July 30, 2024

Young Stroke Survivor Neetu’s Ischemic Stroke at 44: A Powerful Story of Recovery and Resilience

1 hour 16 minutes

Watch young stroke survivor Neetu Mehra’s inspiring journey from ischemic stroke at 44 to resilience and recovery. Click to hear her powerful story!

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Highlights:

01:27 Introduction

02:41 The Beginning Of A Young Stroke Survivor’s Journey

14:31 Young Stroke Survivor’s Medical Journey And Impact On Daily Life

24:23 Stroke Recovery Timelines

32:20 Struggling With Meditations And Post-Stroke Deficits

45:01 Mental And Emotional Recovery

50:46 Finding Purpose After A Stroke

59:38 The Hardest Thing About Stroke

1:01:27 The Lessons From The Stroke

1:05:57 Advice From One Stroke Survivor To Another

Transcript:

Bill Gasiamis 0:00

Hey everyone. Before we dive into today’s episode, I have something truly important to share. In Episode 305, I had the pleasure of interviewing Catherine Randabel, the brilliant mind behind HeadBed. This product is revolutionizing hair salons especially for young stroke survivors.

Bill Gasiamis 0:18

Imagine going to the salon and worrying about the risk of another stroke because of neck strain during a simple hair wash. It’s a fear that many stroke survivors live with. And HeadBed was created to address this very concerned offering peace of mind and safety.

Bill Gasiamis 0:37

With proper neck and head support, you can relax knowing your health is being looked after reducing the risk of arterial damage and the anxiety that comes with it. Now I’m passionate about stroke prevention and safety, which is why I’m excited to support HeadBed. Catherine explained how it’s designed prevents dangerous neck hyperextension a common issue that can increase stroke risk.

Bill Gasiamis 1:02

HeadBed means that you can finally enjoy a trip to the salon without fear. If you’re a stroke survivor or know someone who is HeadBed is a game changer. Don’t let the fear of neck strain and stroke keep you from enjoying a salon visit. Be sure to check out episode 305 for my full interview with Catherine and discover how this product can provide the reassurance you need.

Introduction – Young Stroke Survivor Neetu Mehra

Bill Gasiamis 1:27

For our listeners in the United States. Visit headbedusa.com to get yours today and feel safe during your cell on visits. Welcome to Episode 314 of the recovery after stroke podcast today, we have an inspiring story of resilience and determination as we chat with Neetu Mehra.

Bill Gasiamis 1:48

At the age of 44 need to experience an ischemic stroke despite leading a healthy lifestyle. Her journey began with a sudden and unexpected symptom, leading to a 12 hour ordeal before receiving medical attention. Join us as Anita shares her incredible recovery story from dealing with paralysis and multiple blood clots to making significant progress in her physiotherapy and occupational therapy.

Bill Gasiamis 2:14

This episode is a testament to the power of perseverance, the importance of support from loved ones and the never ending hope for recovery. Let’s dive into Neetu’s story and learn how she navigates the challenges and triumphs of stroke recovery. Neetu Mehra welcome to the podcast.

Neetu Mehra 2:33

Hi, Bill. Thank you.

Bill Gasiamis 2:35

Thank you for being here. Tell me a little bit about what happened to you.

The Beginning Of A Young Stroke Survivor’s Journey

Neetu Mehra 2:41

So I had an ischemic stroke. I’m 44 years old, otherwise pretty healthy and fit. Like I took care of myself workout, practice yoga, go for walks. I had a pretty healthy lifestyle in terms of like eating habits and stuff. I have no metabolic risk factors. And I hadn’t machine next stroke.

Bill Gasiamis 3:05

That was just a few months ago.

Neetu Mehra 3:07

This was in February. Yeah, five months ago.

Bill Gasiamis 3:11

On the day of the stroke, were there any signs or symptoms anything before the stroke that kind of gave you some sort of an idea that things were not right, or there was a couple of issues happening?

Neetu Mehra 3:22

Yeah, so the night before this joke, I was getting my things ready for like clothes ready for work the next day. And I noticed that I was seeing stars from my left eye. Only from my left eye. I saw like a cloud of stars for me. And I thought that was a bit odd. I’ve had visual issues in the past, but nothing quite like that. And I just thought, Okay, if it persists in the morning, then I’ll go to emergency. There’s like an eye clinic. So I thought it was an eye issue maybe. And then I woke up the next morning, the day of my stroke and I am mean who knows maybe I was having a stroke in the middle of the night.

Neetu Mehra 4:06

And then when I woke up the next day, I was like, you know, open my blinds as usual. I got out of the bed, went to get ready. To me like it was nothing, everything was fine. I could see I wasn’t seeing the stars that I saw from the night before. So I thought okay, that’s fine. No need to address whatever issue was happening.

Neetu Mehra 4:28

And then I went to get ready. And as I was getting ready. I was supposed to be at a work conference for 9:30 in the morning. And my manager called me saying hey, we started an hour ago, where are you? And I thought there’s no way it’s not even 8am yet. Because in my mind, I had no concept of time. Like I thought I was going to be there on time. And and I was like getting ready and then after I spoke back to her I said okay, I didn’t realized the time.

Neetu Mehra 5:01

And I said something and I realized that I slurred my words. So at that point, I thought, okay, that’s really weird. I sound like a drunk or something. And it’s first thing in the morning, sounded really odd. When we hung up the phone, she texted me saying it was hard to understand what I was saying. So I texted her back with a very well put together a text saying, my stomach hurts, my head hurts, but I’m coming.

Neetu Mehra 5:23

Like my intention was to drive over. And then I actually was able to take a shower fine. And then I got out of the shower and put it in my contact lenses. My right one went in fine. My loved one, it took me like three attempts. And it was really hard to open the packet as well.

Neetu Mehra 5:40

And I realized that something was wrong, like my fingers seemed a little off. So on the third attempt, I think I got it in. I also felt extremely tired. I don’t know why, like extreme fatigue, like I just had to lie down and I have low blood pressure. So I thought maybe I just need to like lie down. But I didn’t want to lie down in bed because I was determined to get to the work conference.

Neetu Mehra 6:04

So I thought, Okay, let me just lie down on the floor. I live in a condo by myself. So I, I went and I lay down on the hardwood floor after getting out the shower. I hadn’t put my clothes on yet. And I left my phone in the bathroom. So I actually left it, I completely forgot it there. And I was laying on the floor for quite a long time. When I realized a lot of time was passing, I thought okay, it’s I should probably try to try getting myself up, get ready and go.

Neetu Mehra 6:35

And I thought, okay, if only I can just turn over onto my hands and knees. I know I can push myself up because I’m physically strong enough. I workout and stuff. So I’m like, I know my strength and my physical abilities. And I was laying there and I thought, Okay, this is so bizarre, how come I can’t and I tried to reach up with my arm, my right my good arm. And I wasn’t able to get myself up.

Neetu Mehra 6:58

And by that time, lots of time had passed. And at one point I realized that I can’t do this on my own, I need help getting up. So it just crossed my mind like who do I call? And how do I call them because my phone is not with me. And then hours had passed in. During that time my manager had called me texted me and I never responded to her because my phone wasn’t near me.

