Well, that was rather unpleasant...

[Midwesthonky]

Been away for months. Root cause: had me a stroke and I'm not even 50 yet. Needless to say that was not fun at all and 0/10 would not recommend to anyone. Losing control of your right side when you are right handed just plain sucks. But after almost 2 months of therapy, I can say I'm doing great. I can walk and talk. Most people that I talk to can't tell. But if you know what to look for, you can. Can't put in full days at work yet, but doing what I can. Typing is getting better but there is no muscle memory so I have relearn everything!

So those of you prone to high blood pressure, pre-diabetic, and are overweight, don't mess around! Get that under control! Another factor was salt intake. I was watching calories trying to lose weight only I now realize I had 2,500-3,000 mg of sodium by the end of lunch. I was probably getting between 3,000 and 5,000 mg on a daily basis. Eat a can of soup as it's only 350 calories!! yeah, but now I realize it had 1,700 mg of sodium against a daily target of 2,000. Yikes! But my blood pressure is under much better control and with the diet change, my glucose levels have been very stable and the sodium intake has been cut way back. So the weight is coming off slowly at a rate of 1-2 lbs per week. I'm also exercising daily help the blood pressure but also I need to get back the strength I lost and especially the endurance.

So if you sound like me with high blood pressure, diabetes or close to it, way too much salt intake, watch out! Get it figured out before you end up like me and having to learn how to walk again. I got lucky, it was small and didn't impact any cognitive areas. My wife will just say I was always brain damaged. My recovery has been phenomenal but each gain now is getting smaller and harder to achieve. Thankfully I never smoked beyond a few cigars over the years as that is a huge stroke factor. Scared the crap out of my brother seeing in the hospital struggling to talk. He immediately started working out, quit smoking, and cut back on the alcohol!

So take note, we tend not to take the best care of ourselves. I got lucky and have gained a lot back in a short time. Others are not so fortunate.

 

[its phillip]

Sorry you had to go through all that but glad you’re getting better!

 

[Trebdp83]

Well, s@#t. Best wishes for a full recovery. Keep giving it your all. Sounds like you are on your way.

 

[TLS Guy]

Sorry to hear about that. Stroke recovery and rehab is a tough road. I know you realize what a close shave you have had with a worse disaster.

Good luck to you, and I hope you can get back to earning your keep again. You seem to be doing the right things.

 

[highfigh]

Been away for months. Root cause: had me a stroke and I'm not even 50 yet. Needless to say that was not fun at all and 0/10 would not recommend to anyone. Losing control of your right side when you are right handed just plain sucks. But after almost 2 months of therapy, I can say I'm doing great. I can walk and talk. Most people that I talk to can't tell. But if you know what to look for, you can. Can't put in full days at work yet, but doing what I can. Typing is getting better but there is no muscle memory so I have relearn everything!

So those of you prone to high blood pressure, pre-diabetic, and are overweight, don't mess around! Get that under control! Another factor was salt intake. I was watching calories trying to lose weight only I now realize I had 2,500-3,000 mg of sodium by the end of lunch. I was probably getting between 3,000 and 5,000 mg on a daily basis. Eat a can of soup as it's only 350 calories!! yeah, but now I realize it had 1,700 mg of sodium against a daily target of 2,000. Yikes! But my blood pressure is under much better control and with the diet change, my glucose levels have been very stable and the sodium intake has been cut way back. So the weight is coming off slowly at a rate of 1-2 lbs per week. I'm also exercising daily help the blood pressure but also I need to get back the strength I lost and especially the endurance.

So if you sound like me with high blood pressure, diabetes or close to it, way too much salt intake, watch out! Get it figured out before you end up like me and having to learn how to walk again. I got lucky, it was small and didn't impact any cognitive areas. My wife will just say I was always brain damaged. My recovery has been phenomenal but each gain now is getting smaller and harder to achieve. Thankfully I never smoked beyond a few cigars over the years as that is a huge stroke factor. Scared the crap out of my brother seeing in the hospital struggling to talk. He immediately started working out, quit smoking, and cut back on the alcohol!

So take note, we tend not to take the best care of ourselves. I got lucky and have gained a lot back in a short time. Others are not so fortunate.

Damn- glad to see you're doing as well as you are. Looking back or, maybe your doctor asked, do you remember having an episode where you lost some motor skills, sight, speech or anything that would qualify as a Trans Ischemic Attack?

The part that sucks about so many ailments is there's no hard warning signs. High BP, Type II Diabetes, several cardiac problem scan may show no symptoms until the critical time.

Keep plugging.

 

[Midwesthonky]

Damn- glad to see you're doing as well as you are. Looking back or, maybe your doctor asked, do you remember having an episode where you lost some motor skills, sight, speech or anything that would qualify as a Trans Ischemic Attack?

The part that sucks about so many ailments is there's no hard warning signs. High BP, Type II Diabetes, several cardiac problem scan may show no symptoms until the critical time.

Keep plugging.

