Hi Maxine,

No, this is not all that's left. You have not plateau'd although it may feel that way sometimes. Progress becomes slower and at times feels like watching grass grow but progress is still being made. Day in and day out of course we become discouraged sometimes and there are those good days that we try to cling to.

I'm sick of it all too, but I'm trusting that improvement will come... even if it's slow in coming. In the meantime, I'll do my best. Some days my best won't look so good. That's going to have to be okay.

Hang in there.

Hi Maxine :

over the eriod when you stop seeing bulk of improvement coming it is so easy to get discouraged, but realizing you are still here and going to make best of life with whatever is left for sake of yourself & your loved ones who have decided to stick by you in your life's journey. After my stroke at age 34 which left me paralysed on my left side, I thought how can I ever be happy without my left hand, till I realise with right attitude & right hand I can accomplish almost every thing inside & outside house which includes driving too. Give yourself some time things will improve. In life we all get good & bad days. On good days be thankful for those & on bad days think tomorrow is another day, and remember This shall pass.

Asha

I sure do know how you feel as I have been there. It is now 4 and a half years after my left side became useless. I have been depressed many times and wondered the same as you is this all there is now. What I have discovered is that by thinking of what needs to be done I can come up with ways to do it. Thanks to duct tape and spring clamps I still get a lot done. I have been able to get back to driving. I walk with a cane. I enjoy going out to eat and I don’t care what others think. Think about the good things each day and don’t dwell on the bad. There are many of us who know the heart break of stroke so you are not alone. Each of us must fight the battle in our on way. Keeping looking up.

Glenn

Hi Maxine, We know the journey is long, painful and lonely. I tell myself that there is a reason why Iam still here. We all have good days and bad ones. So when I have bad ones, I shout and scream, I talk to God. When I am tired, I feel better,and know that tomorrow is a new day. Keep up the good fight Maxine.

Yvonne

Well Maxine when you feel like listening to yourself, tell yourself it could have been much worse and you not be a survivor! Now that you are then you are just like about 5,000 others right here that has improved to a point with recovery but we know there is some more to gain!!

Probably not to the point of where we were prior but better none the less! I'm of the thought that every little bit of recovery helps! Like being able again to drive and make your doctors appointments alone!

Getting out the WC, using a cane without any other help in walking!! All that is more recovery and it happens with more therapy once or twice a year if your insurance will pay!

I got 9 years of recovery but that is a long way from where I was when I first came home in the chair unable to walk or do for myself! I soon learned again and got my driving license back that put a big smile on my face and I been smiling every since!!

Now is the time for you to try and smile then continue to work on gaining more control of your moving parts with therapy and exercises on your own if possible! Your brain that controls that side of the body no longer work to say move you have to do it and when you don't that part of the body doesn't get any better!!

That's the best way I know to say it!! You are in no way alone!! We all are in the same boat trying our best to get better but it's a slow go at best and we have to work hard on our own recovery because it just don't happen on it's own for sure!!!

Welcome to the club! I'm glad I survived!!

omg - thank you all for your responses - see i am feeling better somewhat today...it's like a jeykl & hyde thing sometimes and - no - im not on my antidepressants in case your wondering - lol - today i had my botox injections 28 of those thngs again and am glad that is over - now i have the surgery on my hand coming and another ultra sound of my heart & other appts thru nov. and already have started appts in dec....but again thanks - these responses really made me feel better

Maxine :

keep on reading, writing blogs & commenting on blogs, you will feel much better & see therupetic power of blogging. I am telling you from my own exprience I call my blogworld my happy pills.

Asha

Maxine, I am glad you are feeling better now. It definitely stinks that we have been left this way to try to figure out how to do what we long to do and learn how to be happy again. A common saying on here that "it is what it is" is so true. We can either stay the same, keep trying, or give up. We can't change what happened, as much as we want to. I hope that I can dig deep and find the will to keep trying and I hope the same for you.

Dena