How To Reclaim Your Life After A Stroke

By Dr. Ira May

A stroke is defined as a sudden impairment or loss of consciousness, sensation, and voluntary motion caused by rupture or obstruction (as by a clot) of a blood vessel supplying the brain. It is accompanied by permanent damage to brain tissue.

 

If you are a stroke victim and survivor like me, then you know that having a stroke is a debilitating, life-changing event that not only robs you of your independence but destroys your identity, too. It alters your life in ways that you could have never imagined. One thing that all stroke survivors have in common is that they would give anything to go back to the way life was before their stroke and to feel normal again. Hopefully, the information in this book will help you do just that.

 

Some of the ways stroke affects you:

Physical Effects:

Weakness or Paralysis: A stroke can cause weakness or paralysis on one side of the body.

Sensory Loss: Some individuals may experience numbness or loss of sensation.

Challenges with Movement: Most stroke survivors struggle with walking, balance, and coordination.

Vision Problems: Stroke survivors may also notice changes in vision, including loss of visual fields.

Chewing and Swallowing Difficulties.

Cognitive and Emotional Effects: Stroke survivors often experience forgetfulness, carelessness, confusion, mood changes, anger, anxiety, irritability, and depression.

Speech and Language Changes: Stroke survivors can also suffer from aphasia (problems with speech and understanding language).

Memory Impairment: Difficulty remembering and learning new information.

Behavioral Changes: Impulsivity, lack of concern, or inappropriate actions and behavior.

Other Aspects:

Self-Care Abilities: Challenges in daily tasks like dressing, bathing, and grooming.

Sexual Function: Lack of ability or interest

Work and Living Arrangements: Modifications may be necessary to prevent stroke survivors from falling.

 

After suffering my stroke, I decided to write a book on stroke recovery. Having an extensive background in the healthcare field, I did extensive research on the most effective ways to overcome the side effects of a stroke and how to reclaim our lives.

 

My book covers stroke prevention, recovery, diet, nutrition, exercise, sleep, relationships, and more. While doing research for this book, I discovered a lot about stroke that I never learned from either my doctors or therapists, and I hope to pass that information on to you.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dr. Ira May
• Release date: Feb 21, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224056798

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

Stroke – Letting Go

If you are reading this, chances are that you, like me, have either suffered a stroke or know someone who has. The purpose of this book is not only to help you survive having a stroke but to help you thrive afterward, knowing that this is not the end but a new chapter in your life. In every end, there is also a new beginning.

What's one of the best times to figure out who you are and what you truly want? Right after a chapter of your life comes to an end. And every chapter in life eventually comes to an end. It's imperative to your mental health that you accept this fact. Don't look back to who you were, instead, courageously acknowledge that this old chapter of your life has ended and a new one has begun. Most transitions happen slowly over time, but strokes usually occur suddenly, without warning. Closing the door, moving on, turning the page, or whatever you call it, what matters is that you leave the past in the past. Don't torture yourself mentally by comparing yourself to the person you were in the past.

Leave the past in the past where it belongs so you can focus all of your time and energy on making the best out of the life you have left. The ending you've experienced since your stroke is Not The End. It's just your life starting over in a new way.

Just as longing for our past life accomplishes nothing, worrying about the future is equally destructive. Jesus warned us during his Sermon on the Mount against allowing ourselves to be preoccupied with the future and constantly anxious about it. Worrying doesn’t change anything; it only makes us tense and keeps us from trusting our judgment.

Like a baby, you will re-learn to walk one step at a time. Will it be easy? Hell no. It will be the most challenging, difficult thing you will ever have to handle. Sometimes, you will be discouraged, frustrated, depressed, and disappointed with your progress. It’s okay to feel those emotions. You wouldn’t be human if you weren’t. But the trick is to limit the time you allow yourself to have those feelings.

One of the most peaceful mindsets ever begins when you finally find the courage to accept what you can't change. What has happened, happened. It is what it is. Accept it, let it go, learn from it, and move on. What matters is what you choose to do with your life from here on out. You can sit around moaning and groaning about how terrible life is or look at your situation as an opportunity to grow and overcome a new challenge. The shocking truth is that staying sane is impossible when you try to control every aspect of life. You can never be truly happy, as the desire to control everything becomes addictive and toxic, leading to unhappiness due to unrealistic expectations.

Just realize that each stroke is unique. Some of us will have more significant challenges to overcome than others. Never compare your progress with anyone else's progress. No matter how slow your progress may seem, it is what is normal for you. Also, accept the fact that you will never be the person you were before your stroke. You may be surprised that you'll be different – maybe better. If you are like me, you'll never take life for granted again and enjoy every day God has given us.

