My partner had a BA 7 months ago at the age of 42. There is still very little arm and hand movement after months of OT and PT. Does anyone have a similar situation or suggestions on rehabbing the arm and hand?
Hey Dcscout, welcome to the forum. This is your first post, and itâs an important question so I started a new thread for you. You originally posted on a SAH thread, so I assume that was was your partnerâs original problem.
I think youâll probably get more responses with this stand-alone thread. Your partnerâs lucky to have some close to them who is so caring and concerned.
So welcome here, and hang in there!
Seenie from ModSupport
Welcome Dscout! First let me caution you to take care of yourself first. Caregivers donât have an easy go of it and often stand in the shadows. Just ask the one who has taken care of me since I popped my pipe in 2013.
That being said, recovery is slow for most of us who have survived a SAH. And it is frustrating for all, the person with the experience and those closest to them. If your partner is in a rehab facility, the PT and OT will be done daily. If at home, donât let them get lazy, follow the recommended exercises and how often to do them. Sometimes, just squeezing a stress ball will help with fine motor skills. My father experienced numerous ischemic strokes and had to do his stress ball multiple times a day, every day for years.
Please remember that your partnerâs brain has really gone through the rapids. Itâs sorta like a potato that looks fine on the outside, but when you cut into it, you find a lot of bad spots. The difference is with a lot of time, the bad spots can heal. The brain just needs to make new pathways for the messages.
Hang in there, donât give up hope.
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Thanks so much for relocating my question. I wasnât sure how to create a stand-alone thread. I greatly appreciate the guidance.
Thanks Moltroub for the response. My partner has gone through Acute Rehab, in home OT, PT, SL and out patient OT, PT, SL. Now that the insurance has been exhausted, we are constantly researching in home therapy to to work on the hand and arm.
The most difficult part in this journey, has been the uncertainty of recovery. Everything has been âmaybe itâll come back or maybe it wonâtâ. Regardless, we are grateful for what progress we have made over the past 7 months. Not to mention, my partner survived. 
Thatâs one of the problems we have with this platform: itâs so easy that people canât figure it out. Just click on â+ New Topicâ and away you go âŚ
Thatâs on the home page. To get there, just click anywhere on the red banner.
Seenie from ModSupport
My daughter has the rupture 5 mos ago. With rehab she gains mobility with her leg but still needs assistant walking along the rail, the arm is slowly moving, and what worry me is her short term memory that she cannot remember what happened today.
My friend had a non aneurysm stroke and he had the same issue. He couldnât turn a door knob or use a pen, shave, or use a toothbrush. His coverage for OT ran out and he used YouTube videos of therapy to continue it on his own. It wasnât just nerves, his muscles also quickly werenât strong enough to do the usual things. Repetition of the exercises over and over again twice a day for a few months and he can turn a doorknob now with effort. I admire his determination and persistence and refusing to give up. His partner replaced the doorknobs with levers in the house in the meantime (except the front door). He still canât use a pen to sign a check but he is able to hold the pen, and they are finding workarounds for most other things. He grew a beard and does the teeth using an electric toothbrush and his partners help. His biggest frustration is the ATM, since he times out before finishing. What is your partners most difficult task?
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Thank you for joining this forum. I had cerebral aneurysm surgery (two stainless steel clips) 25 years, 9 months and 17 days ago. Reading and posting on this site has been invaluable. My significant other cared for me hand and foot for several weeks thereafter, but I was lucky and had no physical damage and I realize from reading posts on this site that I had very little brain damage. Now however, my husband has suffered two critical brain bleeds from falls during which he struck his head. He almost died during the first one because they could not stop the bleeding for many hours. My point is that I have been on both sides of the situation, and both are difficult. Taking care of my husband will never end and it can be very wearing at times. Recovery is highly individual and my experience, or that of any of us is unlikely to be similar to that of your spouse. Your kindness, care, love and assistance make all the difference. Your questionâŚhow long?..ask the surgeons and other physicians. Again, it is situational and unique.to each person. I wish you the best, I truly do. I guess I want to help if I ever can so do feel free to contact me for any reason.