Neetu Mehra 7:19

So she had reached out to my emergency contact, which was my mom. And then she was not able to connect with her it went to voicemail. So then she decided not to leave a message in case my parents were traveling. And then hours had passed and the day had gone by and I realized that it was getting dark out. So I was like, okay, lots of time has passed. Now. I just wanted to stay awake and keep myself awake.

Neetu Mehra 7:47

So mentally, I’m just thinking like, what’s going on? In my mind that crossed my mind at one point, I’m like, maybe it’s a stroke because I slurred my words. But I didn’t quite remember all the other signs of the stroke. I wasn’t really as aware of it at the time. Now I know, at the time had no idea. So then, the evening came and HR called my mom saying that I didn’t show up to work.

Neetu Mehra 8:12

So obviously my mom was panicking. So she’s calling my friends. They’re calling me and obviously I’m not responding. And then they called the condo building and the security checked in they saw that my car was in the parking spot. And they knocked on my door and they’re not allowed to answer the they’re not allowed to go into the side the door without paramedics or cops with them.

Neetu Mehra 8:35

And I heard them knocking but I was lying down in my bedroom, which was like the exact opposite corner so it’s too far away from them from the door so they wouldn’t be able to hear me my voice is quiet normally and it was even more quiet that day. So then, you know my parents, I think my mom knew something was off. So they got into the car. My parents came to the condo and they called 911. So the paramedics came, and the condo security opens the door for when the paramedics came. So I was lying on the floor, and thankfully, I was still cautious and talking over 12 hours had passed by this time.

Bill Gasiamis 9:17

Without any clothes?

Bill Gasiamis 9:20

Without any clothes on the hardwood floor. Yeah, for 12 hours and mentally I was just trying to stay awake. I didn’t. I knew something was off. I didn’t know what it was.

Bill Gasiamis 9:32

Were you aware that you were not clothed? Okay, you’re aware of that but didn’t really bother you didn’t seem to be an issue that there was no clothes on. You were just trying to stay awake so that you could remain conscious. Were you afraid that if you fell asleep you wouldn’t wake up? Was there something like that happening at all?

Neetu Mehra 9:55

I didn’t quite get to that thought but now that I think about it, I definitely I think that I don’t know that I would have made it if I would have fallen asleep. Just mentally, I thought, Okay, I have to get to this work thing. So I need to stay awake, then I need to get up.

Bill Gasiamis 10:11

Yeah, get used to the hospital. Well, before I go there, I can relate to what you’re saying about time. So when I came out of hospital after my second bleed, time, sort of stopped to exist as we know it, there was no actual four hours, or it took three hours. But I do remember I tried to type an email once, thinking that I was doing a really great job and being at my desk for the entire day.

Bill Gasiamis 10:40

And, and having only managed to put out a few lines. And I think not even send that email across. I didn’t even know I don’t even know if I managed to get it out. But there was no concept of hours or minutes or anything like that. It was just nothing. A long time, there was just a long stretches of time.

Bill Gasiamis 11:05

And I couldn’t grasp how long. And I knew from what other people were doing around me that it was time to go home, for example, because everybody else was going home. That was kind of the aftermath of the second blade when it was impacting a whole bunch of other things for me, so I kind of understand what your state was like. So they’ve come in, and they’ve assist you immediately and taking you to hospital. What happened after that?

Neetu Mehra 11:41

So they came in, the paramedic brought a towel for my bathroom, and then helped me put some clothes on. And then they were deciding which hospitals to take me to, and they took me to the stroke Hospital in Toronto. And then when I got there, it was a little bit foggy, like, their ambulance ride there was a little bit foggy.

Neetu Mehra 12:03

But when I got there, I was coherent again, and someone came in and was like, we’re gonna do this procedure on you, you had a stroke, you have some blood clots in your head, she asked me to sign a piece of paper to do a thrombectomy, where they go in through like your artery to suck up the blood clot. And so I asked him the success rate, I was like, what is the success rate? And they said, 85%.

Neetu Mehra 12:27

So I was coherent enough to ask intelligent questions, which was good. And then I signed it, and they did their procedure. And I think they only have to partially sedated me, because I could hear what they were saying. And I heard them say like, they went up in there, and they said, oh, there’s second clot. So there was two blood clots in my head. And after that, I just felt like a massive, like I already had a bad headache, but it was a worse headache. So the one of the blood clots burst, then it was a bleed.

Bill Gasiamis 13:02

So the blood vessel was then bleeding?

Neetu Mehra 13:06

Yes, the blood clot was bleeding. So then I had a massive bleed in my head. And then I had an arterial dissection as well. So the artery dissected.

Bill Gasiamis 13:20

You got the whole package, my gosh.

Intro 13:27

If you’ve had a stroke, and you’re in recovery, you’ll know what a scary and confusing time it can be, you’re likely to have a lot of questions going through your mind. Like how long will it take to recover? Will I actually recover? What things should I avoid? In case I make matters worse, doctors will explain things. But obviously, you’ve never had a stroke before, you probably don’t know what questions to ask.

Intro 13:51

If this is you, you may be missing out on doing things that could help speed up your recovery. If you’re finding yourself in that situation. Stop worrying, and head to recoveryafterstroke.com where you can download a guide that will help you it’s called seven questions to ask your doctor about your stroke. These seven questions are the ones Bill wished he’d asked when he was recovering from a stroke. They’ll not only help you better understand your condition, and they’ll help you take a more active role in your recovery. Head to the website now recoveryafterstroke.com and download the guide. It’s free.

Young Stroke Survivor’s Medical Journey And Impact On Daily Life

Bill Gasiamis 14:31

You’re coherent enough to hear all of that stuff they did they say there’s a bleed or did they give you the type of information or was that kept?

Neetu Mehra 14:41

Not at the moment like I didn’t hear that part. I just felt a massive headache like the pain and I was like for days I was in the intensive care unit at the hospital for like nine days. And I was in so much pain and I was getting bags of ice for my head. It was just so painful.

Bill Gasiamis 15:04

And then what was recovery like? How long did you stay in hospital?

Neetu Mehra 15:08

So I was in the intensive care for about just over a week. Now I went to acute care for three weeks to a different hospital. And that’s where they did tons of tests and scans and everything. They’re checking my body inside and out, because I have no risk factors made no sense at all.

Bill Gasiamis 15:28

And they were trying to work out the cause of clots. Yes,

Neetu Mehra 15:33

they have found more clots in my body. They found a clot in my kidney and two and my lungs. They’re trying to figure out what came first. And second. They think perhaps it could have been like a clot that broke into a cluster of clots and spread through my body and went to my head.

Bill Gasiamis 15:52

Having been reunited or formed elsewhere first not necessarily created or formed in your head.

Neetu Mehra 16:00

Yep. And they think the two clots in my lungs could have been from laying in bed for a week after the initial clots. So I’ve been tested for clotting disorders and everything, but I’ve tested negative for everything. Well, yeah, so they still don’t know the source of the cause. Yeah, they kept me and I felt like a science experiment. They just kept me in there and I kept going. You MRIs and scans and and other tests.