Since my stroke, I've learned the secret to life. All of my unhappiness in my life has been due to my unrealistic expectations of how I perceived things should be and not how they are. I always waited for tomorrow to feel better. I expected something to happen to make me happy, and no matter how good that day was, I expected tomorrow to be better. My philosophy was that I’d be satisfied when - but when, never came. But not anymore. I've learned to pay more attention and appreciate every day that the new beginnings that day presents. Do I have my ups and downs? Sure I do. I’m just like anyone who has experienced a stroke. But on those days, I do something that either physically or mentally challenges me to get my mind off those negative thoughts. Many people say they wish they could go back in time, live their lives over, and do things differently. They want a new life, a new beginning, but when given the opportunity to start over anew, they squander the fresh start by taking it for granted. Don't make this mistake, and do this to yourself. Stop holding onto what's no longer there and never will be again. Don't wait until your life is over to realize how priceless the present moment is. The new life we all want is here, now. It began the moment you had your stroke. It's up to you not to waste one minute of it living in the past. No more would haves, could haves, or should haves. The new life you’ve always wanted begins when you stop wanting your old life back. Make the best of the present moment. It’s all we have. Embrace it and see where it takes you.

CHAPTER 2

How To Recover From A Stroke Quickly

To recover from a stroke, focus on the most crucial thing – repetition. REPITITION. REPITITION. REPITITION. Stimulation and repetitive practice are essential for stroke recovery. Repetition is a critical ingredient during recovery from a stroke. Repetition activates neuroplasticity, your brain’s mechanism for rewiring itself and creating efficiency. This is how you can rebuild your skills and overcome the side effects of a stroke. There is no doubt about it – repetition improves stroke recovery time.

For our bodies to perform even the simplest tasks, networks of nerve cells, or neurons, must act in tandem to stimulate the correct parts of our bodies. However, when a stroke causes damage to an area of the brain, damaged neurons become unable to send signals to the corresponding regions of the body. Although a stroke survivor may appear to have suffered damage to an area of the body—for example, the right arm and leg might be paralyzed—the issue stems from damage in the brain.

Amazingly, the brain compensates for these losses through various regenerative strategies. A typical process, neuroplasticity, is something that the brain undergoes whenever we learn a new piece of information. As our environments and daily routines change, we create new synapses or neural connections. During healing, the brain is even more engaged when building these new networks. Synaptic pathways are restructured to work around damaged neurons and may relocate to different brain areas.

Under the right circumstances, the brain can even create new neurons in a process known as neurogenesis. Any healing process requires a healthy body to support the regeneration of cells, and neurogenesis is no different—the regenerating areas of the brain must be healthy, have the proper blood and oxygen supply, and be activated consistently. Stroke survivors can encourage neurogenesis through frequent, recurrent repetition.  Practicing these skills daily will promote a faster recovery and provide the stimulation your brain needs to recover.

Get Better At Walking By Focusing On More Than Just Your Feet

Improving your gait (your ability to walk) is a full-body task. If you struggle with walking after a stroke, your physical therapist can help you recover by showing you which exercises to practice. They may recommend different exercises for your legs, feet, and core. Practice exercises for your entire body because walking is a full-body task. You can do hundreds of exercises, which are easily accessed online, especially on YouTube, which provides videos on the proper techniques.

Don’t Slow Down Your Foot Drop Recovery By Constantly Wearing An AFO

AFOs are essential for safety, and you may need to wear one initially to allow you to walk, but don’t forget to exercise. AFO braces (ankle foot orthotics) for foot drop help improve your gait. If you have difficulty lifting your foot (also known as dorsiflexion), these braces are essential for preventing falls as you move about your daily life. If you struggle with foot drop, ask your therapist for help.

It’s also important to know that AFO braces are a compensation technique. This means they help you adapt to disability but do not necessarily promote recovery. This does not suggest you should skip wearing your AFO. Instead, practice foot drop exercises daily to enhance your recovery. In doing so, you are reducing the risk of learned non-use.

If You Have Trouble Talking After A Stroke, Use Inexpensive Apps To Improve Your Speech

Speech therapy apps are a great way to improve speech at home. If you had a left-sided brain stroke, you may have language difficulties like aphasia. A speech therapist can diagnose your specific type of aphasia and guide you through recovery. However, attending speech therapy once per week does not necessarily provide enough stimulation for the brain to induce neuroplasticity. If you want to recover from a stroke quickly, you need to stay engaged in therapy at home, too. This is where speech therapy apps can help.

Apps are available straight from your phone or tablet whenever needed. You don’t need to wait to see your therapist to keep your brain engaged in therapy. Best of all, you can ask your therapist to assign exercises that suit your needs.

