r/stroke

I had a minor stroke about 4 months ago. 4mm subacute lacunar infarct left pons to be exact. Presented with just a case of being off balance. Like I was on a boat. Coincided with a bout of pneumonia. Went to doctor for the terrible cough and dizziness and heard the words. You had a stroke.

Honestly I thought I was dead. I cried. I just got married and have 5 kids ages 11-22, I havent finished raising them yet. Havent set them up for success, havent prepared them to be without me you know. And they said I had a stroke. So plainly. So matter of fact. They couldnt give a reason either. My numbers were all ok. Not perfect. Cholesterol just above acceptable. Blood pressure a touch high. But no numbers they said should correlate to a stroke.

Didn't have any major symptoms so I got discharged quickly. Been on daily aspirin, low does atrovaststin and amlodipinine since. I get these feelings throughout the day. I cant really explain them. Just a kind of crummy feeling in my head. Something I never felt before the stroke. They come and go. They dont typically last very long. Few seconds to a few minutes at most. They seem to become more frequent as the work week progresses. By my fourth or fifth day of work I need to lay down when I get home and recuperate for a but.

I feel guilty for even complaining. So many others have had it so much worse. An old high school friends wife just had a hemorrhagic stroke right after giving birth and is likely legitimately permanently disabled. Here I am with some headaches, and bad pains from sudden loud noises(4th of July sucked!).

I should be grateful to be alive, and mostly fine. But everyday im panicked. Every weird feeling. Every time my voice seems to vibrate my brain. Every time my wife gets a little too excited showing me something, and her volume reaches a point that literally hurts my brain. Everytime something out of the ordinary happens im instantly terrified. Is it happening again. Will this one paralyze me? Kill me? Tomorrow while the wife is at work im gonna record videos to say goodbye to my kids in case things turn badly for me here. Guess im just wondering if this fear ever subsides, or am I just living with it however much longer I have to live?

I had an ischemic stroke 17 months ago and have 24/7 right side pain that has badly changed my quality of life. after trying 5-6 off label drugs like gabapentin, nortriptyline, cymbalta, etc. I’ve had no relief.

im in my 60s. I remember smoking weed in my teens. I FELT NO PAIN! Haha.

im ready to try something, cannabis, gummies, thc, cbd, whatever. I’ve read through a number of posts but don’t see much specifically that addresses what kind of approach to take. help?

I had a stroke last August. And one thing I’ve noticed is I cannot handle noise. Is that something anyone else has ever dealt with? My ears actually hurt from the noise. I feel agitated and on edge.

I had a suspected TIA on Friday and everything I read says that you are most at risk of a full stroke within days to weeks of a TIA. I guess I just want to know how common that is? Who had a TIA and then within that timeframe had a full stroke?

It’s been almost 2 years since my mum had her stroke yet I’m still struggling with the fact that she’s not the same as she was before she had the stroke.
I feel immense guilt for the feelings of frustration I get when I’m trying to talk to her and she’s either not listening or just stops listening halfway through the conversation. I know she can’t help it and it’s because of the stroke which is why I feel so guilty.
I find myself getting irritated at the way she talks and the things she says now.
How do I accept that this is the new her and that it’s going to be like this forever now?
I feel guilty for missing the old her and missing how we used to be able to talk and laugh about anything.
I’m grateful that she’s still here and that I can talk to her still but I can’t help missing how it used to be.
I don’t want to keep feeling like this but I’m really struggling still to adjust to this new normal

My mom suffered a stroke on June 15th and she's been in the hospital since June 17th. This is my second post in this subreddit but if you want to read the full details, you can find it in my first post here: https://www.reddit.com/r/stroke/comments/1u98waf/found_my_78yo_mom_3_days_poststroke_i_am_entirely/

---------------------------------

I am posting today because I am very worried about her. While she is still in the hospital, it looks like she may be discharged on Monday, July 6th. I have already done some due-diligence about SNF's around San Diego and I've found two that are likely contenders.

The thing that worries me about SNF's is that no one has anything good to say about them. I am have read and spoken to people who say they are all horrible, no matter how much you research or how good the reviews are. It's making me feel uneasy.

How things are 19 days later:

• She is left side paralyzed / neglect (arm and leg)
• She eats / drinks with assistance. No tubes.
• She speaks but sometimes its slurred.
• For some reason, the first two weeks, she was wide awake and alert but lately, she's in and out of sleep / tired which makes me think she is losing cognition or attention or whatever.
• I am also noticing she has short term memory issues.
• Delirium is another thing I am noticing -- example: are my slippers under the bed so I can go to the bathroom? (she's been bed bound for 19 days... not possible)

Besides some of these points, as a result of being bed bound for 19 days now, she has a considerable amount of neck and shoulder pain. The hospital does PT / OT with her but her trunk control is weak and even if I ask, they won't put her in a wheelchair just to walk her out of the room which may actually help her moral.

