors and caregivers; find one that fits you!,
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Summary
points
Life
expectancy has improved
for patients with locked-in syndrome
Early
specialist
rehabilitation aids patients to regain some function
Establishing
an effective
communication system should be an early target
Engaging
the family in
rehabilitation may enable eventual return home
Despite
profound disability,
patients don't necessarily want to die.
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testimonial
This
is a helpful website! I am recovering from a stroke that I had on May 2
nd 2011. Things are improving a little at a time...except for my
patience! It's nice to be able to read about other people's experiences
and see that I'm not unique!
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