Bounce Back From The Dreaded Plateau

The stroke recovery plateau is well-documented, but it does not mean recovery is over! Stroke recovery tends to slow down around the three-month mark and then again at the six-month mark. This plateau often causes patients to be discharged from inpatient therapy, but it does not mean it’s the end of the road. It’s a sign to remain consistent with your home exercise program to keep recovery going. Without inpatient rehab to keep you engaged, it becomes even more important to stick with a daily rehab regimen at home to recover from a stroke as quickly as possible.

Reverse Regressions Quickly By Staying Consistent

It’s common to take two steps forward and one step back. This is called a regression in recovery. The most important thing to remember is that this is a normal part of healing. However, you should always talk with your doctor or therapist, as regression can indicate other complications.

If you feel like you took two steps forward and one step back, it will help you to look at your progress during the previous week. Did you exert yourself more than usual? It helps to keep a journal to log your progress and your setbacks. You may find that a slight regression (one step back) is followed by another recovery phase (two steps forward).

Speed Up Recovery From Stroke With Meditation

Meditation is an underrated practice that can help accelerate recovery from stroke. At first glance, it might seem too simple to help. But when you look at the clinical studies, you’ll see that meditation provides excellent benefits for stroke survivors.

Meditation can be an uncomfortable experience if you are accustomed to a busy schedule. Sitting still for five to ten minutes without thinking about all that should be done is difficult, but don’t let uncertainty keep you from reaping the benefits of this brain-nourishing practice.

Recover From A Stroke Quickly With A Healthy Diet

You can boost neurogenesis with specific healthy foods. Neurogenesis is the creation of new neurons in the brain — something that could increase your efforts of recovering from a stroke as quickly as possible. Some of the best foods for stroke recovery promote neurogenesis. Examples of these foods include fish, pomegranate, nuts, seeds, and blueberries.

If you struggle with diet-related stroke risk factors such as high cholesterol or obesity, talk to your doctor.

Get Adequate Sleep

It’s common to sleep more than usual after a stroke as the brain is recovering. Many stroke survivors are startled or surprised by how much sleep they require after a stroke. If you find yourself sleeping excessively during recovery, it’s probably a good sign.

The brain needs sleep to heal and detoxify. Sleep helps improve movement recovery after a stroke by turning short-term memories from the day into long-term memories. It also gives the brain time to rest, recharge, and recover from the damage caused by the stroke trauma.

If you are worried about how much you are sleeping or if insomnia is preventing you from getting enough sleep, talk to your doctor. The inability to sleep is common after a stroke.

Be Intentional With Your Rehab Regimen

Consistency is critical if you want to recover from a stroke quickly. As was mentioned previously, neuroplasticity is the key to recovery after a stroke. And your brain requires consistent stimulation to rewire itself. For this reason, inconsistent participation in rehab won’t lead to the best results due to lack of repetition. To recover as quickly as possible, you must consistently participate in therapy. 

Six Ways Exercise Helps Your Brain Recover From A Stroke

The brain is like a muscle. It's made up of billions of cells called neurons. These neurons fire in sequences to create thoughts, emotions, and memories. When you exercise your body, you're not just building muscles-you're also building your brain! This is why exercise helps improve memory and learning ability in children and adults.

1. Exercise Creates New Brain Cells

The brain is like a muscle: it must be worked out to grow. And what's more, exercise increases the number of new brain cells and makes you smarter.

The hippocampus is an area of the brain that stores information about what you've learned or experienced. A larger hippocampus means better memory recall, leading to higher IQ scores and making remembering things easier for us old folks. Exercise also increases levels of BDNF, a brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which repairs damaged neurons by helping them survive longer than usual after injury or disease; this promotes faster recovery from head injuries or strokes.

2. Exercise Helps Support The Health Of The Brains Blood Vessels

Exercise supports the health of the brain's blood vessels. Reducing stroke risk: A study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology found that people who exercised had a lower risk of stroke than those who didn't. The researchers suggested that exercise may help reduce blood pressure and improve cholesterol levels, which can both contribute to stroke risk.

Improving blood flow to the brain: A separate study published in JAMA Neurology found that aerobic exercise boosted brain volume in areas associated with memory and thinking skills among older adults over three years.

Cognitive abilities: Researchers also noted improvements in their ability to perform daily tasks like cooking and driving after six months on an exercise regimen compared with those who didn't work out.

3. Exercise Helps Combat Anxiety and Depression

Exercise can help reduce anxiety and depression. Regular exercise has been shown to improve mood, decrease stress, and increase self-esteem. It can also allow you to sleep better at night by lowering the body's production of cortisol, the hormone that causes us to feel stressed. If you're feeling anxious or depressed, you mustn't let those feelings drag down your workout routine. Instead, use them as motivation.

Instead of focusing on how much more stressful today will be than yesterday (or tomorrow), think about how good it will feel when those endorphins kick in after a hard workout.

4. Exercise Helps Prevent Alzheimer’s and Dementia

The brain is one of the most critical organs in the body, and keeping it healthy is