Bill Gasiamis 16:32

Tell me about your life before stroke. What kind of work did you do? How did you occupy your time?

Neetu Mehra 16:39

I work in marketing for a bank. But I think I was doing a pretty good job of managing like work life balance, like work projects, and I wasn’t overly stressed. Like I think life was pretty good before this. Yeah, so I had work life balance. I was very focused on like, my health, and exercise and things like that. So I was working out all the time, practicing yoga, going for walks outside, eating healthy nonsmoker. I had a good balance of like, spending time with family and friends and life was pretty good. I traveled a lot to

Bill Gasiamis 17:19

work. No, just for fun. For fun. Okay, for fun. Yeah. Okay. So you’re pretty active. Everything was a ok. Yep. Yeah. Yeah, now, and now things are quite different. So how, how do you go about your day? Now? What level of activity Are you back to, if any.

Neetu Mehra 17:43

So basically, I have left side paralysis. So what I impacted. So while I was in the hospital, I was basically in bed the whole time. I went, I started rehabilitation, I went to rehab hospital for two months after that for about like, almost eight weeks. So then I spent like a total of three months in like hospitals and care. And the rehab hospital was good, because it got me moving.

Neetu Mehra 18:08

And I, you know, getting up and doing physiotherapy and occupational therapy. And I still go there for occupy outpatient therapy, which is great. So now I’m able to walk with a cane, which is great. My left arm and left hand is not functional at all. I can move it a little bit, but not too much. So I’m still working hard every day. I’m doing exercises at home.

Neetu Mehra 18:34

So I wasn’t able to go back to my condo and live there because I need help with a lot of things. So I, my parents and my brothers worked hard to have some renovations done to the house so I could move in with my parents again. They’re elderly too. So it’s like, I thought I would be the one coming to take care of them. But they’re taking care of me now.

Bill Gasiamis 18:55

Yeah. How old are you parents?

Neetu Mehra 18:58

They’re in their 70s 75 and 78.

Bill Gasiamis 19:04

Are they feeling well?

Neetu Mehra 19:07

They’re feeling okay. I mean, they’re tired all the time. Got a lot going on.

Bill Gasiamis 19:15

My parents are similar age, my mom’s 78 And my dad’s 82. And I can’t imagine them being able to cope with firstly, their child is unwell. That was a big issue, and then they’re just not as fit and active as they used to be. So it’s always going to be difficult.

Bill Gasiamis 19:45

And they more than anything, want you to get better. So they’re gonna put all their effort in as much as they possibly can to get you better. And they’re probably not even thinking about it by him. Imagine you are thinking about it you are, it does cross your mind that you’re in the situation that you’re in and that they have to do what they’re doing. Is it something that you have to grapple with?

Neetu Mehra 20:13

Yeah, I mean, I think about it must be so hard for them. In the fact that they’re older, they’re not in the best shape either. It’s definitely exhausting.

Bill Gasiamis 20:25

Yeah. How old were you at the time?

Neetu Mehra 20:30

Of the stroke? 44.

Bill Gasiamis 20:33

Yeah, that’s right. And you’d been independent for many, many years. Probably moved out of home much younger.

Neetu Mehra 20:43

Yeah, while ago, that’s a big life change coming back. And just being dependent on people now. Even in terms of like, you can’t just step out and go for a walk or step out and go meet my friends. Like, everything’s very planned. And people come to me now it’s very different. Like, I can’t drive my driver’s license is suspended as well.

Bill Gasiamis 21:11

Is there some kind of hope that you’ll be getting a driver’s license back at some stage? Are you thinking of going after that particular goal?

Neetu Mehra 21:21

That is definitely a goal of mine. Because my right side is fine. They have like adapt. You can add an accessory to make your vehicle adaptable. And thankfully, my memories completely fine. And my vision, I haven’t had a vision test, but it seems okay. My profiles are okay.

Bill Gasiamis 21:45

And what about your work? Have you managed to get back to work? Are you doing any work at the moment? Not

Neetu Mehra 21:52

yet? No. So I’m on leave from work right now. I definitely miss it. Like I miss the interactions and like, using my brain and doing work and stuff. But um, yeah, that’ll be I think a little bit of time. I just get tired. When I have like long days. It’s exhausting. To take some. Yeah, fatigue. Yeah, I’m definitely focused on physiotherapy and occupational therapy. So I go there a few times a week, I have poor therapy as well, which is great.

Bill Gasiamis 22:28

And what have you noticed, with regards to your condition, so at the beginning, therapy would have been really hard to do. And now it’s probably still hard. But I imagine you made some gains, some, you’ve developed some additional strength and some, tell me a little bit about what’s different between when you started and where you are now.

Neetu Mehra 22:47

I mean, the fact that I can walk with a cane is fantastic. In the house, I used to have a wheelchair all the time, and even be wheeled to the bathroom, things like that. Now, I just walked through on my own so I can walk independently from room to room, which is great. I’ve even climbed a flight of stairs, which is fantastic. That was that’s brand new for me.

Neetu Mehra 23:13

So I climb up sideways and they go down forwards because of the railing is only on the left side when I go up the stairs. And then they’ve retrofitted the house to add a chairlift. So the chairlift goes to the basement. So I’ve been sleeping in the basement. So that’s good. And then I’ve Yeah, some even at physiotherapy I’ve been walking. I’ve been practicing walking without a cane once in a while. So that’s going to that’s a goal of mine, for sure. To walk properly again without a cane.

Bill Gasiamis 23:51

And it hasn’t been long time. It’s very early on.

Neetu Mehra 23:55

Yeah. Five months.

Bill Gasiamis 23:59

Do you have a sense of how long you expect this recovery to take? Where are you at with your mindset? What are you thinking about recovery? And what is your day to day life telling you about what your thoughts are?

Young Stroke Survivor’s Recovery Timelines

Neetu Mehra 24:23

So I’m not sure whenever I ask a doctor or a physiotherapist. They don’t want to answer that question. And they won’t guarantee that I’ll be recovered fully. So I know that I’m very determined. So I’m working hard every single day. Not really sure on the timelines.

Bill Gasiamis 24:42

That’s good. I’d rather you didn’t have a timeline because a lot of what happens for a lot of stroke survivors they have a timeline that they set perhaps in their head or doctor said you’ll be up on your feet in six months or 12 months or something like that. And then they don’t meet the timeline, and then they get really out on themselves, which is not a reflection on them, it’s just a reflection on the condition that they are recovering from. So I like to tell people to have goals.

Bill Gasiamis 25:10

My goal is to drive again, my goal is to do all these things again, but not to put a timeline on it so that you’re still always forever working towards the goal. But you’re not limiting yourself. And then potentially getting to the point where you feel a little bit down on yourself because you haven’t met your unrealistic timeline. And that’s the thing about it. Most timelines or deadlines would be unrealistic, because your stroke is different from everybody else’s, you’re different from everybody else.

