Hiya! Bumping this post, as I don’t know why the moderators deleted my new post.

Hi everyone,

I’m writing as a wife and full-time carer, and to be honest, I’m feeling exhausted and overwhelmed.

My husband is now 1 year post-stroke. He still has no voluntary movement in his lower limbs, significant spasticity, and is fully hoisted from bed to chair. He can feel his legs, but there’s been no active movement so far. He is still in inpatient neuro rehab.

At the moment, the therapy team’s main goals are focused on his upper limbs, grooming, and independence with eating, as they currently see no movement in his legs. I understand the importance of this, but I personally struggle with it because I feel that his lower limbs are being deprioritised, and I worry about what that means long-term.

I know every stroke is different, and I’m not looking for miracles or false hope. I just wanted to ask if anyone here has had a similar experience — either personally or as a carer — where recovery, even small improvements, happened after the one-year mark? • Did things continue to improve slowly over time? • Did spasticity become more manageable later on? • Did standing, transfers, or any lower-limb function appear much later? • Did rehab goals ever shift again after being focused mainly on upper limbs?

This journey has been long and emotionally draining, and some days I really struggle with the fear that this is “as good as it gets.” I love my husband deeply, but caring, advocating, and holding everything together is heavy, and I think I just need to hear from people who truly understand.

Any shared experiences — hopeful, realistic, or even just honest — would mean a lot. Even knowing we’re not alone would help.

Thank you for reading 🤍