Brain Break: Learn More About Brain Stem Strokes
August 24, 2008 by Alicia Sparks, Mental Health Notes
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
Today’s Brain Break post is taking a different route than it has in previous editions. Rather than offering you some cool website or bit of news to help you give your brain a break, I thought I’d share some information to help you learn more about your brain.
You see, I’ve spent the past several days at a hospital a few hours away. After struggling for years with diabetes and heart-related problems, a closed loved one’s father suffered a major brain stem stroke and, after meeting with more doctors than I can count right now, we’ve learned the odds that he’ll ever wake up are very slim.
The doctors did tell us that the brain stem was the “worst possible place” to have a stroke, but this man’s real problems lie in all the brain swelling he’s experienced. According to the doctors, the swelling typically goes down, or at least starts to go down, within 48-72 hours; his swelling, however, has not changed for the better.
I’m currently typing this post on Wednesday morning, and am heading back to the hospital for an unknown amount of time. Whatever comes after the hospital…well, only God and time can make those plans.
For today’s Brain Break, I thought I’d offer you some resources to learn more about brain stem strokes, and strokes in general. I’m learning about them, myself.
- American Stroke Association – Provides just about everything you want to know about strokes, including personal stories like that of Kristi O’Donnell, who survived a brain stem stroke.
- Anatomy of the Brain – The Stroke Center at University Hospital in Newark, NJ, provides a wealth of information about the brain, brain flow, and strokes.
- Effects of Stroke – Stanford University Medical Center provides information about strokes in the various parts of the brain.
- Stroke and Neurology Information – This Web page provides a lengthy list of resources to learn about strokes.
- My Brain Stem Stroke – A “personal view” article from BMJ.
- StrokeNet – An online community for stroke victims/survivors and their loved ones. This community also features a message board dedicated solely to brain stem strokes.
- Stroke FAQ – A page from WomensHealth.gov that answers many questions about strokes.
- Dizziness, Vertigo and Brainstem Strokes – From About.com’s Stroke Blog.
Image: morgueFile
Dear Alicia:
My name is Coreen Gonzalez and my one and only sister suffered a brain stem stroke and has been invalid since May 18, 2006 it is with great sorrow to have this happen to my sister whom i love dearly, two days after our mothers death she suffered the stroke she is now 66 yrs. old and still in the same condition. I pray for my sister everyday that she is not suffering and i pray the good Lord will have mercy and grace for her, please keep her in your prayers.
Thank You
Coreen Gonzalez.
@ Coreen – I will definitely keep your sister, you, and the rest of your family in my prayers.
Just yesterday my family has experienced the same thing as Alicia. It’s only been 24 hours and the Doctors have declared him brain dead. I refuse to give up on him. Is this it? Has anyone recovered /surved this kind of sroke?
@ Wednesday Woes – I am very, very sorry to hear what the brain stroke victim and the rest of your loved ones are going through. When I went through it, it was one of the most difficult times in my life.
At that time, I read some of the stories on StrokeNet. It’s a message board/community for people who’ve experienced brain strokes and their loved ones. I read several instances in which people did recover; however, I don’t know if any of those survivors were actually diagnosed as “brain dead.” I highly recommend checking that message board out.
I also recommend taking your time with this. I don’t know who the decision maker is for the stroke victim – whether it’s you or someone else – but the best possible thing you can do is to take your time when it comes to making “the decision.” I would not, under any circumstances, recommend letting the doctors rush you; at the same time, if it starts really looking like “the decision” has to be made, especially given the brain dead diagnosis, I wouldn’t recommend dragging it out – that only causes more pain and suffering for everyone involved.
It’s so important to find a support system during these kinds of times. Give that message board a try, too, and if you’d like to email me my email address is above in, to the right in the box labeled “About Mental Health Notes.”
Here is a group for people who had a Brain Stem Stroke and/or have Locked-In Syndrome.
The brainstem is made up of the medulla, the pons, and the midbrain.
BrainStem Strokes are very different than hemispheric strokes. A BSS affects the part of the brain that is the main switching station. Movement, Speech, Breathing, Heartbeat, Swallowing are controlled by the brainstem. Damage to the brainstem can cause the inability to move or speak, even though the person is able to think like they did before the stroke.
People with locked-in syndrome are conscious and aware with no loss of cognitive function. Memories, Intelligence, Humor, Reasoning are all intact, it’s just the body won’t react. A person is Locked In their body.
Most people still have proprioception (spatial orientation of the body) and sensation throughout their body. Some patients may have the ability to move certain facial muscles, most often eye muscles. It is extremely rare for any significant motor function to return.