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A small plea for help

cjhest1983

cjhest1983

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I received some devastating news yesterday. My father, who had been a near-lifetime smoker, had a stroke sometime between Wednesday night and Thursday morning. I woke up to a few missed calls early in the morning from his number. When I called him back, my step-mom started telling me that he was done with his MRI and cat scan. I had to stop her and ask what happened. She said that he had suffered a stroke and was unable to move to pick himself up off of the floor.

He is able to speak, but has no movement in the right side of his mouth, can't move his right arm, and does have mobility in his right leg, although it is weak. He was coherent and able to correctly answer most of the questions he was asked. He is very frustrated and emotional... which is the hardest part because he had always been a rock solid kind of guy.

I have only ever known one other family member that had a stroke and she passed away when I was just about 10. I am lost. I have no idea what to expect, other than to prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

My dad is a sheet metal worker by trade, an amazingly talented wood worker, and loves to ride motorcycle and his ATV among many other things. I'm hoping that he will be able to enjoy most, if not all, of the things he loves to do, but I'm scared that this will impact him otherwise.

I'm not asking for money or donations. All I'm asking for is support and kind words and thoughts from this amazing community. I need my dad to get strong again and make a full recovery.

Thanks for reading - Chris
 
jack

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So sorry Chris . It takes time but, some of the mobility will come back . He doesn't sound like the type who wants pity.He has a son who really cares ,
hats off to you both !!!
 
m3rma1d

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I've got plenty of good vibes to spare, I am sending some your way. <3
 
Smoky Blue

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hopefully they will get him into some kind of therapy too..
will keep you and your family in my thoughts.. :)
 
UncleRJ

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I am truly sorry to hear this.

My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family at this time.

And my wishes as well for the speedy recovery of your father.
 
Slicknic

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All of my best wishes to you and your family Chris.
 
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Best wishes to you and your father. Hopefully he will respond well to physical therapy so that he can get back to enjoying his hobbies and family.
 
kelli

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hi chris, ya know what.....many people have remarkable recoveries from strokes, especially if they are fairly young. i see you are only 30 so i assume your dad is either in his 50's or 60's. so with the right treatment and therapy, his prognosis is good. keep the faith, dear. :)
 
Huckleberried

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Hi Chris. Very recently, a woman I work with had a stroke. We were informed that she wouldn't be back, that her right side had been affected, but that she was ok. Resting. I was floored. She's in her early 60s, a smoker...... just kind of outta nowhere. Someone I really enjoy. Nothing more was said about her and it pissed me off. Years of service with the company.

The following week she was back at work. She still is. She's doing GREAT and is not affected in the least. I'm always checking on her and she just laughs. I was SO happy to see her back.

My warmest thoughts are with you and your family. Hang in there.
 
Juice_Spiller

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I will be thinking of you and your family in this difficult time. You all have my best wishes.
 
Dhim

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Really sorry to hear about your pops. Fortunately it sounds like he has great support from his family, and sometimes that is the best cure. Keep us posted and you got some positive vibes coming from me.
 
Savage_46

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Good luck & hope everything goes well. It is hard to deal with. Stay strong, both for you & everyone else around you.
 
cjhest1983

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UPDATE

First off, I want to thank everyone for posting their well wishes for my family. It really means a lot to me to see so many people offering positive vibes - we need them!

So far, dad's doing well. The neurologist confirmed a small stroke, but as she put it, "it's in a bad spot." I'm not entirely sure what that means, but the positives are that he has full sensation and spatial recognition in his right side. He does have some weakness in his right leg, but full mobility. He's starting to be able to pick up the right corner of his mouth, which is awesome compared to how he was on Thursday. He still isn't able to voluntarily move his right arm, but can wiggle the tip of his thumb ever so slightly. Involuntary motions are crazy, though! Whenever he yawns, he makes a fist and his arm raises like he's got that "man, I'm enjoying this yawn" stretch - you all know what I'm talking about. When he sneezes, he tries to cover his mouth - doesn't quite make it that far, but these are things that tell us there's still some pathways that are connected.

I'm hoping that in time he will be able to retrain his neurological pathways and regain some or all of that mobility. Both the physical therapist and the neurologist said it would take a miracle for him to go back to work, so that's going to be hard for him. On the flip side, he's been ready for the next chapter for a while, so he's not all that eager to head back into the shop.

We'll have to see what the next few days bring forth. There's a lot of work to be done, but I think he's on the right path.

Thanks again to everyone for the support!
 
m3rma1d

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cjhest1983 said:
UPDATE

First off, I want to thank everyone for posting their well wishes for my family. It really means a lot to me to see so many people offering positive vibes - we need them!

