The Hidden Effects of a Stroke

My recovery from surgery has been remarkable. I have been able to engage in activities that I thought would be off the cards for far longer. I feel healthy, both physically and emotionally.

I feel so good in fact that my doctor decided I was ready to go back to both gym and work. I took in my medical certificate to my exercise physiologist, who has worked with me since last year after my first stroke. Eva has taught me how to walk three times after each of my strokes, and she is the best person to help me get back on my feet in the gym after the surgery.

I often don’t think about the effects of the strokes on my body. They happened; I recovered. That’s that.

However, during my appointment with Eva, I was briefly reminded about the effects that last year took on the left side of my body.

In these appointments, Eva gets me to perform a few exercises which I will take to the gym and do over the following weeks before my next appointment. The exercises Eva gave me on Friday were focused on strengthening my core. Performing exercises with both my right and my left side was quite straightforward. Performing exercises on my right side was also fairly easy. However, I found when it came to my left side, seemingly simple tasks were far more difficult. It wasn’t a question of strength; it was purely down to the neural…