Things change in the blink of an eye! One day you’re making plans for tomorrow, the next day you’re being bombarded by medical professionals, updating you on your condition. Condition? What condition? What happened? First of all, pump the brakes. These people are here to help, and they want to assist you in any way possible. They have a lot of information to give to you and it can certainly be overwhelming. It’s OKAY to ask questions! In fact, I RECOMMEND having a LIST OF QUESTIONS ready for your next encounter. The medical professionals on your team should welcome questions. If they don’t have an answer, they will find someone who does. Get together with your family or friends, and write out a short list of the questions and concerns. They can be general questions or simply a few key words to help remind you of what it was your wanted to ask in the first place.

Can I give you some examples of the important questions? Of course I can! That’s what I’m here for!

• What kind of stroke did I have and what exactly does that mean?
• Will I need to be on new medications?
• What professionals can I expect to meet moving forward?
• Do I have any restrictions?
• Will I be going home or do you recommend a short rehabilitation stay?
• What can I do to decrease the risk of having another stroke?

Second of all, you still need to be making plans for tomorrow. Yes, you need to determine what your next steps will be, but you also need to advocate for yourself, or find someone close toy, to be your voice. We get so caught up in what is happening normalcy. It’s natural to feel a little down when you experience a drastic life change. Are you feeling depressed? You need to talk about that. You need to tell your doctor you’re feeling frustrated, sad, anxious, angry, whatever the feelings happen to be. Your doctor can make the appropriate referral to someone who can help. We CAN’T HELP, if we DON’T KNOW. And we really, really want to help. That’s why we got into this profession in the first place.

What changes are you noticing in your physical and mental abilities? Keep Track. Write it down if that is a strategy that works for you, and let your providers know. (I’m a huge fan of writing things down). You know yourself better than anyone else does. All treatment is tailored to your specific needs. If you’re struggling with completing tasks that are important to you, it can be added to your goals of treatment. We always try to make goals as functional as possible for our patients. We appreciate your input. Patient centered care means you are involved in making decisions for your plan of care.

Finally, understand that things are different. You can’t expect yourself to be able to do all of the things that you were able to do before. At least not yet. Honestly, there may be some things that continue to be more difficult. That’s okay too. Your body, specifically your brain, has been through a traumatic event. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Ask for help when you need it. Would you refuse help to somebody who was in need? Would you even give it a second thought? Probably not. Be direct, rehearse what you want to say and say it the best you can. (More on that to come in future posts).

That’s all for now! Have some questions? Feel free to contact me.