Last post Wed, Aug 06 2008 1:40 AM by quique. 30 replies.
I know I had a MRI of my head. And my Speech Therapist said they could tell I was going to have speech problems from where I had my stroke. My right side and speech came back mostly. I still can't control my voice - forget about Kariokie, American Idol or Yodeling. Certain words are still hard to pronounce. My balance issues are still there - stairs frighten me - I always picture me taking a header down them. I use a cane. Funny they didn't tell me about the balance thing or whether it would return. I am mostly steady. I will say speech therapy was a joke and found my therapist annoying in person and personality. I still have swallowing issues also. Can't say whether or not your balance will come back either after all this time. Be patient and see
Hi.......Guess I feel pretty lucky. My balance only bothers when I'm tired....well, I shouldn't say only, but bothers me more when I'm tired. Speech, the same way. Some days are fine with only certian words, like cookie or things with c's or k's or.....a lot of other things. Swallowing has gotten better. When I say better....if it's real good I can have carbonation, otherwise I stay with juices, Gatorade, that kind of stuff. I ended up with I.E.E.D., & when I was with my therapist she had me read something, & I started laughing & couldn't stop for the whole half hour. She gave up. Strenght & endurance is another BIG one for me. Hang in there. It will get better....Mike
I too suffer from FDGB syndrome ( Fall Down Go Boom ) and I walk with an AFO and quad cane. I also have Ostiopyleitis ( when your optic nerve & rectal nerve get crossed and you develope a sh**ty attitude ) I don't think the Drs can do anything for me or you. I have had 5 strokes ( the last one July 07) and have had to re-learn how to walk twice. my right side is weak and some days I have a ringing in my ears. An ENT said there is nothing he can do( A BIG waste of time,$$$ and effort) Good luck to you and hang in there!
brucec3: I too suffer from FDGB syndrome ( Fall Down Go Boom ) and I walk with an AFO and quad cane. Good luck to you and hang in there!
I too suffer from FDGB syndrome ( Fall Down Go Boom ) and I walk with an AFO and quad cane. Good luck to you and hang in there!
However, your balance may well improve on its own. Mine did, and I had two strokes, the first one so massive that it was deemed "unsurvivable."
I've progressed from a hemi-walker to a quad cane, and gave up my gait belt long ago.
Nowdays the only time I'm in danger of falling is when something suddenly and unexpectedly causes me to lose my balance, such as when my tub rail abruptly "let go" once.That kind of thing would be dangerous for someone who hadn't had a stroke, though.
I echo the good wishes!
Carla N.
fishndad: Hi.......Guess I feel pretty lucky. My balance only bothers when I'm tired....well, I shouldn't say only, but bothers me more when I'm tired. Speech, the same way. Some days are fine with only certian words, like cookie or things with c's or k's or.....a lot of other things. Swallowing has gotten better. When I say better....if it's real good I can have carbonation, otherwise I stay with juices, Gatorade, that kind of stuff. Hang in there. It will get better....Mike
Hi.......Guess I feel pretty lucky. My balance only bothers when I'm tired....well, I shouldn't say only, but bothers me more when I'm tired. Speech, the same way. Some days are fine with only certian words, like cookie or things with c's or k's or.....a lot of other things. Swallowing has gotten better. When I say better....if it's real good I can have carbonation, otherwise I stay with juices, Gatorade, that kind of stuff. Hang in there. It will get better....Mike
I knew I was on the way back to normal when I heard myself complaining,"My cola's flat!"You're right, Mike, things do get better.
It took all day in the ER for me to get a room and by that time the speech therapists who check your ability to swallow or not had gone for the day. I was stuck for over a day eating pureed foods. At dinner they served a scoop of green vegetables and I couldn't tell you if it was peas, green beans or broccoli. Thats my funny story about swallowing.
Your loss of balance is not new to me. It been over a year and mine has not returned to its former state. I have hopes of being able to walk without my cane and play tennis again. I remain hopeful and have lots of time to devote on just walking first. Never ever lose hope. I know yours and mine will return in time - we just have to be patient. Your mind and body (brain to body connections) won't happen as fast as we'd like them to. I can attest to it and am living proof of it.
mitskev: At dinner they served a scoop of green vegetables and I couldn't tell you if it was peas, green beans or broccoli.