Bill Gasiamis 25:41

So you can’t really say it’s not a broken bone, for example, that, you know, you break the bone, you put it in a cast, you’re out for six weeks. And then after that, the cast comes off and you rehabilitate that particular boat, that limb for a little bit, and then you’re back on board, it’s a little bit different. It’s slow and steady wins the race in this type of situation, it’s definitely going to take longer than five months. And you can see that in five months, you’ve made a lot of gains, and you’ll continue to do so.

Bill Gasiamis 26:17

So by 12 months, you’ll be a lot further along, perhaps not exactly. Driving yet, maybe not. But the training, and the effort that you’re putting in now is definitely going to pay dividends. But then, at the same time, you don’t want to overdo it, because you want to make sure that your fatigue is not debilitating to the extent that you can’t get up and get around and do the things that you want to do. And at the same time, sometimes you want to push yourself beyond the limit. So you can see, you know how far further you can go before you’re completely exhausted. And then just allow yourself the time to become to rest, rest as much as you possibly can.

Neetu Mehra 27:08

Yeah, that’s one thing. I think I didn’t have a concept of rest before my stroke. Just keep going live life. And it’s the physiotherapist that are like, okay, take a rest take a break. So I do that now when I’m doing my exercises, and that’ll take a little rest.

Bill Gasiamis 27:27

You want to give the brain some time to recover. Because your muscles and your and your limbs and your legs and all that kind of stuff can keep going and going and going. It’s your brain that has to recover. Now, whereas before, you didn’t ever gave any thought to physical exertion making your brain tired, you know, you’re never not once did you think about that. But that’s what it’s doing now.

Bill Gasiamis 27:56

So your body might want to keep going, but the brain needs time to recuperate and rest. Are you experiencing any other complications from the strokes other than your left side deficits? Oh, man, I know the fatigue is there. And you’re not working yet. But like any other medical complications.

Neetu Mehra 28:21

My smile is not back yet. I went to the speech therapist actually this week, and I’m starting speech therapy as well. So I can work on getting my smile back. She also noticed there’s like a missing some like tone in my voice, I noticed that my voice is a little quieter than before. And that some vocal cords I think are folded. They’re not. They’re not even. So she can notice that.

Neetu Mehra 28:48

So I’m working on that too. In terms of other health, like they’re checking my heart one more time because they don’t know the cause. And they their theory is each atrial fibrillation. But there’s nothing, there’s no data to prove that. But when I was in the hospital, I had my heart attack, check multiple times inside and out.

Neetu Mehra 29:08

And it was fine. Yeah. But I didn’t notice that before the stroke, when I would run on a treadmill. My heart would be really, really fast. So I noticed that there was something off about that. And even sometimes running up a flight of stairs would make my heartbeat really, really fast and it just wouldn’t stop. So maybe something to do with that.

Bill Gasiamis 29:31

Okay, and you made them aware of that particular thing that you had noticed. Yeah, okay. Well, that’s probably a good place to start. Thinking about it is this usually is a cause whether they come across the cause or find the cause it’s another it’s another thing but I would suggest that you keep going for these tests and you keep getting used as a medical experiment, so that eventually whether it’s a stick Can opinion a third opinion false.

Bill Gasiamis 30:01

And eventually you come to the point where perhaps somebody discovers what the cause is, even though it takes a long time, just do that. I know if there you’d be in a situation now where they’re giving you pretend preventative medication, so you’d be on blood thinners to make sure that another clot doesn’t occur. That’s a really awesome protocol, because that does actually make a massive difference to the blood and the way that it flows and the fact that it stops it from clotting.

Bill Gasiamis 30:33

So that’s a really good thing. And then you’ve got a lot of skills in keeping yourself well and healthy, because of all the stuff that you did before you became unwell. So what kind of things have you implemented now? Or is it just business as usual as far as your nutrition and your, the way you go about life?

Bill Gasiamis 30:57

Just a quick break, and we’ll be right back with the interview. Now, imagine a life where the impossible becomes possible where the challenges of stroke recovery transform into a story of triumph and growth. This is my story, and I’ve captured it all. In my new book, The Unexpected Way That A Stroke Became The Best Thing That Happened. I know firsthand, the emotional rollercoaster of stroke recovery, the fear, the uncertainty, the frustration, I’ve been there.

Bill Gasiamis 31:24

And through my journey, I discovered that a stroke while devastating could become a catalyst for profound personal growth and positive change. In this book, I share my deeply personal story and that of another nine stroke survivors, offering you a roadmap to not only navigate your recovery, but to thrive in ways you never thought possible. Are you ready to turn your challenges into opportunities to find strength in your struggles, the unexpected way that stroke became the best thing that happened is more than a book.

Bill Gasiamis 31:56

It’s your companion on this journey, a source of inspiration and a testament to the power of the human spirit. To get your copy from Amazon today, follow the links in the YouTube description of visit recoveryafterstroke.com/book and embark on a transformative journey toward a brighter, more empowering future because the best chapters of your life are yet to be written.

Struggling With Meditations And Post-Stroke Deficits

Neetu Mehra 32:20

Nutrition I’m pretty health conscious I was before but I’m even more now. And even in terms of like, doing my exercises and physio every single day, I’m pretty diligent with that. And then also making sure I’m hydrated and I used to meditate a lot before. So I’m trying to keep that going as well. I find a little bit harder to focus on my meditations.

Bill Gasiamis 32:51

How’s that tell me why?

Neetu Mehra 32:54

Maybe because of it was the right side of my brain that was affected is the right, the right side MCA stroke. So that’s your creative, meditative side too. So I feel like before I used to be able to get into really deep meditation quite easily. Now it’s a little bit more difficult, more challenging. But I still keep out in practice.

Bill Gasiamis 33:18

That sounds like a really good exercise regime for your brain.

Neetu Mehra 33:24

I tried to sit outside in nature on the nice days, and I take in the greenery and thing is before like the stroke I used to like to go for walks outside. Now I’m not really doing that yet. Although sometimes I have like, friends or family take me for a stroll around the street in the wheelchair which is nice.

Bill Gasiamis 33:45

So with your walking. Is it safe walking, and when you’re walking around the house, do you feel safe?

Neetu Mehra 33:52

I do. Yeah, I feel safe. And then I walk laps in the house as well every day just to get that momentum.

Bill Gasiamis 34:04

Around the kitchen furniture, around the tables, and lounges.

Neetu Mehra 34:08

Kitchen, living room, and hallway area. Yeah.

Bill Gasiamis 34:13

Yeah. Sounds like next time somebody comes over to take you around the block with a wheelchair, maybe leave the Bucha behind or take it with you. And then do a few steps without the wheelchair and then have the wheelchair there as a backup just to get you back if you get really tired.

Neetu Mehra 34:30

Yeah that’s a good idea. I did that once. Yeah, that’s a good thing to start practicing again.

Bill Gasiamis 34:39

Have you spent much time out of the house and I’m talking about have you taken a wheelchair and got into one of those wheelchair friendly taxis and gone down to your local grocery shops or anything like that.

Neetu Mehra 34:57

Honestly, not too much. I haven’t gotten. I think I went to grocery store once or twice. But not by myself. I haven’t done anything on my own yet. I always have people with me, which is good.

