What happen after stroke?

Miracle! Massive Stroke, Does this happen? Opinions?

• On Saturday my Grandma, who is 87 (88 in April) had a massive stroke. It was right brained so effected the left side. She could move both feet/ legs and her right arm) When she was found she was taken to the emergency room and they announced that she had also had a massive heart attack. Had a horrible urinary tract infection (Pus in the urine). Her kidneys were about to fail. We didn't get to know much, but when I went back there she looked bad. It wasn't my Grandma. It was a frail old woman. This is the woman that just 8 months ago was out breaking a horse for my nephew. (While doing that she got a bad cut and developed a staph like infection, and only since Christmas started acting normal). Okay anyway, she was placed in the ICU and remained pretty much unresponsive. The next day she begins to respond to some things. She shakes her head to yes/no questions (Are you in pain, etc). That night my mother and I stayed the whole night in the actual ICU room. One time around 3am ish she began to wake up and groan. I got up and held her hand and mom was right next to me, and her groans started making syllables. It was hard to understand and took a bit for her to say but she said out. (Do you want your arm out, is that what your saying? and she nodded) Then she said Where am I? And we explained she was in the hospital and the town she was in, and she asked what happened. We told her she had a stroke, and was very sick, but she was going to get better. By this time it was time for her to be moved so she didn't get bedsores. We left and later came back where the nurses said she continued to say "Why...am..I...here." My mom and I took a walk after she had gone back to sleep and were talking about how there are so many things stacked against her, and we prayed that if she is not going to get better and if she is suffering that God take her and don't let it take a long time. We weren't sure if we were really hearing this, or hearing what we wanted to hear. We are scared to be too hopeful. So all this took place on Sunday evening/this morning. My mother was talking to the nurse outside at the ICU desk and I walked in and noticed her pulse was up meaning she was awake (So I figured out) So I went to her and she was groaning and asked where she was. I explained again she was at the hospitl and she had a stroke, but would be better soon. She went back to sleep. My mom and uncle were talking about her living will. She does not want a feeding tube or any other sort of life sustaining machine. My uncle and mom later went outside to talk to the desk and I went to Grandma. I held her hand and she turned it where her palm was facing her and started drawing letters. I called my mom and she was shocked. I told my grandma I know she was trying to tell us something. My uncle doesn't believe she is really there (Just thinks it is a body) and says she can't write, it's just a reflex. He left to feed the cows. After a bit Grandma became antsy and she wanted to talk. She had trouble forming words and finally said I'M DONE. We repeated it to make sure it's what she said and she nodded. She then said my uncle's name and we said squeeze our hand if you want John (uncle) back she squeezed, then we said squeeze our hand if you don't want John back, she did NOT squeeze, then asked again to squeeze if she wanted him back there and she squeezed. We called my sister and said to call and say Grandma wanted him there. We thought he would finish and come back later. He showed up 20 minutes later. (Feeding takes four hours plus) He said mother i'm here. I said, Grandma John's here, and she opened her eyes. She started trying to talk and John says are you trying to tell me something and nodded. He replied What is it? She was having trouble getting it out. I said Grandma, do you want to write it? She nodded. Mom heard that and got a pen and a paper. (We were not sure she could even hold a pen) We put it in her hand and she wrote. SHE WROTE! She said "Turn Off Machine". (It took a bit of deciphering and she had to write it a few times). We started crying. My mom said she had never seen John cry ever, and he was. We explained to her that she was not on a machine. She had a bit of oxygen. But was not on anything keeping her alive, and that we would not put her on a machine.. She didn't quite understand and kept writing it. We kept saying it and she finally wrote, "I hear it". The nurses were all in here watching this wheras before they didn't really acknowlege she had been talking. The main nurse went to her and explained she was in the hospital and there are a lot of patients that are all on different machines and that's what she is hearing. It was not her. She was not on any life sustaining machine. After the nurse told her this she wrote, "Water". This is the last of the machine talk. (She knew she wasn't. We figured she thought Mom and John were putting her on a machine and that was what they were talking about. We didn't know she heard) She kept wan

• Answer:

  Yes I have seen similar things happen. First off, I am sorry to hear that this happened to your grandmother and I wish her the best. To be honest, I do not think your grandmother had a "massive" stroke, but she certainly had a significant stroke. Each area of the brain has a unique function. Therefore when a person has a stroke some functions may be loss but others will not be affected. It is not uncommon for someone to have weakness after a stroke but no other symptoms. Also the language centers are located on the left side of the brain in most people, therefore it is not surprising to me at all that she is able to speak and also write to you. When your grandmother arrived to the hospital she was very ill with the stroke and the urine infection. Urine infections in the elderly can lead to confusion and decreased level of consciousness. This probably was contributing some to her unresponsiveness. Once the urine infection was treated her mental status improved and she was able to communicate better. I have actually seen this occur a lot in elderly individuals and it is amazing how much they improve simply by treating the infection. I am just speculating, but that is the most likely explanation that I can think of. I am happy for you that your grandmother improved and it sounds like she is very special to your family. Physical, Occupational and Speech therapy will be important in helping your grandmother recover from the stroke. Once a stroke occurs, then there is no known way to recover those brain cells that were lost. Therapy is used to build new connections in the brain to compensate for the loss of the other cells. Good luck to your grandmother and family.