Interview Section : Healthtalkonline

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What happened? The first few days after a stroke :
The event: A stroke or transient ischaemic attack
Getting medical help
Getting a diagnosis
Early care experiences
A doctor speaks – an introduction to stroke

What problems did I have, and why? :
Changes to movement
Changes in sensations
Changes to vision
Continence and cathererisation
Eating and drinking
Speech and communication
Thinking, understanding, memory and fatigue
Emotional Impact of stroke

Why me? Why now? Reducing risk of another stroke? :
Causes and risk factors
Medication to prevent another stroke
Surgery
Preventing another stroke: Changes in life style

What happens now? Rehabilitation & care :
Stroke recovery: daily activities and personal care
Stroke recovery: physical aspects and mobility
Stroke recovery: communication disorders
Leaving hospital

Life after stroke. What is the long-term like? :
Major disability
When stroke is coupled with other health problems
When stroke happens at a young age
Coping strategies and resilience
Continuing care at home and institutional care
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What's important in care
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Stroke

People's stories

Age 76-95

Interview 41

Interview 41

Age at Interview: 88
Sex: Female
Background: Is a widow with 1 adult child and is a retired shopkeeper. Ethnic background/nationality: White/Scottish.

Brief outline:She had a stroke due to a clot aged 87 which caused right weakness and problems with balance and with speech and eating. Medication: atenolol, ramipril (blood pressure), lipitor (cholesterol), aspirin (antiplatelet), motilium (nausea and vertigo), omeprazole (gastric resistant tablets).

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Although she was initially frustrated at the loss of independence she has accepted her stroke as just part of getting older.
Print Do you think it's changed you emotionally at all? No. I don't think so… Except it's… it's… I get frustrated… with not being able to do what I used to do but I've accepted that now. I don't know whether I'll be able to go back to being independent again. I'll be dependent on other people. How do you come to accept something like that? Oh well, I accept it quite… quite readily… maybe because I realise my age… You can't live forever [laughs].

She finds it takes her longer to wash and dress but feels it is important to do it herself before the carers come in. She says some older people just give up.
Print So when you were first in the hospital, you said that your balance was affected. Which side of your body was affected? Right. My right hand side. Yes. And were you able to get up and out of bed when you were first in hospital? Yes. Yes. I was able to get up. I always got up and dressed myself and wash and dress myself in hospital, so that was a great help when I came home because I'd always done it. I didn't stop doing it. That's good. Sometimes it was very hard. Sometimes it took me half an hour. I am very over confident for my age and I think that's the thing that… you see, some people my age and older, they just lie in bed as long as they can and they don't, they don't make much of an effort to help themselves. Do you think that's important? That's important and I… I concentrate and place great emphasis on helping myself, doing as much as I can for myself, dressing myself, washing myself or vice versa and… and… I think people of my age often give up. They just want to lie in bed… for most of the day. The carers come in at 12 o'clock and they say that the last, the last customer, she doesn't want to get up for another hour [laughs]. But you, you're not like that. No [laughs] No, I get, I get up first thing in the morning like I've always done.

Her hair started falling out because of the medication she was taking. She told the stroke nurse who arranged for the medication to be changed.
Print And you say you have a stroke nurse come in, is that every week? No. The stroke nurse comes a month, every month and she's very good. What sort of things has she helped you with? Well, she helped me with, with my hair… My hair's falling out and… … And medication. I'm on medication and one of the effects was my hair loss. I've lost a lot of hair and so they've changed my medication. Do you know what was causing the hair loss? Which tablet was causing the hair loss? The simvastatin. Simvastatin. And they changed it to something else. I can't pronounce and it was the stroke nurse who did that for me. I told her.

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