After a stroke, there may be many physical, emotional and behavioral changes. Some physical changes may include:


·   Muscle weakness or hemiplegia where there is a loss of strength so one can not do many activities as well as before the stroke. For example, someone with weakened tongue muscles may have slurred speech if they try to talk at a normal speed.


·   Muscle paralysis where the muscle does not receive messages from the brain. For example, someone with paralysis of the right arm can not lift it without help.


·   Loss of sensation where there is a numb feeling so that things don't feel painful or hot or cold or ticklish.


·   Hyper sensitivity where the brain thinks the same feelings are stronger or more intense, e.g., hotter, more painful, colder.


·   Fatigue where one gets tired faster. Doing 1 thing is more than enough.


Emotional changes may be difficult for others to understand because the emotion is not under the person's control. Some people seem to be very sad, crying easily. Others laugh even when things don't seem funny. Yet others get angry without reason. Some may even swear when they have never done so before their stroke.


Some behavioral changes include problems with speaking, writing and understanding language. Problems with using language to communicate are referred to as aphasia. This means someone with aphasia may have problems speaking, understanding speech, read and/or write. There is no medical cure for aphasia, but speech therapy can be helpful. Recovery may be slow, taking many years, if not decades. It is often noted that people do not recover from aphasia, but they recover with aphasia and learning to cope. People with aphasia often become frustrated, isolated and depressed because of their communication problems. Here at the stroke club, we try to reconnect people with aphasia with others in their community. We encourage the development and use of communication strategies and of community supports.