No warning signs before. I had it confused with a bad migraine but looking back I was in denial because I didn't want to eat the cost of an ER visit if it was just a migraine. Insurance really jacked me around last year when I tore my bicep off my forearm. So I was hesitant go through that BS again. I have zero cardiac problems and my family has zero cardiac history. So a real fluke and it's still a mystery. But it happened and I'm taking care of myself a lot better now!

I didn't meet the criteria for that stroke medicine either had I gone to the ER early. So no benefit there. Just not taking car of myself.

 

[highfigh]

No warning signs before. I had it confused with a bad migraine but looking back I was in denial because I didn't want to eat the cost of an ER visit if it was just a migraine. Insurance really jacked me around last year when I tore my bicep off my forearm. So I was hesitant go through that BS again. I have zero cardiac problems and my family has zero cardiac history. So a real fluke and it's still a mystery. But it happened and I'm taking care of myself a lot better now!

I didn't meet the criteria for that stroke medicine either had I gone to the ER early. So no benefit there. Just not taking car of myself.

Had you been vaccinated for COVID? I didn't have any pain, feelings of being ill, but a few weeks ago, I started having swelling in my feet after sitting and that was very strange. It has stopped, so it may have been a side effect. I almost never have headaches, so if I ever have a bad one, I'll definitely be doing the checks for stroke (looking at my face when smiling & speaking, lifting my arms and legs, stick my tongue out and moving it, to see if it does what I want, etc.

 

[Old Onkyo]

Been away for months. Root cause: had me a stroke and I'm not even 50 yet. Needless to say that was not fun at all and 0/10 would not recommend to anyone. Losing control of your right side when you are right handed just plain sucks. But after almost 2 months of therapy, I can say I'm doing great. I can walk and talk. Most people that I talk to can't tell. But if you know what to look for, you can. Can't put in full days at work yet, but doing what I can. Typing is getting better but there is no muscle memory so I have relearn everything!

So those of you prone to high blood pressure, pre-diabetic, and are overweight, don't mess around! Get that under control! Another factor was salt intake. I was watching calories trying to lose weight only I now realize I had 2,500-3,000 mg of sodium by the end of lunch. I was probably getting between 3,000 and 5,000 mg on a daily basis. Eat a can of soup as it's only 350 calories!! yeah, but now I realize it had 1,700 mg of sodium against a daily target of 2,000. Yikes! But my blood pressure is under much better control and with the diet change, my glucose levels have been very stable and the sodium intake has been cut way back. So the weight is coming off slowly at a rate of 1-2 lbs per week. I'm also exercising daily help the blood pressure but also I need to get back the strength I lost and especially the endurance.

So if you sound like me with high blood pressure, diabetes or close to it, way too much salt intake, watch out! Get it figured out before you end up like me and having to learn how to walk again. I got lucky, it was small and didn't impact any cognitive areas. My wife will just say I was always brain damaged. My recovery has been phenomenal but each gain now is getting smaller and harder to achieve. Thankfully I never smoked beyond a few cigars over the years as that is a huge stroke factor. Scared the crap out of my brother seeing in the hospital struggling to talk. He immediately started working out, quit smoking, and cut back on the alcohol!

So take note, we tend not to take the best care of ourselves. I got lucky and have gained a lot back in a short time. Others are not so fortunate.

Glad to hear you are doing well. Thanks for the reminder…

 

[Swerd]

Real glad to read you're recovering! It must have been real hard to work at recovering after such a nasty surprise. Keep on working at it .

There are more & more threads like yours on the Steam Vent forum. We need a Sub-forum about how we all should Enjoy Ourselves – It's Later Than We Think.

 

[Mr._Clark]

Been away for months. Root cause: had me a stroke and I'm not even 50 yet. Needless to say that was not fun at all and 0/10 would not recommend to anyone. Losing control of your right side when you are right handed just plain sucks. But after almost 2 months of therapy, I can say I'm doing great. I can walk and talk. Most people that I talk to can't tell. But if you know what to look for, you can. Can't put in full days at work yet, but doing what I can. Typing is getting better but there is no muscle memory so I have relearn everything!

So those of you prone to high blood pressure, pre-diabetic, and are overweight, don't mess around! Get that under control! Another factor was salt intake. I was watching calories trying to lose weight only I now realize I had 2,500-3,000 mg of sodium by the end of lunch. I was probably getting between 3,000 and 5,000 mg on a daily basis. Eat a can of soup as it's only 350 calories!! yeah, but now I realize it had 1,700 mg of sodium against a daily target of 2,000. Yikes! But my blood pressure is under much better control and with the diet change, my glucose levels have been very stable and the sodium intake has been cut way back. So the weight is coming off slowly at a rate of 1-2 lbs per week. I'm also exercising daily help the blood pressure but also I need to get back the strength I lost and especially the endurance.

So if you sound like me with high blood pressure, diabetes or close to it, way too much salt intake, watch out! Get it figured out before you end up like me and having to learn how to walk again. I got lucky, it was small and didn't impact any cognitive areas. My wife will just say I was always brain damaged. My recovery has been phenomenal but each gain now is getting smaller and harder to achieve. Thankfully I never smoked beyond a few cigars over the years as that is a huge stroke factor. Scared the crap out of my brother seeing in the hospital struggling to talk. He immediately started working out, quit smoking, and cut back on the alcohol!