Bill Gasiamis 35:13

Wwith people. What about other deficits? Do you experience any issues with light or sound? Or a lot of people or any of that stuff? Do you have any other types of deficits that impact your energy levels?

Neetu Mehra 35:33

I think a lot of people I went to like my first party a few weeks ago, it was outdoor get together. I was definitely very tired after and it was overwhelming seeing a lot of people at once. Before the stroke, I already had sensitivity to light. Yeah, I’ve always had sensitivity to light. Like I like sunlight, but I don’t like bright artificial lights.

Bill Gasiamis 36:02

The fluorescent kind which is like hospital lights.

Neetu Mehra 36:09

So I’ve been wanting to like often sit in the dark or sit with up lights off.

Bill Gasiamis 36:15

Was it causing you headaches? Was it causing you fatigue? What was causing?

Neetu Mehra 36:22

Like my eyes would tear up if it was too bright? My eyes it was felt sensitive. So the light? Yeah. Sometimes headaches, but not very often.

Bill Gasiamis 36:35

But the sun wasn’t an issue. You could go out and spend as much time out in the sun as much as you needed, but not endorsing it. Artificially.

Neetu Mehra 36:42

I had sunglasses on.

Bill Gasiamis 36:48

So I’m kind of like that now. Sunglasses in the sun, they go hand in hand, or very rarely take them off. When I’m at the beach, for example, I will make sure that I’m wearing sunglasses in the water. And I’ve done that for many years, even before stroke. And I spent some time after I first went back to work. Initially, my the work that I went and did was in an office.

Bill Gasiamis 37:14

And in that office, they had bright fluorescent lights above everybody’s head, basically, there was hundreds of them in that damn building, you know, I still walk in there with my sunglasses and keep my sunglasses on. And sometimes wear a hat. Because it was too bright above my head. And it would really impact my ability to work, especially with the monitor.

Bill Gasiamis 37:40

Two monitors, one on each side, it was very challenging. And I remember the light above my head went out, and they got the maintenance guy in to go around the office and change all the lights that were out. And thankfully, when I was at my desk, and he came to replace the light, I said to him, just leave it out because I prefer it without the light. So then there’s this whole bright, lit up office, but above my head is this the respite from this little dark spot. And it made a massive difference to the way that I felt.

Neetu Mehra 38:20

Yeah, I can relate to that for sure. Even before the stroke of my old office, there used to be bright lights. And I had a similar situation where the light went out. And I was like, don’t fix it. I was happy with it not being on.

Bill Gasiamis 38:35

Yeah. So how come it took so long to get speech therapy? Was it something that you guys just didn’t realize that you needed? Or how did it get to that point where it’s taken you five months to get there?

Neetu Mehra 38:55

It’s funny, I asked the same question. So I had a speech therapists come and do a swallow test when I was in the hospital. And I pass the smell test even like they wanted to put a feeding tube on me and I was like, No way. I love food too much. There’s no way I’m getting a feeding tube.

Bill Gasiamis 39:12

Was that early on when you were first admitted? When I was first admitted, yeah. They asked you for a feeding tube. They wanted to

Neetu Mehra 39:21

put a feeding tube on they said they’re gonna put a feeding tube and I said no, thank you. Wow. And then I was having thickened liquids and like, mashed potato type food for like, weeks, three weeks, four weeks. And then when I pass the swallow test, it’s solid foods. That was great. I was very excited. Just happy to be able to eat real food again.

Bill Gasiamis 39:50

So for safety purposes, they wanted to keep you not eating food in case you choked. Yep. Did you feel that Was any difficulty in swallowing back then? Was there any? Did you have any concerns about that? Were you taking more care?

Neetu Mehra 40:09

There was at the beginning. I just remember I wanted to just have like, a cup of tea without thickener in it. And that took a while to happen. Yeah, I was definitely taking more care. Like at the very early days, the first week I was being spoon fed liquids and the mushy food. Yeah.

Bill Gasiamis 40:34

Is it possible? And bad enough? They tend to do too much. Exactly.

Neetu Mehra 40:42

Yeah, hospital food was actually better than the food rehab. The rehab hospital food was terrible.

Bill Gasiamis 40:51

Yeah, I think they must do it on purpose in rehab, to get you out of the ketchup. Yeah.

Neetu Mehra 40:57

I kept telling him, You need to get a new chef.

Bill Gasiamis 41:01

Yeah, that’s one of the strange things about food is that it’s such makes such a difference on the health of person food. And it makes such a difference in how you’re you feel on a daily basis. And with people going through any medical condition. In our case, stroke. You want to have the best version, this quality food you could possibly have flavor. Going to I can kind of understand if they’re not awesome. One flavor, but you know, it really needs to be good food. And even if it’s not a lot of it, it needs to be good quality suspicious. Yeah. So that it can heal help people heal and overcome and recover.

Neetu Mehra 41:46

Yeah, I completely agree. Thankfully, I had lots of friends and family, bring some home cooked meals. So I was I was eating well, better than what they provided me with.

Bill Gasiamis 42:01

That’s such a blessing, isn’t it, I had the same thing. My parents would deliver food on the daily, make a food, bring it over in the morning. And then I would have for lunch instead of the the hospital food. And when they didn’t come with food it was a challenge to to eat that stuff because I was spoiled by them and good times. Tell me about your journey. So you’re five months out. Everything is different from what it was five months ago.

Bill Gasiamis 42:35

And you’re already on a podcast, talking about your situation. Now. That’s really cool. I think that the people who have great recovery outcomes, and what I mean by that is, is that they are mentally and emotionally doing really well. Some years down the road after stroke, even if their physical condition isn’t, we’ll call it 100%.

Bill Gasiamis 43:06

If it’s not exactly like it was before stroke, I feel like they have better outcomes, people that are active in the space of kind of seeking out people who are understand them who are like them. Tell me about your thinking around discovering things about stroke or learning about Shoko finding people that are like us that understand what you’re going through? What, What’s your thinking behind that?

Neetu Mehra 43:40

Yeah, I’ve joined some stroke groups. And I went to an in person meeting this week, actually, with a charity. So that was, that was pretty good. I’m trying to seek out people that have had similar strokes and just get advice. And have you even connected with somebody and in the UK, as well. So overseas for me, who had a similar stroke at a similar age. So it’s just nice to get advice and chat with people that are going through similar situations.

Neetu Mehra 44:10

Because I feel like my life just got taken away from me out of the blue all of a sudden. Like everything in my life has changed basically. It’s like, I’m glad I actually lived a good life before in terms of like, you know, I had a good childhood, I lived in my 20s and 30s. I traveled a lot I focus on my career I did a lot with my life and I just feel like now it’s like reintegrating into the world. As like a disabled person, it’s very different as an adult versus if you’ve grown up like that as a kid. So I find it challenging your amount of adjustment, a lot of adjustment. Also just what it could do for myself before versus now. Very, very different.