I've looked into therapies I can do myself while in the hospital with her and I have started doing some but I am REALLY worried about her. Will she ever walk again? If not, she will be bed bound and that In itself will make her worse.

Unfortunately, I have no choice as I am alone (50m) and I can't do it all alone so SNF is necessary.

If you're in a similar situation with a parent or love one, please offer some suggestions. I'm looking for answers.

Thank you

It was the scariest moment of my life I was hospitalized for a week I had it in the middle of engish class at school and everyone was scared and confused I was rushed to the hospital and they preformed surgery on me

I'm here because I'm feeling scared right now my left leg hurts and I think I see some blood clots in my feet I took my aspirin I don't think it's doing anything anymore I feel scared

I (36M) had an embolic ischemic stroke few months ago. They found that I have a patent foramen ovale (pfo). The cardiologist said the TEE results shows a large pfo and recommeded pfo closure.

I was asked by the cardiologist to choose between the conventional method of closure with a occluder device or a newer method known as NobleStitch. I told the cardiologist I am leaned towards the device method based on the existing long-term research and proven evidence compared to the newer method. The cardiologist mentioned that there is a chance that the NobleStitch may require a 2nd surgery if the pfo is not close completely. I definitely prefer not to go though a 2nd surgery but I am now questioning myself if I made the right decision after reading some of the bad experience from redditors who had the device procedure, especially the post-procedure effects like AFib, palpitations and other issues.

I am also a nervous wreck when it comes to needles, hospital and medical procedures as well. Could anyone walk though the details of the procedure? Was it scary?

Hello all, I am new to the community. I had a stroke 2 months ago, with just apraxia as a long lasting effect. Then one month ago I had another bleed which manifested a seizure, same basic deficits again. This led to a craniotomy to remove a persistent clot, fingers crossed I am finished!

The question is, I occasionally (only 2-3 times) have had some tongue numbness and my tongue would point to the side during these episodes. Last night it lasted for 10 or so minutes, my speech was OK, and it went back to normal after the 10 minutes were over.

Has anyone else experienced something like this? Should I be making emergency calls? Or should just message my neurologist on a non-emergency chat?

Thanks for your input!

I used to be so agile, soft stepped, and had fine motor skills. I used to be able to see better. I could think and retain words and sentences even with my ADHD, this is different. I was never a klutz, now i misjudge where things are, i run into walls, dooor frames, tables, everything! I trip all the time. So much has been brpken because my hands give out. I’m 32.

When I was 19 I was undergoing chemo, IV treatment for neurological Lyme+ and encephalitis. At 19, I had my first TIA and the neurologist I saw after said my migraines were most likely more minor versions of the TIA I had and showed me spots on my brain. I didnt have insurance for a long while. I have it now but its MediCal and I have to go through sooo many barriers to be able to get the care I need. No one in my life understands. To them strokes and baby strokes are old people issues. It’s not a owrry until your like 70’s to them.

I miss who i was without the permanent nerve damage and issues that came from my TIA. I was lucky to get treatment quickly, but i have no one to talk to about it.

Not sure the point in this but I just feel alone and someone asked me earlier about it. Its lonely.

I kind of fear about losing my beloved dad

It's been 2.5 months when he had ischemic stroke

Kind of one side paralysis

I don't know how much time he have

I am only 20 don't know anything about this

Plse give me some information

Hey everyone, I’ve posted here a bunch of times about my 3 TIAs last year in May. I’ve never been a very active person in general but lately I’ve upped my daily step count and alternate it with a 10-15 minute workout.

However, the workout (not the steps that i do on a cross trainer) often leaves my right side (affected by stroke) feeling the effects of the workout more than my left. It takes a little while to get normal again. Is this because it’s more affected by fatigue?

Is it safe to continue working out and has anyone ever experienced this?

Please advice.

Hi all. My dad’s PCP just told him “yeah you’re not going to be better from your stroke. Progress stops after a year. Try not to be depressed about it”. Now my dad is horribly depressed and asking about his life insurance. Holy shit I’m raging. Who tf speaks like that to a patient?! We’re not expecting him to lie but he didn’t have to be so cruel. Mental fortitude is so important in recovery and he just devastated my dad.

My dad suffered from a massive right side hemorrhagic stroke last feb and is paralyzed on the right side and has trouble speaking.

Please give me any advice on supporting my dad at this time or any encouraging stories/experiences. I am shaking with rage. Thank you.

I’m a 48F. I had a stroke in April 2026, and it completely flipped my life upside down.

I spent about 2 months in the hospital. At my worst, I couldn’t walk or talk. I had to write everything down to communicate. I also dealt with constant blood draws and IV attempts because my veins were difficult, including being woken up in the middle of the night for labs.

On top of the stroke, I got shingles across my back and chest, which made recovery even harder once sensation started coming back. Between that and everything else, most of my time in the hospital was just trying to get through the day.

Since being discharged, I have made progress. I can walk again with a walker, and I can speak without needing to write everything down. That part still feels unreal sometimes, but I’m grateful for it.

