Partner had a stroke on the right side on brain stem

by Joe
(Tulsa OK)

Question It has been about 2 months since my partner had a stroke. When he had it, the main effects he suffered from it were pretty intense. He couldn’t swallow for a day. He had the hiccups for about 2 weeks straight-non stop. They would get so bad he couldn’t breathe and would be vomiting and trying to catch his breath on top of crying. It was awful. He also couldn’t poop for a week. He kept complaining about an “eye headache “and was really dizzy all the time. And really said he just felt like crap 24/7. Now it’s like every other day is different. He gets orgasmic “shocks” in random parts of his body that make him all giddy and all of a sudden it turns into the worst “shocking” sensations that make him scream and cry. He wakes up with horrible headaches all the time and is still dizzy almost constantly. But no matter if it’s a good day or a bad day, every night when he goes to sleep he gets sick. Like it hits him in the face with a bat. From the time he lays downs, it’s nothing but moans and groans and he’s freezing. And then he gets nauseous. Now his swallowing has gone from good to horrible. He sucks it into his lungs or sinuses. We’re both tired and frustrated. Nobody will really explain to us what is happening. And he just tells me he wants to die. I can’t handle this anymore. We’re both getting so depressed and fighting about everything. And nothing is making sense to us anymore.

Answer I don't know if anyone has explained things to you, but strokes can affect people differently depending on where the stroke is located. You mention in your title that your partner had a brain stem stroke. The brain stem controls all basic activities of the central nervous system: consciousness, blood pressure and breathing. All motor control for the body flows through it. It can lead to nausea, vertigo, double vision, and more. The good news is that it has only been 2 months since his stroke, so hopefully he will continue to heal and his symptoms will begin to improve over the next month or two. I would suggest finding a good neurologist who has experience with brain stem strokes. Many MDs have special interests and not all neurologists will be as experienced with this type of stroke as others. You'll need to be an advocate for your partner right now and insist on help/answers.