Life After a Stroke

A stroke interrupts blood flow to your brain. The part of the brain that experiences the stroke affects your life after the incident, so recovery and rehabilitation after a stroke varies from person to person. 

That said, one thing is always true: reclaiming your life after a stroke requires some work. Whether you had the stroke yourself or you’re a caregiver for someone who did, knowing where to direct your energy can make a big difference.  

You don’t have to figure it out alone. David Bolon, MD, and our team at Manhattan Integrative Cardiovascular can help you develop a stroke recovery plan. Just as importantly, Dr. Bolon can also help you prevent another stroke with tools like cardiac screenings. 

If you or someone you care for had a stroke, don’t hesitate to visit our office in Midtown East Manhattan, New York City. 

Understanding the stroke

Creating the right stroke recovery plan hinges on the type, location, and severity of the stroke impacting the person. 

The American Stroke Association has a Life After Stroke guidebook that can help. On the sixth page, there’s a worksheet you can fill out with your doctor to understand your stroke better. Completing that sheet ensures you know which part of the brain the stroke affected and the type of stroke you experienced. 

As you get more familiar with the aftereffects of a stroke, it can be helpful to break them into categories. A stroke commonly impacts the person by changing their:

• Cognition
• Memory
• Energy levels (fatigue is common)
• Physical function (i.e., they might have trouble moving one side of their body)
• Ability to communicate
• Mental health

Navigating life after a stroke requires flexibility and resilience in many areas. Having a good rehabilitation team on board can make things easier. 

Getting started with rehabilitation

The rehabilitation required after a stroke varies from person to person. Generally, though, most people benefit from some combination of:

• Physical therapy
• Occupational therapy
• Speech therapy
• Talk therapy

Dr. Bolon and any other doctors involved can help you tailor the right recovery plan to your specific needs.  

Preventing another stroke

A stroke makes you more likely to have another one. In fact, one in four stroke survivors will have another stroke. 

Fortunately, Dr. Bolon specializes in preventing strokes, including recurring ones. He has a variety of sophisticated tools to monitor your risk for another incident. For example, at our office, he can test your blood for high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), which indicates a heightened stroke risk.  

Dr. Bolon works with you to develop a stroke prevention plan. That usually involves some combination of medication, lifestyle changes like a healthy diet, and regularly scheduled screenings.

If you survived a stroke or you’re caring for someone who did, getting the right medical team behind you can make life easier as you move forward. Call our team at (716) 303-4738 or book your appointment online today.