aanaruk

Hello Wendy.  Welcome aboard, Hate to have you here, but given your situation you've done the right thing!

The blood vessels ruptured in my brain on 18 May 2005.  I was in a hotel on business travel.  Hospitalized (first for a 12 plus hour surgery) for several months including three rehab hospitals, I was finally spit out of the system on 1 October and went back to work.

I can tell you it is natural to worry about headaches, sensations of numbness, etc for some time.  You finally realize its easier to go with it smartly than to add to your agony.  I honestly don't recall when it stopped for me.

Your advantage is your age and the resilience that can go with it.  Hang tough!  Shout when you have questions.  Lotsa been there done that experience here!

    axel

just recently moved (back to TX)  Now living in Wylie and working in Richardson.  Hopefully we'll stay here through retirement!  

Axel Anaruk, hemorrhagic stroke May 2005.

I really like "Terry's statement " ... it's a good thing they did'nt have a stroke because they don't have the brain cells to loose."

Although most of my disabilities are subtle, people tend to notice my paresis quite easily thank you very much. I get two types of reactions to my explanation that I'd had a stroke. The first is an unobtrusive offer to assist with ... whatever, and the ever popular "you don't look like it." I have basically taken the tact of not letting people get to saying the last by going into a 30 second explanation of AVM, stroke, and "Lord how I'm glad to be alive!" I have found this thwarts some of the typical responses we get while I've educated somebody without making anybody uncomfortable.

Hello Kathy -

You ask an interesting question. One could answer it in any number of ways, but it will, in the end, all come down to you challenging yourself with the question - is this something we need? In the past, I'd have said the question is " ... is this something I need ... " but since suffering my stroke, and being brought back by family, doctors, my wife and God, I have to acknowledge the impact others have had on my recovery.

about a week and a half ago, my grand daughters came to visit. Well, so did our son and our daughter in law, but they were just escorts (grandpa grin inserted here). They wanted to see the rocky mountains via rocky mountain national park. I allowed as how that would involve a lot of up and down hill walking, and "grampa's weak left side" just wouldn't allow that. Well after many discussions and maybe even arguments we went anyway. Frankly, I discovered there was more in me than I thought. I managed some pretty steep hills, both up and down, and even managed to walk in some places where the footing was not so secure. That was maybe the best trip I ever took with my grand daughters, even beating all hollow two days when we took them to disney world (pre-stroke).

Only you know how much you want to put up with the fatigue factor, but I will say that moving out of your comfort zone sometimes pays big benefits!

axel