At dinner they served a scoop of green vegetables and I couldn't tell you if it was peas, green beans or broccoli.
EEEEEEEEuw!
I feel your pain, though.
I was on pureed food for a couple of weeks while in the hospital, and it took me literally months to convince people that I didn't need to be on a "soft mechanical" diet any more.I remember being in the dining room at the nursing home to which I was moved about five months after my stroke, and being served meat loaf that was so finely ground that it was almost powder-like.
Yick! I flagged down an aide and asked, "May I have some that hasn't been ground into submolecular particles?"She replied, "Huh?I said, "I can eat it when it's whole!"
She looked doubtful, but returned with a slice of non-powdered meat loaf, which I ate without choking to death.
My first neurilogist had such thick Indian accent I couldn't understand her when she breezed in and out of my room. I won't say I was happy when she left but I didn't know the guy who gave me the spinal tap was her boss the head of the neurology department. He was wonderful with the coolest bedside manner of any doctor I met during my entire stay. When I told him about the soft food garbage the were feeding during his rounds - when he left the room with his interns the first thing he did was to tell the nurse to change my diet immediately - I heard him do this and smiled knowing he had my best interests at heart. I was greatly saddened when he told he was leaving to go back East to be with family and wife that he missed for a long time. Gone but not forgotten ...
HI I don't know if this will help you at all, maybe it will.i worked in a nursing home in 1997-8 and a patient was recovering from a severe stroke and when he started to walk again he would get wobbly and fall...long story short...they took him to dr after dr. AND one day he went for a hearing test and they had never checked his ears after the stroke.HIS PROBLEM WAS DAMAGE INSIDE THE CENTER OF THE EAR.I'M SORRY I can't help past here.I was injured and couldn't return to work.But, I can tell you what ever they did to his ears he was walking by himself and not falling a couple of weeks later when i dropped by to visit the patients. GOOD LUCK...KATHYB3584
Funny I never heard of that. Could he have had the ear problem before the stroke. Sound like something that didn't just happen but was building over time. The ear problem could have exascerbated the weakened muscles and loss of brain to limbs connections contributing to his falling condition. I don't know I'm hearing the same before and after my stroke. I've once fallen once and my physical therapist kept working on my balance issues as a muscular loss of use over a period of time. She never once brought up that I might have an inner ear problem ?
I notice a big difference when I'm tired too!
Hi Laurie, Welcome to the Wonderful World of Disaboom! You didn't fill out your profile so I don't know much about you. Except that you must of had a stroke. I have Fibromyalgia and Osteoarthritis. You will find alot of nice people here at Disaboom. They are willing to help who ever may need it. I have been here sense May and I have made alot of friends. Take Care Now, Sandy
To Disaboom
laurieinstpaul: I notice a big difference when I'm tired too!
This may or may not help some of you. It's helped me tremendously. From the PBS show, THE BRAIN FITNESS PROGRAM - Try to walk with your head up. NEVER walk with your head down,. Most importantly, DO NOT look at your feet while you are walking. It matters little whether you're using a cane or a walker.
The reasons given?
No. 1, you're helping your brain when you watch your feet. Anything you do to help your brain is BAD. Your brain needs to be challenged to repair itself. The brain is plastic. It has the ability to create new circuitry well past the age of seventy. It loses plasticity when it's not challenged.
No. 2, walking with your head down is the incorrect position for the alimentary canals, your balance center.
I found that if I applied this premise to other things, they improved as well. In getting up from a chair without looking at the floor my ability improved dramatically. Walking head up WITHOUT a cane around the apartment, I found I was more aware of muscle groups working together, and things like arm swinging that I needed -necessary to shift my weight laterally back and forth as I moved forward while keeping the elevated foot off the floor.
Sofar, I haven't had problems with balance. I, too, am a stroke survivor. I'd love to hear from all of you and share experiences. I also wear an AFO, which is a pain in the 9you9jnow9where. I'm going through therapy again to maintain the progress I;ve made un walking, plus, to hopefully walk again without my stupid brace (AFO). i CAn hardly wait until that happens. I'm yired of having to buy shoes way too big for me, just so my left foot can fit in the shoe. Oh, what I would give to wear sandALS AND HIGH HEELS AGAIN!
