– Hi, I’m Anka. I am almost 35 years old. I had a stroke at the age of 31 and since then we have been fighting for… different fitness. I’ve always been an active person – I’ve done five things at a time and now one lasts half a day. For me, the most difficult thing was to accept this state of affairs. However, there is still hope that I will be able to do more – says Ania, one of the protagonists of the educational campaign Życie after stroke.
Press material
A stroke affects not only the life of the affected person, but also the functioning of their caregivers and loved ones. Life after a stroke is a new life, full of challenges that 75 thousand people in Poland have to face each year. The knowledge portal www.zyciepoudarza.pl, which was created as part of the campaign that has just started, provides patients and their caregivers with practical tips on rehabilitation, treatment, nutrition, care or obtaining forms of financial aid – regardless of the time that has passed since the stroke.
Life After Stroke campaign
The diagnosis of “stroke” comes as a shock to both the patient and his family. The huge burden of patient care often rests with the loved ones. Together they struggle with a new, hitherto unknown situation that requires changes in the current life. The mere return of the patient home is a lot of unknown – where to start, where to look for information, who to contact?
The goal of the Life After Stroke initiative is to support patients and their relatives, thus increasing awareness of the effects of the disease, the importance of comprehensive care for people who have been affected by a stroke, and providing practical knowledge on the process of their recovery and independence. The organizer and partners of the campaign believe that education and paying attention to the consequences of this disease as well as the possibilities and role of treatment – will contribute to the improvement of the quality of life of patients and caregivers.
– A stroke wreaks havoc on the patient’s body and the life of his whole family. Fear, fear for each new day and the need to find yourself in a completely new life situation is a huge burden. Therefore, when initiating this campaign, we focused on providing real support and useful solutions for patients and their carers. We have planned webinars for patients, educational films and an audiobook – says Wojciech Machajek, vice president of the Brain Diseases Foundation, organizer of the Life after Stroke campaign. – The main tool of the campaign is the educational platform www.zyciepoudarza.pl. We sincerely hope that it will be your primary source of practical information – from home adaptation to accommodate a stroke patient, to organizing the necessary rehabilitation equipment, to support, guidance and advice for stroke families.
Stroke and its consequences
A stroke is the death of some brain cells as a result of stopping the blood supply to the brain tissue. There are two types of strokes: ischemic stroke (about 80% of cases) and haemorrhagic stroke (about 20% of cases). Every year, stroke affects up to 75 people in Poland, which is the most common cause of disability among Poles. A stroke can happen to anyone, and more and more young people are also affected, with one in four stroke victims under the age of 40. Stroke is currently the third leading cause of death among Poles.
A stroke is a sudden event with long lasting consequences. The consequences of the disease are usually limb paresis (usually one half of the body), speech, vision or sensation disorders. Some patients (20-40%) develop increased muscle tension (spasticity) within a few / several weeks after the stroke.
– Stroke affects people of all ages. It is a disease that never ends. Therefore, prompt diagnosis and treatment is essential. We have an influence on some of the consequences of stroke, such as spasticity. In the case of spasticity, the limb does not respond to the brain’s commands as before – it is difficult to make basic movements, pain often occurs. It is a disease that is often overlooked and not taken into account in the treatment process of patients after a stroke, despite the fact that it significantly hinders the rehabilitation process, and its treatment in Poland is possible under the drug program, i.e. for the patient free of charge – says Prof. dr hab. n. med. Jarosław Sławek, Medical University of Gdańsk, Head of the Neurological and Stroke Department at the St. Wojciech in Gdańsk.
Recovery from a stroke can take a long time, usually months, sometimes years. The greatest limitation in everyday life is created by the paresis of the limbs, which favor the appearance of spasticity.
– A necessary condition for the improvement of fitness after a stroke is professional, quickly implemented and persistent rehabilitation. It begins as early as 48 hours after the onset of the first symptoms of a stroke, as soon as the patient’s general condition is stabilized. The therapy is carried out as long as the patient benefits from it, says Dr. n. med. Iwona Sarzyńska-Długosz, Head of the Department of Neurological Rehabilitation, II Department of Neurology, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology in Warsaw.
What is life after a stroke?
The burden of caring for patients largely rests with the caregivers. Caring for loved ones, especially in the beginning, can be overwhelming. It is important to understand that emotions and fears related to a new situation are natural, and the first step is to seek reliable knowledge. That is why the www.zyciepoudarz.pl platform has been developed in cooperation with specialists in the field – neurologists, neurological rehabilitation specialists, physiotherapists, neurological nurses, nutritionists, and at the same time is adapted to the needs of people with disabilities.
– Life after a stroke is a new life. It is imperative to accept that life after a stroke is different and will definitely require a fight. But it is worth and should take up this fight, because its goal is independence. Of course, each patient is different and for one patient it will be a longer walk, and for the other patient – the possibility of sitting in a chair for more than 5 minutes. But each time and in the case of each patient – it is worth taking up this fight – says Dr. Małgorzata Dec-Ćwiek, neurologist, specialist in medical rehabilitation, Department of Neurology, University Hospital in Krakow.