I was talking to Barb recently and she made such a good observation and suggestion for a post. The term ‘hemiparesis’ means one-sided weakness. Hemi = half and paresis = weakness. After a stroke, you’re going to be described as hemiparetic. But you’re not, not technically. Not at first anyway. It takes a while to become truly hemiparetic. It doesn’t take long, but it doesn’t happen immediately after a stroke. You see, a stroke is a brain injury, not a muscle injury. A stroke doesn’t directly affect your muscles in the least. It indirectly affects them by cutting off the signals to your muscles from the brain, but it doesn’t directly do anything at all to muscles. So, at first, the term ‘hemiparesis’ really doesn’t apply. Your muscles are still good. It’s your brain that got all messed up, not your muscles. After some time, those muscles that aren’t able to be used properly will atrophy and then you become truly hemiparetic. But not at first. A new word needs to be invented for that.
Some info for the tribe…..Long ago on my blog I used this picture…..
And to this I said life has not given me much water and sugar yet so my lemonade probably sucks. But life has recently given me some sugar and water in the form of a boyfriend who is just as sarcastic as I am and will give me shit right back. Here he is…..
His name is Patrick. But, just in case you still are getting tons of lemons and are at a loss as to what to do with them, Dean sent me this picture with what I think is a very good suggestion…..
Categories: Brain stuff, Health, Rehab, Stroke stuff
BTW, it took only one month in rehab for most of my “weak side” muscles to atrophy. Ironic? Or do I mean “incompetent”? after 5 years, my left forearm looks like a chicken wing – skin and bones with two thin strips of muscle on the underside.
Atrophy doesn’t take long. But it takes a hell of a long time to strengthen a muscle, especially when part of of the connection to that muscle is dead.
And, welcome to the tribe, Patrick. You’re a fortunate man.
Yes he is, very fortunate.
🙂
Hmmm, try semi-hemiparesis… (it is only half technical…)
Semi-hemi, I Iike it.
congrats on finding some sugar……awwweeee
Haha, thanks!
The friends I run around with now require you to be on your toes all the time because if you’re not being insulted you are expected to throw insults. I’m considered to be pretty good at it, which means a lot gets thrown my way.
I would be good at it, too. But I don’t like to hang out in groups.
Congratulations!! Love certainly adds the sweetness to life!!
It certainly does.
This is so fascinating. I haven’t thought about the muscles being affected in this way. And it also sucks! Atrophy is not easy to combat.
Also, you’re pretty cute!
Brooke, she is. And she’s HOT.
How hot is she Barb? Be as graphic as you want. Amy, feel free to do the same with Barb.
Hawt enough to Sparks that conflagration. As an old white guy I should stay out of this, it never ends well.
I really did not understand this aspect very well until now- you have just explained it better and in a much more concise form than anyone in the hospital ever did. Maybe they tried but I was just not lucid enough at that time. Thank you for that!
You’re very welcome! They probably didn’t explain anything like that to you in the hospital.
Jim, I posted this story before, but it hasn’t shown up. Amy? She and I were at Starbucks in Boston. While she was in line, there were no empty seats, so I stood next to a table with one guy seated. He never offered me – a disabled woman – a seat until Amy joined me. She’s hot, all right. And I’m NOT.
That is pathetic! What’s wrong with people today??? And where are all the gentlemen?? Hot or not…that guy should have given you his chair as well as probably at least half of the people that were seated. I’m raising 2 boys to be gentlemen, they had better give their seat to a disabled women first or they’d be hearing the wrath of one disappointed mama. I get the point…Amy’s hot….but that’s just messed up!
I totally agree, that’s so messed up.
There were no Barb comments in the spam folder, there was one from Yadira though. I’m sorry if that happens to anyone else. Sometimes not-spam comments are marked as spam and automatically put in the spam folder. That’s weird, I don’t know why that happens cause my settings are that if you have a previously approved comment your comment is ok so it’s really weird that that happens sometimes.
Also, Barb don’t sell yourself short!
Good story Barb. Interesting, but tame. No vicarious thrills for the old coots, I guess.
Congratulations! I’m so happy for you. 😀 Even though I’m a lot older, you still give me hope that one day my lemonade will start tasting sweeter too! Haha, or I guess I can just freeze the lemons and aim, as suggested. I’ll wait and see…
When was your stroke Eva?
November 20, 2011. Subarachnoid hemorrhage secondary to a ruptured aneurysm, followed by an ischemic stroke during my craniotomy. 😦
Man, 2011. That year was really, really popular stroke-wise.
I take it yours was in ’11 as well then?
It sure was!
My aim was really goodb pre-stroke, but totally sucks now, so those lemons would hit someone else.
Lol! I think you’re right…goodness knows what I’d probably hit!