My physical therapist and occupational therapist were the push I needed for a breakthrough.
The toughest part for me was being dismissed, Rachel says.
They did research and looked into different therapy options for me.
Five people talk about how they found the strength to go on during their stroke recovery.
As I pushed them to push me, they got creative to help me reach my goals.
Kicking soccer balls and shooting basketballs was also a huge help with her coordination, she says.
I found the strength to set some boundaries in my personal life.
At the young age of 41, Kati W. had not one but two strokes.
Im telling you, nothing phased meI just kept working and never complained, Kati explains.
I did go numb on my left side for a week, but I continued to work through it.
My typing got worse on my left hand, and I kept dropping things, she describes.
I never thought of or considered a stroke.
As a result of both strokes, she lost function on her left side.
In just a few weeks, Kati says her life completely changed.
At age 41, she couldnt walk, drive, or work.
Losing that kind of independence at such a young age was jarring, she says.
I committed myself to rehabilitation, regular exercise, and therapy.
Christie S., 43, experienced an aneurysm rupture in 2014.
My memory was completely wiped out, she says.
I had to learn how to walk and talk again, and basically restart my life.
That was the boost she needed.
I am a true believer that rehabilitation is key.
Then I went for outpatient therapy for another six weeks, five days a week.
Definitely intense, but a huge helper.
Beyond rehab, Christie says she found exercising to be a positive outlet for her energy.
I truly believe that working out helps you heal tremendouslyboth physically and mentally, she says.
My weekly routine is doing yoga four to five times, aerobics workouts three times, and Pilates.
All of this body movement helps keep her calm and motivated.
Workouts help naturally to ease my anxiety.
When you are dealt a very difficult life-changer,anxietydefinitely tries to take control, she says.
The healing path is difficult, filled with trials and tribulations and even setbacks, she says.
But healing does happen.
I channeled my experience into becoming a stroke advocate.
Robyn W.-B., 39, fully admits she should have recognized her own stroke.
After all, stroke care and education are what she does.
Robyn was studying for her graduate nursing classes when she turned her head and felt a pop.
She didnt know it at the time, but a vein had ruptured in her brain.
Then her symptoms began.
She felt nauseous and bright lights bothered her.
I thought I had food poisoning, she says.
I did the thing that I had warned people never to do.
I went and laid down.
I took a hot bath thinking it would help.
I crawled into bed and told my husband that something was very wrong.
Then Robin did the second thing she tells people never to doshe drove herself to the emergency room.
I made it to the entrance and collapsed into the ER.
Thats the last thing I remember for a while, she says.
The stroke caused her to experience significant brain swelling, which led to chemically induced meningitis.
She had symptoms like extreme sensitivity to bright light, problems thinking clearly, and overwhelming fatigue.
She also developed a seizure disorder that mimicked further stroke symptoms.
There was a lot of psychological trauma that came from it.
Fortunately, Robyn was able to find an outlet for these overwhelming thoughts and feelings in her writing.
Writing my story on social media became my outlet.
I wanted to use my experienceboth my medical background and personal strugglefor continuing education and advocacy, she says.
This made her feel she was being heard and understood.
Every November on Facebook, I get to visit the writing that I did, Robyn says.
I take a little memory trip.
Its fascinating to take a step back and reflect on the different feelings I was going through.
I joined stroke support groups and walked away with true friendships.
It was like every form of communication was unplugged, she says.
I couldnt even smile to say that I was okay.
In addition to her mental confusion, she experienced intense muscle spasmscalledspasticitythat arent often talked about with stroke recovery.
He bought her a large-size iPad so she could more easily read words and touch buttons on the screen.
He helped her gain access to multiple apps designed to challenge her brain and memory.
But the most rewarding help TJ gave her was to seek out support groups on Facebook.
I found a stroke support group that I loved, Teri shared.
I was on it every day for four or five years and came away with some true friends.
That support group was perfect.
There were thousands of members, all struggling together.