Young Stroke Survivor’s Mental And Emotional Recovery

Bill Gasiamis 45:01

Yeah. And that adjustment is physical, but also, it’s a mental adjustment. It’s how you think about yourself and how you talk about yourself to yourself and how you comprehend all of the challenges that you’re facing and how you find the guts and determination and how you become resilient to tackle all of the challenges that strokes thrown your way. Because it’s not just one challenge. It’s not just one, you know, injured leg, it’s an injured body body. How is that for you? How do you navigate that part of your recovery, you know, the, thinking part of it, and the emotional part of it.

Neetu Mehra 45:54

The thinking part of it, I feel like I’m pretty rational and logical. So I think that part is okay, just like, reintegrating into society and doing things that you still enjoy doing that that part’s a bit hard. Especially like, I can’t go to a yoga studio anymore, and do that. Although I found like online adaptive yoga classes, which is great. I’m just trying to do some of the stuff I used to do. It’s funny that people that don’t know me think that my smile is fine. Yeah. Then I look at my old photos.

Bill Gasiamis 46:27

And you compare yourself? Yep. And you know, there’s a difference, but you probably also feel a difference in your face.

Neetu Mehra 46:34

Yeah, my face was very numb for a long time. Yeah, getting a little better.

Bill Gasiamis 46:43

I didn’t notice, until you told me that. There was an issue. I didn’t notice anything. I’m not sure if that’s a consolation. But it looks like it’s coming. Good. Like, what did you have the droop? On the on that left side?

Neetu Mehra 47:00

I did. Yeah, a lot of people that see me say I look a lot better than I did before.

Bill Gasiamis 47:08

Okay, so it’s improved in the last five months.

Neetu Mehra 47:11

Yeah I try to massage my face too.

Bill Gasiamis 47:17

A little bit of external stimulation to try and get blood flowing and good things happening. Yeah, I think you’re on a good path forward. Like, I think that all the things that you’re doing are definitely going to help in some way, shape or form. To what extent, well, that remains to be seen, but the fact that you’re putting so much time and effort into doing some major things like you know, making sure you do your physical exercises, and all that kind of stuff.

Bill Gasiamis 47:44

And then some minor things like massaging your face, all those things they add up in time, that make a massive difference. And a year and a half from now, you will have made a lot more gains than your then you currently have. But like I said, five months out, it’s just at that time when you’ve stubbed your toe on the kitchen bench, you know, and it really, really hurts.

Bill Gasiamis 48:14

That’s how soon it is for you in in the in the terms of like the stroke recovery timeline. It may as well be just a few days out of that particular foot injury because that’s how long it takes for the brain to heal and recover, get back online. And you’ve really got to be the person who makes who who’s in control of your recovery or who’s guiding your recovery. If you’re passive sitting around waiting for physical therapy, before you’ve done any exercises, your recovery will take longer, because physical therapists don’t enough.

Bill Gasiamis 48:56

It’s great that you go there because they can measure things and they can guide you. And they can give you advice on the right form and the right way to go about things. But if you were passive in your recovery, it would take a lot longer for you to achieve some of those goals that you want to achieve, which is to be up and about on your own or to be driving.

Bill Gasiamis 49:25

So there’s a lot of good signs there. And at the same time with the medical interventions of in the blood thinners and all the things that they’re doing to keep you from having another clot then it’s all gonna work out. You know, like, it’ll all come together at some point in time and you’ll be able to look back and go, Oh, my God, all those things that were happening at the same time that seemed like they were really hard and it wasn’t getting massive results. They’ve paid off now.

Neetu Mehra 50:03

Yeah, I think that everything happens for a reason. And we’re given these things that we can deal with, to make us stronger. And like, whatever happens to people I think happens for like a reason. I don’t know, in my reason yet, but I will eventually.

Bill Gasiamis 50:18

Do you think that’s sort of tied into your purpose? The reason that it occurred is tied into your purpose.

Neetu Mehra 50:30

It could be like my purpose of, yeah, like, clearly, I survived for a reason. Like I was on the floor for 12 hours. That’s not like, common to survive something like that.

Finding Purpose After A Stroke

Bill Gasiamis 50:46

Yeah, I don’t know what the reason that I survived was, I don’t know, like, the reason reason. But I did wonder why I had survived. Like, it really crossed my mind early on, like, I had survivor’s guilt. Yeah, I’m not sure if that’s a thing that you’re familiar with. But like, it was like, Why did I survive? I didn’t know whether I was worthy. Or whether I had earned it, or now, what am I going to do?

Bill Gasiamis 51:18

I’m alive, what the hell am I going to do now? Or how am I going to go about my life? And this podcast might be a result of that it might be one of the things that maybe I had to achieve or do or put out there. Because I survived. And because I was giving another chance, you know, I just can’t go back to being my old mundane self. And be who I was before that, like, it just didn’t seem like enough. That didn’t seem like the right thing to do.

Neetu Mehra 51:55

I think your podcast is great. You’re adding a lot of resources and valuable information for so many people. Do you feel that’s your purpose now?

Bill Gasiamis 52:06

Do I call it my purpose. The old man definitely didn’t do a podcast didn’t interview people didn’t interact with people who had experienced something like a stroke, or another disability or an injury or anything like that I interacted you know, with, we’ll call them normies, you know, normal people who were all just okay. And it was just a matter of time, I think before we I ended up interacting with people who are unwell, just happened to be I was young, I was 37.

Bill Gasiamis 52:42

So I had not known anybody who was, in my family, a member of our family, extended family, otherwise, who are friends who were injured by anything. I don’t know how you get to 37. And avoid all of that, but I managed to avoid it. And and then when it happened to me, and I met a whole bunch of other people who had strokes through the Stroke Foundation, I quickly realized that there’s a lot more people out there that are like me than I thought and being with them in there, you know, and sort of experiencing life through them.

Bill Gasiamis 53:33

Because I spent some time in a wheelchair. Like I understood what stress does to people, but then interacting with these people kind of gave me more of an insight. And then I was really shocked about the fact how naive I was or how dumb I was. And it wasn’t my fault. I just I don’t know what the word is. I don’t know if the right term is I had a dream run or what.

Neetu Mehra 54:04

You probably just weren’t exposed to those types of situations before Same with me and never interacted with these types of people until the stroke.

Bill Gasiamis 54:16

And then I felt more connected to people from the Stroke Foundation who I met through the Stroke Foundation than I had ever felt with other people that I’d met. And then I had all this information about all like yours very proactive. I made a lot of health choices. I made a lot of physical activity choices. I did a whole bunch of things to make sure that I prevented the next stroke as much as I could and that I also didn’t.

Bill Gasiamis 54:51

I wasn’t responsible for the next one if it was to come, but you came a few times and then And then I had stuff to share. And I figured, well, the these things have been really helpful for me, and how can I share those things that I’ve learned? So I started, somebody challenged me to do more than just advocate in my neighborhood. And kind of said to me, you know, there’s this thing called the internet, you want to look into that?

Bill Gasiamis 55:22

And I thought, okay, how could that work, and then I got over the, all the technology for years, and all that type of stuff. And I just realized, all I needed to do was get onto a zoom call and press record. And then I had a video and an audio immediately. And that was really good. Really good for me, I was getting therapy, every session that I was doing and recording an interview, it was helping me and it still does. And then. And then the old me never write a book about anything.