So take note, we tend not to take the best care of ourselves. I got lucky and have gained a lot back in a short time. Others are not so fortunate.

Thanks for posting. That's useful insight.

I exercise and watch my diet to a point, but I eat way to much salt. It's my one really unhealthy vice.

Glad to hear you're doing better. You have a second chance. Just keep working at it.

I bought one of these T shirts the other day. It seems like life is sometimes a matter of just continuing to move forward, even if it's only a little bit at a time:

Keep Moving Forward

Every Purchase Helps Us Deliver Free Memorial Plaques To The Families Of Fallen Heroes, Every Week. You've been fighting your demons for a long time. But you know what? Quitting is not an option, keep on fighting.

tilvalhallaproject.com

 

[GO-NAD!]

I'm sorry to hear about your experience, but glad that you appear to making a good recovery. All the best!

 

[Alex2507]

Another factor was salt intake.

If you're gonna start bad-mouthing bacon you need to check yourself.

 

[Mikado463]

good to hear you're back on the straight and narrow and hopefully will keep it that way. Being a Afib patient I fully understand your concerns !

 

[cpp]

Wishing you a full recovery and good health as the years move forward.

 

[lovinthehd]

Wow, well continued success with your recovery! Unfortunately you only get the one body to abuse....

Curious, what was your exercise routine like before?

 

[Midwesthonky]

Wow, well continued success with your recovery! Unfortunately you only get the one body to abuse....

Curious, what was your exercise routine like before?

What exercise routine? I was tied to my desk running my business. Since wife changed job I was the only who could take the youngest kid to school and pick her up. So pretty much getting home at like 5:30-6 pm, cook dinner and whatnot. Often work until 9 pm then.

 

[Midwesthonky]

Update:

It's been 3 moths since my stroke. I went for a hike on the ice age trail in Wisconsin yesterday. Basically 2.7 miles each way along a dirt path up and down ravines, through woods, fields, etc. Lots of rocks, uneven dirt, and tree roots. From a stroke recovery standpoint, it's amazing. So I pretty much need to say goodbye to physical therapy as I just need to keep exercising and building up my strength and endurance. So no more PT or Occupational Therapy.

I'm down about 30 lbs so I'm gaining a new wardrobe as I fit into clothes I grew out of. Belt is down two notches. I'm watching my diet and eating better. I haven't given up anything per se, just smaller portions and avoiding packaged foods with high salt. So I still eat bacon occasionally but match that by watching my salt the rest of the day. Instead of eating store bought cake, I make my own so I know what exactly goes into it. Same for cookies. I make my own because I like my recipe that I developed. So if I watch my dinner so it doesn't have much carbs, I can have a cookie. Well, I should state that I gave up candy and soda. Not chocolate as good quality chocolate is low in sugar. But no candy or soda. I'm pretty good at not missing it either. Next up is to tackle making a lower carb noodle. I have made noodles before, but I found recipes for a lower carb version which will allow me to have pasta and not use up all my allotted carbs on just that.

I'm adding more work but working to avoid working myself into an early grave. I had an employee quit a few weeks ago so it put me back in the shop building stuff. I don't mind as it's good exercise. Plus gets me home sooner so I can work out. Gotta keep the good changes going. Blood pressure is down as well.

 

[Swerd]

I'm very glad to hear about your recovery. I've got two things to say.

• Take care of yourself – if you don't, no one else will.
• Enjoy yourself – it's later than you think.

Keep them both in balance with each other.

 

[Alex2507]

Same for cookies. I make my own because I like my recipe that I developed.

Sharing is caring. I am ready too. We just bought a $30 mixer specifically for making cookies. My last batch of brownies and cinnamon buns made with weed infused coconut oil drove my weight up 10 lbs. It's gone now ... the sweets went first then the weight followed.

I'm looking for something sweet to put meaning back in my life. My doc talked to me about an aggressive diet strategy to deal with arteriosclerosis.

I think we may be on the same diet from here on in. I've got about 4 weeks before they cut me open for some bypass stuff. Like your brother I got into a gym and started trying not to die.

Here's to all 3 of us making unique New Years Resolutions (no more diet related lies). Getting through TG and X-mas ... well, if you don't hear back from me, I used salt on the gravy laden dark meat.

 

[Dan]

I’m on a low carb low sodium diet which is truly difficult. Diabetes sucks and I was never that overweight but I have a genetic defect that gave it to me (hypertriglyceridemia). Low sodium is for some other issues basically bone loss and kidney stones.
I have found an expensive but truly delicious bacon from Vanderbilt Rose farm. It is sold in a local market here but maybe you can find it near you or get on line. Basically 100 mg of sodium per strip which is one quarter what some bacon has. Plus it tastes way better. One strip makes a great boost to breakfast and offsets the cost about 12 bucks for a standard package.
Us old dudes gotta share our healthy tips. Good luck with the rehab. It’s a very hard road but you seem to be doing well.