Worrying about the future following second stroke

[susiewoo57]

My partner who is 52 has just had a second stroke. Had 6 years of illness, Docs said he was suffering from seizures, slipped disc etc etc. Before he started on warfarin, had 2/3 'episodes' a week all suggesting poss TIA. Was told don't bother calling ambulance cos we dont know what's wrong. After trip to A&E 2 yrs ago oncall Doc was stroke specialist, arranged for tests, thank God. He has totally occluded Internal Carotid, MRA scan showed serious frontal lobe stroke from 2011, brain damage visible. Last Wed fell ill in work, showed some facial weakness and similar symptoms to previous. Rushed to A&E, stroke nurse insisted he was not having a stroke as his symptoms were not typical despite my insistence that's how he usually presented. Would not embolyse in case of seizure. Eventually had scan and Consultant diagnosed Lacuna stroke (LACS). So worried about future cos chances are the next one could be fatal or worse and medical staff seem unable to support and advise as diagnoses differ even among specialists.

[moo196]

Hi and welcome !

I'm not a medic of course but suggest you chat more to your medical team and possibly Headway (charity who deal with people who have had brain damage - including stroke).

It's very normal to worry about the future - but all any of us can do is find the information - act as much as one can accordingly and surround ourselves with as much support and positivity as one can muster ( my partner left the day of my rare stroke cvst ) .

Trouble with worrying is that it does nothing for us - we could worry over nothing and never get out and live. Try to take all the medical advice and do some positive things together / things apart.

I'm now doing as much travel as possible since my acute phase in Oct 2014 and try not to give myself over to worry.

good luck !

(ps - my profile picture was taken whilst glacier hiking last week - new motto " Just do it !!)

[spider555]

Can they do a carotid surgery?

[susiewoo57 in reply to spider555]

Hi Spider, they have said since it is totally blocked it would be more dangerous to attempt surgery. He has been advised other blood vessels will compensate but his neurological psychologist told him that was not strictly correct. The other vessels take some of the strain but must still do the job they are supposed to as well so whole system then runs at underpower!

[Hidden]

I have sympathy for you and your partner. Some medical staff aren't aware that someone can present with a stroke but not have FAST symptoms. I talked to the ambulance paramedics for an hour before they realised I had a full stroke and then it was a blue light run to A&E.

My Consultant Neurologist advised that post-stroke I should not lift weights in the gym, hold my breath or do inverted yoga poses that would flex my neck. Advice and support can be thin on the ground. I usually point people towards the excellent Royal College of Physicians Stroke Guidelines 2016. There are to versions, one for clinicians and the other is an easy read version for patients and carers. If you can, read both. They can be downloaded at:

strokeaudit.org/Guideline/F...

and

strokeaudit.org/Guideline/P...

John

[TonyToo]

1, Don't let him go back to work.

2, Don't worry.

3, If you can think of anything else, don't do that either

In all honesty, I know you've a lot going on, talk to your partner about how they feel about what's going on.