Bill Gasiamis 55:56

You know, I hardly read a book until the age of 37. And then, the idea for the book came into my head, I researched that. And it was such an organic thing and might have taken four years, and I never would have never would have thought that it would have taken me four years to write a book. But it’s the, it’s the Navigating the fatigue, the lack of clarity, the inability to sit in front of the computer and type for hours and hours.

Bill Gasiamis 56:30

It’s navigating all of that stuff that made it take so long, but now that it’s there, and it’s done. And it’s out, a whole bunch of feedback from people has been really positive. And every time I get some positive feedback about the podcast, or the book, or, you know, the other stuff that I do around stroke, it does feel like a purposeful pursuit, it feels like a rewarding and fulfilling pursuit.

Bill Gasiamis 56:59

And I never really had that before, it’s rewarding to be a dad and to raise family and to do all that kind of stuff. But that’s more more of an obligation. You know, if you become a parent it you’re obliged to ensure that your child is healthy fed, has you know, roof, well educated and all that kind of stuff, I feel like that’s more of an obligation even that gives you a little bit of purpose in life. Because really quickly, the kids leave home. And then you’re back to being yourself.

Bill Gasiamis 57:38

Again, it only takes about 20 ideas before they’re out of the house. And that’s a short amount of time. That’s, that’s, that’s kind of like a big distraction from your actual life’s purpose. I feel like kids are a little bit of a distraction, you take down the path. And if you don’t notice that you’ve put all your time and effort and your identity in being a parent, then it really catches you off guard later when they move out. Because now you’re not a parent anymore, and you don’t know what to do with yourself.

Bill Gasiamis 58:14

So I was kind of lucky that all this transition, then moving out, and maybe picking up these new skills and evolving, happened while they were you know, the stroke and that kind of happened when they were teenagers, and they were coming of age. So my transition into this new identity, this new version of myself this podcast and the book, and all of that came hopefully at the right time.

Bill Gasiamis 58:49

And I’m not sitting there now with an empty house and me and my wife wondering, what the heck what do we do now? And I’m only 50 Like, can’t imagine. Can’t imagine being not having this particular pursuit. Perhaps I would have picked up something else but let’s be honest, maybe I picked up something else to do on a Saturday morning or a Friday evening or whatever but I’m not sure. It would have been pretty hard to just go from being a parent to now they’ve moved out and now what do I do, how do I go about things.

Neetu Mehra 59:32

Yes, I think everything happens for a reason.

The Hardest Thing About Stroke For A Young Stroke Survivor

Bill Gasiamis 59:38

What has been the hardest thing about stroke for you?

Neetu Mehra 59:43

Coming to terms that it happened to me and just feeling that my body is completely different.

Bill Gasiamis 59:55

Did you do the why me?

Neetu Mehra 59:58

Not really It’s almost like I’m taking one for the team because like, statistically like, something like this happens to, I’m not sure what the stats are, but like, I think yes, I’m the stat.

Bill Gasiamis 1:00:16

One in four people will have a stroke in their lifetime. It’s ridiculous.

Neetu Mehra 1:00:24

That’s pretty high.

Bill Gasiamis 1:00:25

80% of those strokes are ischemic. About just above 20% of the people who have an ischemic stroke will pass away after the first one. About 60% of people who have a stroke will go back to work in some capacity. And then the other 20%, so I think I mentioned 20 or so 60, and then the other 20 will not be able to go back to work in any capacity. So you feel like you’re taking one for the team?

Neetu Mehra 1:01:08

Yeah, one of my cousin’s husband said that to me, and I was like, Well, that’s very true. Because he lost his wife to cancer. That’s it’s like she took one for the team. So that was his thinking around it.

The Lessons From The Stroke

Bill Gasiamis 1:01:27

If it helps or not? Yep, that’s a big deal to take one for the team to be that person. The team doesn’t even know that you’ve taken one for them. And what has stroke taught you?

Neetu Mehra 1:01:54

That life is short. Might as well live it. And I feel like I’m happy that I lived before, not that I won’t live again. But like I didn’t sit back and let life lead me like I was proactive about things. If I wanted to go travel to that place, I would make it happen. So I think it taught me that like, you got to do what you want to do with in the moment. And don’t wait, don’t put things off.

Bill Gasiamis 1:02:25

I want to say that this is the state that you’re in right now like the zone that you’re in right now is temporary. Now, what that doesn’t mean is that I know how long it’ll take, it might take longer. It might take a year or two or longer. I don’t know what. But it’s temporary. And in the span of a lifetime. It’s a blip on the radar, really. But while you’re in it, I mean, it’s a little bit of a maybe for some patients, or some people, it’s not a big consolation for me to say what I’m saying.

Bill Gasiamis 1:03:12

And if you can get through this time, time will fly. You know, you’ll get to the other side, and you’ll go oh my god that was already on me as an example. It was already 12 years ago. That’s insane, that it’s gone that quickly. And that so much time has elapsed. There are some years in the middle there that are kind of vague, My Vague years after the third after the second blade that was quite vague.

Bill Gasiamis 1:03:41

And about a year and a half after my third blade and my brain surgery, I went through thyroid thyroidectomy part of my thyroid was removed. And that time was a bit of a hazy part as well. So I feel like in the last 12 years, I’ve lost maybe 18 months, early on and then I’ve lost kind of another two years after that. It just feels really bizarre and hazy. And I don’t have a lot of connection to that time. I remember the day that I woke up and my foot felt numb like it was yesterday.

Bill Gasiamis 1:04:21

And I just sometimes reflect back on it how much time has passed how long it took it felt for me to get to 12 years. And then also when I reflect back like how quickly it went. And those hazy times when things were really rough. They really do seem like a blip on the radar now now that it’s been 12 years because life has been because like you’re just go after everything so it’s been really full and rich for as long as possible.

Bill Gasiamis 1:04:53

And I’m not saying that there hasn’t been shit times there has been and there hasn’t been downtimes and bad moods and all In bad emotional states and crazy thinking patterns, everything has been there. But it’s been so full of a lot of other things like podcasts and writing a book. And in a few months, I’m going to do some presentations at some stroke conferences, that I reflect on it positively.

Bill Gasiamis 1:05:25

And that’s kind of why the title of the book is, the unexpected way that a stroke became, the best thing that happened was because like, because life’s short, I’ve squeezed as much as I can in the last 12 years. As I physically and emotionally could. So this time, it’s a blip in the radar.

Neetu Mehra 1:05:53

Yeah, cuz I think we can’t control what happens to us, but we can control how we react to it.

Advice From A Stroke Survivor To Another

Bill Gasiamis 1:05:57

Yeah, definitely how we respond. What would you say to somebody listening? Who’s going through what you’re going through? Who’s early on in their recovery? Or perhaps they’re a little further down the track? What would be a little bit of advice that you would give somebody?

Neetu Mehra 1:06:18

Don’t be too hard on yourself. I often find them hard on myself before the stroke and now and just work hard. But don’t don’t beat yourself up over things.

