Still struggling....frustrated

[Caretaker]

Recovery from a stroke is slow, I get that.
I am back to work and although weak and fatigued, feeling about as well as can be expected.
But as I try to play I m very discouraged.
I`m gonna suck for a while and that`s fine.
The problem is my mind sends the signal to may hands but there is sometimes a "delay".
I`ll be playing something and at any givem moment my fingers don1t do what they should.
I know what to do but my brain stutters(?) the signal to have my hands do it.

 

[TheX]

I'm really sorry you have to go through this, hoping it gets better soon.

 

[HardCore Troubadour]

Man I say this in all seriousness....that happens to me sometimes and I have not had a stroke.

When I destroyed my right leg, and thought I would never drum again,, I was pretty beat up.......but every time I would gain even just the smallest bit back, it let me know that I could get back to where I was....if I just continued working.

By all means, keep us up to date Bro....if you need to post and vent here, do.....
I am pulling for you....we all are.

 

[Crotch]

When I destroyed my right leg,

Don't ever post that picture again. I'm still mentally scarred.

 

[Soul Tramp]

It has to be very frustrating & discouraging. Try to think of your guitar playing as physical therapy that will improve your motor skills with time.

Also take solace in knowing that as bad as you may be playing, I'm worse!

 

[Brek]

I have that issue without a stroke. Keep on upwards brother.

 

[Caretaker]

It also happend with swallowing.
That`s a ton of fun.
I`ll take a drink of ice tea or whatever and sometimes have to wait for my brain to tell me to swallow it.

 

[fett]

Years ago, I suffered a mini-stroke. I felt really strange for a few seconds. The only thing that happened was I was unable to separate my pinky from my ring finger on my left hand. It was as if they were tied together. That condition lasted quite some time. It's fine now. All I can offer is be patient.

 

[HardCore Troubadour]

I can only imagine what a terrible feeling that must be.....slow down and be cautious.

It also happend with swallowing.
That`s a ton of fun.
I`ll take a drink of ice tea or whatever and sometimes have to wait for my brain to tell me to swallow it.

 

[brokentoeswalker]

I'm impressed that you are back to work so soon after having a stroke. You're a trooper !! Keep a positive attitude. At the worst it won't hurt you.

 

[Caretaker]

I'm impressed that you are back to work so soon after having a stroke. You're a trooper !! Keep a positive attitude. At the worst it won't hurt you.

I work in a hospital and we are all needed as much as possible.

 

[Bobby Mahogany]

As you've probably heard already, it takes time for the brain to make new connections
in order to perform old tasks.
But perseverance and therapy are key.
We're all behind you.

 

[redcoats1976]

you are one tough dude...and probably play guitar better than i do.

 

[BigJim]

My mom had one 10 yrs ago. Took a while for her to snap back, but she's fine now.

It just takes time for everything to "reconnect", she wasn't able to snap right back either, but in time everything got back to normal.

She is 76, and has more energy than I do at 53!

 

[Caretaker]

Thanks for all your support.

 

[electric head]

Just keep on truckin man..
its all you can do..

 

[ErictheRed]

It also happend with swallowing.
That`s a ton of fun.
I`ll take a drink of ice tea or whatever and sometimes have to wait for my brain to tell me to swallow it.

Do you have someone helping you with that? My wife is a Speech and Language Pathologist, and before meeting her I had no idea that they deal with swallowing clinically. It's potentially very dangerous as there is a choking hazard. I'm just hoping that you're getting the help that you need.

 

[Caretaker]

Asfar as guitar playing I'm really not going anywhere.
It's really depressing.

 

[James R]

It's not the same thing at all, but I had a nerve injury in my neck that made the last 3 fingers on my left hand useless.
I didn't know if I'd ever be able to do my job again, play guitar, wash my hair, or even wipe my butt properly using that hand.
It was a dark and very scary time for me, and it lasted more than a year, but eventually, after much rehab and determination, I suck at playing just as much as I did before the injury... but there's good news in that last sentence, I got back to where I was before the injury.

I'm sorry to hear you had a stroke, and I can fully understand the frustration and depression, but please don't give up.
My physiotherapist told me that forcing myself to try to play probably had a lot to do with the fact that I got almost full mobility and feeling back, even if I'll never get 100% of the strength back.

I'm pulling for you, Caretaker!

 

[ehb]

It's not the same thing at all, but I had a nerve injury in my neck that made the last 3 fingers on my left hand useless.
I didn't know if I'd ever be able to do my job again, play guitar, wash my hair, or even wipe my butt properly using that hand.
It was a dark and very scary time for me, and it lasted more than a year, but eventually, after much rehab and determination, I suck at playing just as much as I did before the injury... but there's good news in that last sentence, I got back to where I was before the injury.

I'm sorry to hear you had a stroke, and I can fully understand the frustration and depression, but please don't give up.
My physiotherapist told me that forcing myself to try to play probably had a lot to do with the fact that I got almost full mobility and feeling back, even if I'll never get 100% of the strength back.

I'm pulling for you, Caretaker!

Bad neck injury with a lot of nerve damage here too... Worst disk exploded back and slammed nerves to back of canal... All the bad stuff, arm switch off at times no warning dropping coffee cups (damnit) etc.... Hell, you know the deal... Couldn't play at all for several years with no joy prognosis from my surgeon on nerves healing... But, one day some years later back big dead zone started burning like hell fire... Dead zone on my back went from Caddy hubcap to pie plate and gradually smaller... Still couldn't feel with fingers or and fine control. Impossible to touch thumb and little finger together and such.

I had to relearn control...

For Caretaker:.(and anybody else similar issue) I had delay and sometimes no joy at all... Different root cause but I do know the feeling...or lack of I guess...

One exercise I see did watching TV was on one hand at time, hand flat on recliner arm, lift thumb, down, lift index, down...etc etc. Call it reforming paths, creating new paths, doesn't matter... At first, not very effient, some fingers not so much, B U T, after enough repetition, control started coming back.. what was impossible like Spock fingers or sequential finger to thumb in succession started happening. Feeling started returning slower but did... Took time and work...

Exercise your fingers constantly... Stuff your fingers can't do, work on it... It'll happen over time... Your brain knows what you want to do...it has to figure out a way to get the signal there real time. The more you make it try, the more it figures out how to do it... You have to work at it... Brain and body are far more capable than one might think....if you work at it... Like trying to run a long distance with breaks or walk same with breaks.. Either can wipe you out...but running 100 paces and walking same, rinse repeat, no breaks, covers a lot of ground easier than either...heightened average level of energy... A bud taught me that decades back. Anything worthwhile requires effort, usually less than one might think...

Work your fingers on arrm of chair when watching TV or such... I did it in car, almost anywhere...

Hang in there... There is always the other side in about anything... You just have to keep your feet pointed in the forward direction...one foot in front of the other... Rinse, repeat...

Good juju your way!