They say the most significant recovery from a stroke happens in the first 3 – 6 months. After 6 months, recovery greatly slows down but it can continue for up to 18 months or even longer. It entirely depends on a number of factors:
~ the part of the brain effected
~ the severity of the stroke
~ the stroke survivor’s motivation
~ the health of the survivor, prior to the stroke
~ the quality of their rehabilitation
~ their health post stroke
When Cisco was still in the ICU, I made a post on Instagram that gave more details about the type of stroke he suffered (much like what he posted about on the blog last week). I mentioned that his neurosurgeon had told me how every patient she’s ever had has been it’s own separate case. In other words, every patient and every situation were entirely different.
The brain is not like other organs. There are huge limits on their ability to monitor what is going on, if something is about to go wrong, or if a procedure worked. The heart, the lungs, pretty much every other organ, you can monitor. There are a number of tests that can be performed and you are much more likely (and able) to see when something is going wrong, or about to.
With a stroke, you will see a number of varying outcomes. And it’s all just a matter of “wait and see”. There are no guarantees and as bad as you want something tangible and certain to hold on to, you will not get it. I will say, if I did not have the certainty in my mind that I did, that the Lord was fully in control and involved in the situation, I would’ve lost my mind.
I had a sort of mantra from the beginning of this whole thing – “Sunday is Coming”. A week or two prior to his stroke, Phil Wickham came out with a song bearing that title. I would weep every time I listened to it and I had it on repeat because I loved it so much. Those 3 words had never sounded more powerful, more hopeful, more victorious to me. If you haven’t heard it, stop here and go listen to it right now.
Those 3 words never left my head for 2 months straight. That picture, of Jesus dying and the hopelessness and devastation the disciples and his friends and followers must have felt the following 3 days…I felt it too. Every dream, completely leveled. Every plan, every prayer, all the years of working hard towards a particular goal, up in smoke. You’re suddenly left with a thousand questions and the charred remains of what you once thought was everything that mattered.
HOW was this His plan?
HOW is any of this good?
And the real question…. Freaking WHY?!
But I digress. Sunday is Coming. Even though I couldn’t see it then, I had to believe it would eventually come. And already, in many ways, it has.
The first 6 months was a whirlwind of progress. He was progressing at breakneck speed and it was incredibly exciting. In every way, it was like witnessing a miracle unfold before our very eyes and I remember just being blown away, every day, watching him conquer every hurdle.
When he got out of inpatient rehab and began going to Day Neuro, his progress continued at a great, but slower, rate. At the 6th month mark, we began hearing the dreaded “his progress has peaked” talk and we knew it was time to begin looking outside of the medical system for further help.
My aunt, who has been a nurse and worked in the medical field for literal decades, was the one to first tell us about the BEMER (Bio-Electro-Magnetic-Energy-Regulation). It’s a German/Swiss device that sends a low-intensity pulsed electromagnetic field, stimulating the muscles, which in turn improves blood circulation. This results in better disbursement of oxygen in targeted areas. You can read more about it here www.bemergroup.com
Increased circulation, blood flow, and oxygen, all provide an ideal environment for healing. This allows the body to heal itself, essentially. A friend that lives in Hungary also messaged me about it during the summer, as it is widely used for rehabilitation in Europe. We were incredibly blessed to be able to get our hands on one for Cisco and he is about 2 months into his daily use of it.
Around the same time we started him on the BEMER, that same aunt also suggested we look into particular line of supplements that would be highly beneficial for him.
It is a line of zeolite based supplements that range from heavy metal detoxification, pain relief, mood boosting and immunity, weight loss and more. We quickly saw major improvements with his mood and ability to manage his emotions.
One of the very common after effects of a stroke is depression (understandably so), and it can be very deep and dark. It is much more difficult for them to “snap out of it” or deal with their emotions when their brain is in a state of trauma. And all of this, while trying to process the fact that they had a stroke and have entire months wiped from their memory. It can be A LOT. And it can be scary.
He went from having 3 – 4 “bad” days a week to pretty much none. Maybe 1 or 2, every few weeks, and not nearly as bad as they were happening before. The supplements have become a necessity, as we saw at the end of last month, when we ran out of them, how quickly his mood and wellbeing nose-dived! Won’t be letting that happen ever again. (The BEMER also helps with mood and the combination of the two have definitely made a difference, as they work synergistically with each other! )
They are completely natural, FDA approved (which is extremely rare for natural supplements!), the highest of quality and I could literally go on and on about them. The brand is called Avini Health and if you are interested in learning more, I would be more than happy to help direct you. You can also check it out here www.avinihealth.com/melissagonzalez. They truly have been a God-send for our family and the testimonials from others who’ve used them as well, are pretty mind-blowing.
If you know Cisco, you know he doesn’t love being on pharmaceuticals, so the fact these have prevented him from having to go on more of them than is necessary, makes it well worth it! He thankfully isn’t on very many, but for those who have asked – he takes a statin, a baby aspirin, and Kepra, which is an anti-seizure med.
In addition to his meds, he also takes B-complex, Omega 3 fish oil, Vitamin D, and Zinc. As far as Avini supplements, he’s on the Cell Defender, Zmunity Mushrooms, Plus Mind and Vision, and Plus Cardio. The biggest thing to remember when treating anything with natural or a more holistic route is that time and consistency are your friend! You have to be consistent and you can’t expect instant results (although you may see some).
I know this wasn’t the most exciting of blog posts, but this covers our most frequently asked questions (how the BEMER is going, what meds/supplements is he taking, etc). Much of his improvements the past couple months have been subtle and in the day-to-day, nearly unnoticeable. But when looking back at the beginning of the month, or a few weeks ago, then I really see it. I’m confident we are giving him his best shot at near to full recovery we can. He is truly the sweetest, most quietly determined fighter I have ever seen and I am so hugely grateful to everyone who has helped us along in this fight.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or a medical professional, nor do I claim to be. I am just a wife and a mom, who has had time on my hands to research. I have also prayed many prayers, for the Lord to lead us to the things that would give us a fighting chance and I absolutely believe He has. Everything we are doing is under the recommendation & supervision of medical professionals.