So far, dad's doing well. The neurologist confirmed a small stroke, but as she put it, "it's in a bad spot." I'm not entirely sure what that means, but the positives are that he has full sensation and spatial recognition in his right side. He does have some weakness in his right leg, but full mobility. He's starting to be able to pick up the right corner of his mouth, which is awesome compared to how he was on Thursday. He still isn't able to voluntarily move his right arm, but can wiggle the tip of his thumb ever so slightly. Involuntary motions are crazy, though! Whenever he yawns, he makes a fist and his arm raises like he's got that "man, I'm enjoying this yawn" stretch - you all know what I'm talking about. When he sneezes, he tries to cover his mouth - doesn't quite make it that far, but these are things that tell us there's still some pathways that are connected.

I'm hoping that in time he will be able to retrain his neurological pathways and regain some or all of that mobility. Both the physical therapist and the neurologist said it would take a miracle for him to go back to work, so that's going to be hard for him. On the flip side, he's been ready for the next chapter for a while, so he's not all that eager to head back into the shop.

We'll have to see what the next few days bring forth. There's a lot of work to be done, but I think he's on the right path.

Thanks again to everyone for the support!
Click to expand...

One of the best things he's got going for him is having you as a kid that cares so much. <3
 
kelli

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^times 10
patience and hard work will see him thru :)
 
MrScaryZ

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cjhest1983 said:
I received some devastating news yesterday. My father, who had been a near-lifetime smoker, had a stroke sometime between Wednesday night and Thursday morning. I woke up to a few missed calls early in the morning from his number. When I called him back, my step-mom started telling me that he was done with his MRI and cat scan. I had to stop her and ask what happened. She said that he had suffered a stroke and was unable to move to pick himself up off of the floor.

He is able to speak, but has no movement in the right side of his mouth, can't move his right arm, and does have mobility in his right leg, although it is weak. He was coherent and able to correctly answer most of the questions he was asked. He is very frustrated and emotional... which is the hardest part because he had always been a rock solid kind of guy.

I have only ever known one other family member that had a stroke and she passed away when I was just about 10. I am lost. I have no idea what to expect, other than to prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

My dad is a sheet metal worker by trade, an amazingly talented wood worker, and loves to ride motorcycle and his ATV among many other things. I'm hoping that he will be able to enjoy most, if not all, of the things he loves to do, but I'm scared that this will impact him otherwise.

I'm not asking for money or donations. All I'm asking for is support and kind words and thoughts from this amazing community. I need my dad to get strong again and make a full recovery.

Thanks for reading - Chris
Click to expand...
Sorry to hear that Chris hope things work out
 
KREAM

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Stay positive Chris and keep your dad positive. A positive outlook can do wonders during recovery.

Good thoughts and positive vibes are sent by me to you and your family.
 
DB Cigs

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So sorry to hear this.
All the best wishes to you, and our prayers are going out as well.
 
Cloudy Peak Vapes

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I'm very sorry to hear, this. I'm glad to hear that he's improving, though. I wish him and your family well!
 
justaguy

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My family will be sending positive vibes your way, every day. Keep positive and focus on good thoughts.
 
cjhest1983

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Thanks again to everyone who has liked this post and/or commented!

After about 2 weeks of in-patient physical therapy, dad's back at home now. He still has a long way to go towards recovery, but every day sees a bit of improvement. One of the highlights that really made my day was taking a walk with him last Saturday. Crazy to think that walking the length of a football field seems like nothing to me, but it took everything he had to stay upright. It's hard to believe it's been a month already since the stroke. He has been working so hard with the therapists to make the most of his time with them, and it's been paying off. I spoke with him on the phone today for a little bit and his voice is pretty close to what it was beforehand, which is very relieving.

The support from friends and family is amazing and I take much comfort in knowing that there's always going to be someone there to lend a hand when his isn't working the way it should.

For now, this will be my last post in this thread unless there's a major triumph that I just can't keep to myself. I really appreciate everyone sending good vibes, it seems to be helping!
 
Smoky Blue

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Good to hear your update, cjhest! :)

May improvements continue!! Will still keep you and your family in my thoughts..
I was wondering, glad you posted..
 
m3rma1d

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Awesome!! <3
 
Thunderball

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KatyLoo said:
Keep an eye on your step-mom as well as your Dad. I assume she will be the primary caregiver - they need support too.
Best wishes for a speedy recovery for you Dad.
Click to expand...
Never a truer statement has ever been said. Many times they are the unsung Hero's

Hoping the best for Dad
 
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