Stroke

[Tickertalker]

After a long covid delay, I finally had my heart surgery ten days ago,. A bicuspid valve replacement and a thoracic aorortic anrurysm repapair. I was warned in advance there was a 2% risk of a stroke. Well, seems I'm Mr 2%. I've just no idea what to do as I feel 1,000 times worse than before. Any ideas?

[ellj]

I am so sorry to hear that you have had a stroke, are getting plenty of support. ?

Have you been left with difficulties walking talking etc or is it the fatigue making you feel so awful.

Have you been given a recovery plan ?

Not easy but do try to take things one step at a time and be kind to yourself.

Wishing you well

Ellie

[Tickertalker in reply to ellj]

I've lost the use of one leg and one arm and while I have some movement I don't feel as if i am improving. I'm good at combing my hair with a spoonful of yogurt now. Sorry for such short messages but typing is difficult

[arethusa_12]

I had my mechanical aortic valve put in 3 years ago and I was also one of the 2%, someone has to be, right? They called it a lacuner stroke ( not sure of the spelling) and I have to say I am totally back to normal now with just slightly numb feeling down my left side, so I wish you well and a speedy recovery.

[Mikedabike]

Hello, I hope your symptoms are not too bad. I had my AVR in December 2019 and it appears I am also one of the 2%. I was very lucky I just had aTIA. Returned home from the cardiac hospital on the Tuesday, TIA Friday morning and back in a different hospitals Stroke Unit on the Friday. Another 3 days on a ward. I was very lucky. I just lost about 10 hours of the Friday. No recollection of anything whatsoever, other than waking up on the ward some 10 hours after the attack. I was also very lucky that within just a short time of coming round I regained all my movement. I found the hardest thing for at least the next couple of months was coping mentally with it. Mainly the fear of it happening again. It didn’t help that I had an adverse reaction to my Bisoprolol medication and kept having recurring dizzy spells and almost collapses. Every time I had a dizzy spell my I was petrified that I was about to have another stroke. As you can imagine I was worried, my poor wife who had to witness it all was terrified. Touch wood, I appear to have made a full recovery. I wish you well and given time a full recovery.

[kasinc88]

Hi. I had a mitral valve repair last year and a tia 4 weeks later due to a disturbed cholesterol plaque in an artery. I just went blind in one eye for a few minutes. I am fine now. At least, if I’m any dafter than I was before, my friends and family are too polite to mention it 😁. I am on apixaban and statins to prevent it happening again.

I hope you make a speedy recovery. There are clearly quite a few of us in the 2% and we’re all still standing! x