Kathy James DALL·E 2023-01-01 17.23.49

As I read back through the posts that I have written over the years following my stroke, I recognize that was not a passive recipient of treatment.

In my initial posts I weaved the tapestry of my recovery, postulating and problem solving, often getting the answers wrong.

What I needed right from the very beginning was someone to sit me down and tell me what to expect. This simply didn’t happen, and stroke turned my life upside down. Through all of this I have become my own clinical reasoner and problem solver.

I have written previously that as a consequence of suffering a thalamic stroke, I now have central post stroke pain (CPSP), this condition affects about 12% of those affected by stroke. It is also known as thalamic syndrome or thalamic pain syndrome, it is a neurological disorder and is extremely difficult to treat. CPSP occurs when there is damage to an area of the brain that carries lots of sensory pathways, no particular type of stroke causes CPSP, rather strokes in particular areas of the brain do. Continue Reading