Bill Gasiamis 1:06:33

What kind of things? Do you beat yourself up? Over?

Neetu Mehra 1:06:36

Too much just thinking like, why isn’t my arm function or hand function coming back yet? It’s like I’m trying. And I’m like, even when I’m walking, like I’m commanding my foot, just take a step in a certain spot. Sometimes it doesn’t go where I want it to go. Couple weeks ago, I had a fall too, which was not fun. Is a setback.

Bill Gasiamis 1:07:03

Did you get injured physically?

Neetu Mehra 1:07:06

My left side was in a lot of pain. I had a big couple of big bruises on my left hip. Yeah. Overall, it’s fine. Not that bad. Just now there’s a fear of falling.

Bill Gasiamis 1:07:24

Yeah, that’s fair enough.

Neetu Mehra 1:07:29

That was on a day where I was doing so good. Like, I had just gone to physiotherapy. And I tried walking without a cane. Without supports, which was fantastic. And then I was taking a step into the house, and I fell on a day where I was actually having a good day, and it was progressing.

Bill Gasiamis 1:07:50

And that’s an example of pushing yourself beyond the limit, right? It’s testing your capabilities and learning the hard way that probably not there yet, but I think feels like you know, when those things happen, like you’ve broken a little barrier anyway. Because you had such a good day, you weren’t capable of doing things.

Bill Gasiamis 1:08:13

And I’ve tripped over my left leg plenty of times, especially going upstairs. Because my left leg, just a little less likely to clear the step at the right time, and if I’m not thinking about it, and if I’m rushing the bottom of my shoe, I just let the step and I fall over, going up this step. You do get better, and you start to adjust. And you start to do things a little bit differently automatically, and it will improve.

Neetu Mehra 1:08:54

It’s amazing how much focus it takes to even just walk up steps in general.

Bill Gasiamis 1:09:01

You have to think about what you’re doing rather than just do it.

Bill Gasiamis 1:09:07

I had a fall in our house when my wife went back to work. And the kids were at school. And I made myself some lunch, and I was sitting at the couch eating it. And I had forgotten that my left leg was numb and couldn’t feel the ground underneath it. It was probably month three or four or something like that. After brain surgery. I laugh now, but it wasn’t funny at the time.

Bill Gasiamis 1:09:36

I got up and I went to take a step with my left leg. And it just the knee just collapsed underneath my weight. And I felt with my ribs on to the arm rest of the couch. And the plate that I was holding went flying and smashed on the ground. And I ended up on the ground at home alone. feeling sorry for myself and definitely in pain. But that fall made me pay attention to me getting up off the couch from that day on every single day.

Bill Gasiamis 1:10:10

After that, I made sure that the first leg on the ground was my left leg. And that it’s the one that got me up off the off the couch. And if it couldn’t get me up to that meant that all I was going to do was fall backwards back onto the couch. So it was a really safe test to see if the leg was going to hold me. And then that kind of made me just pay more attention.

Bill Gasiamis 1:10:45

But it’s a lesson I would have loved to learn in another way, I would have preferred to learn it without falling around, especially my ribs. Thankfully, I wasn’t, but didn’t break anything or get injured. But then, even now, sometimes 12 years out, if I’m having a really good night’s sleep, and I wake up in the morning, my leg is still a bit sleepy, it takes a little bit of time for it to warm up and come online.

Bill Gasiamis 1:11:12

And if I get out of bed, because I get out, I slip on the left side of the bed, if I get out and put my left leg down first, which is what I always do, and it’s still sleeping. Sometimes I could fall, I could kind of lose my balance getting out of bed. I have to make sure that when I get out of bed, both my legs are on the ground. Before I go to take that first step and before I stand up, so even getting out of bed, I have to be alert so that I can make sure that I don’t have a full and end up in the wardrobe.

Neetu Mehra 1:11:54

Yeah, I feel like I’m more alert too since my fall, I’m very cautious and like mentally I’m trying to say like, in my mind, my legs are going to support me. I’m strong enough. I have to say like positive things to myself. And focus really, really hard.

Bill Gasiamis 1:12:09

I think you’re on the right track. Neetu I really appreciate you reaching out and coming on the podcast and sharing your story. I wish you well in your recovery. And I’d love to hear. I’d love to hear 12 months from now how far along you’ve come. So feel free to reach out.

Neetu Mehra 1:12:28

Okay, that sounds great. Thank you so much for having me Bil,l was really nice chatting with you and hearing some of your story as well.

Bill Gasiamis 1:12:36

Well, that’s it for a another episode. Thank you so much for listening. And being here. I really appreciate you, I do hope that you got something out of the interview. Remember, if you’re interested in a copy of my book about stroke recovery, you can grab [email protected] by using my name Bill Gasiamis In the search bar, or by heading over to recoveryafterstroke.com/book.

Bill Gasiamis 1:13:02

If you want to know more about my guests, visit recoveryafterstroke.com/episodes to find their social media links and to download a full interview transcript. A huge thank you to everyone who has left a review it means the world to me your feedback is crucial for the podcast’s success, helping others discover this valuable content and making their stroke recovery journey a bit easier.

Bill Gasiamis 1:13:28

If you haven’t left a review yet, please consider giving a five-star rating and sharing what the show means to you on iTunes and Spotify. For those watching on YouTube. Please remember to leave a comment below each episode, and subscribe to the show on your preferred platform to get notifications of future episodes. Are you a stroke survivor with a story to share now is the perfect time to join me on the show that interviews are unscripted and require no preparation just be yourself and share your experience to help others in similar situations.

Bill Gasiamis 1:14:05

If you have a commercial product that supports stroke survivors in their recovery, you can join me on a sponsored episode of the show. Simply visit recoveryafterstroke.com/contact. Fill out the form with your category and I’ll get back to you with details on how we can connect via Zoom. Thanks again for being here and listening. Your support means everything to me. See you on the next episode.

Intro 1:14:30

Importantly, we present many podcast designed to give you an insight and understanding into the experiences of other individuals. The opinions and treatment protocols discussed during any podcast are the individual’s own experience and we do not necessarily share the same opinion nor do we recommend any treatment protocol discussed.

Intro 1:14:47

All content on this website at any length blog, podcast or video material control this website or content is created and produced for informational purposes only and is largely based on the personal experience of Bill Gasiamis, the content is intended to complement your medical treatment and support healing. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice and should not be relied on as health advice.

Intro 1:15:09

The information is general and may not be suitable for your personal injuries, circumstances or health objectives. Do not use our content as a standalone resource to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease for therapeutic purposes or as a substitute for the advice of a health professional.

Intro 1:15:24

Never delay seeking advice or disregard the advice of a medical professional, your doctor or your rehabilitation program based on our content if you have any questions or concerns about your health or medical condition, please seek guidance from a doctor or other medical professional if you are experiencing a health emergency or think you might be, call 000 if in Australia or your local emergency number immediately for emergency assistance or go to the nearest hospital emergency department.

Intro 1:15:49

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The post Young Stroke Survivor Neetu’s Ischemic Stroke at 44: A Powerful Story of Recovery and Resilience appeared first on Recovery After Stroke.

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