My biggest issue right now is swallowing. I can’t safely eat or drink, so I have a PEG feeding tube.

I’ve been working with home health PT/OT/SLP, and I’ve been doing swallowing exercises consistently. I’m trying really hard to stay on top of it.

A few weeks ago I had a modified barium swallow study at the hospital to check progress. I was actually hopeful going into it because I’ve been working at it.

The test itself felt very rushed. I was given a few different food textures to try under fluoroscopy. After I couldn’t swallow the second round (no aspiration), the test was basically stopped immediately.

Afterward, when I asked what they thought, the response I got was very blunt and discouraging—something along the lines of there being “no meaningful recovery” expected with my type of stroke, and I was sent out pretty quickly.

That experience really messed with me mentally, especially because I’ve still been actively working with therapists at home who are seeing progress and encouraging me to keep going.

They’ve reassured me that recovery is still possible and that they wouldn’t keep working with me if they didn’t think there was room for improvement.

I’m trying not to let one really bad experience derail everything, but swallowing is still my biggest hurdle and it’s honestly scary.

I’d really like to hear from anyone who’s had a brainstem stroke or serious dysphagia after a stroke:

• Did your swallowing improve over time?
• How long did it take?
• Anything that actually helped?

When this started, I wasn’t even aware it was happening. I had just been discharged from the hospital for something unrelated, and the next day I started noticing I couldn’t speak clearly, swallow properly, or walk without holding onto things.

I’m staying as positive as I can and I have a solid support system, but I won’t pretend I’m not scared about what recovery looks like from here.

Thanks for reading. Any experiences or advice are appreciated.

Possible tia stroke

Yesterday I was at work, totally fine, laughing with coworkers, when within a split second it felt like all the blood drained from my head into my chest. The entire right side of my body went numb with pins and needles — including my tongue and face. I genuinely thought I was dying.

I told my colleagues I wasn’t feeling well and rushed to my car to sit down. The symptoms weren’t going away and my heart rate climbed to 150 bpm, so I called emergency services myself since I had no idea what was happening.

While waiting for the ambulance, the symptoms gradually eased off. At the hospital they did a CT scan, which came back clear. They wanted to keep me overnight for more tests, but I felt so agitated and uncomfortable in that environment that I ended up leaving.

Now, the next morning, my blood pressure is still a bit elevated, I have brain fog, and I feel exhausted despite sleeping all night.

Has anyone experienced something similar? Should I go back and push for more testing (like an MRI) even though the CT was clear, or is this something that could just resolve on its own? Trying to figure out if I’m overreacting or if I should take this more seriously.

Im 28(F) and I had an ischemic stroke a few days ago. While my mobility and cognitive abilities are good, I’m still in shock and having a hard time accepting this new lifestyle.

So I wanted to ask the experts themselves, what’s a unexpected hack that has greatly improved your lifestyle? I’m talking about tips and tricks you had to discover by experience and were not available online

The stranger the better!

Hey everyone,

Today I was walking home from the gym when I suddenly started losing vision in my left eye over the course of about 10 seconds. For about two minutes, everything in that eye went completely dark and I couldn’t see anything at all, til my vision returned slowly over 10seconds.

I called my doctor’s office, and they quickly referred me to neurology.

At the hospital, I had a CT scan of my brain, an ultrasound of my heart and neck, blood tests, and various eye examinations.

They told me they couldn’t find anything abnormal (which, apparently, is a good thing) and that I most likely had a TIA affecting my eye or the area around it.

I’m home now after about six hours at the hospital. I feel drained, and honestly, I’m scared.

Back in 2021, I had a mechanical heart valve implanted and have been on warfarin since then.

I’ve had similar episodes before. The first one was when I was 20, but I didn’t go to a doctor because I honestly thought it was normal. I had another one a few years later, and the most recent one was in 2021, a few months after my heart surgery. At the time, I thought it was just my body adjusting to the new valve.

But this time feels different. I’m honestly afraid it will happen again, and that next time it won’t just be a brief episode that my medication can handle before any real damage is done.

Sorry for the rant/vent — I’m just in shock and having a hard time processing everything right now.

My father (76M) had been a heroin addict for most of his life and it’s a miracle he’s even still alive. He’s had a couple small strokes last year, but on June 15th he had a severe ischemic stroke leaving his right side paralysed and unable to talk. Yesterday he developed kidney failure and is unconscious right now and doctors are telling me it’s critical timing…
Can I have hope he’ll overcome this or should i prepare myself for the worst? Be truthful and thank you..

I had what I thought was my first stroke about a month ago, I had follow up ct scan about 2 weeks ago and my doctor said it shows evidence of chronic infarct, basically evidence of a prior stroke. I have no idea what this could mean considering how dramatic the one I had recently was. I’m going to be seeing a neurologist soon, so I’m not seeking any kind of actually medical advice. Just seeing if anyone else experienced something like this?