Nearly everybody who has had a stroke will forever remember with gratitude one or two of the professionals - doctors, nurses, therapists - they encountered during their recovery.
It's like the well-known saying: Nobody forgets a good teacher.

Not every professional will be able to work that kind of magic, but to help them out we have listed some of the things we don't want and some of the things we need a lot of, based on our own experiences.

DON'T

DON'T make predictions - they might be wrong and the gloomy negative ones are hardly likely to motivate me to work hard at my recovery.

DON'T ever say We can't do any more for you - it feels like being abandoned - like being dropped into a big hole of despair.

DON'T say you're discharging me - try instead transferring me to my own DIY recovery plan, preferably with some low-level support. DON'T ever tell me I've reached a plateau. DON'T give up on me if i don't seem to be motivated - the challenge is to try everything to get me to make the necessary effort.

DON'T get annoyed if I can't make simple choices e.g. about coffee or tea, or which socks I want to wear. Any more?

DO

DO give me time to try to do things and time to adjust

DO always stand at my affected side

DO keep telling me what's happening - again and again… and again

DO tell the family as much as you can - they need to know what's happened and if possible why it might have happened

DO at all costs resist giving a direct answer when we ask 'will I get back to normal?' 'When will I drive again?' 'When will I be able to walk?' 'How long will I be in this wheelchair?' The only honest answer is 'go for it - it's going to depend mainly on you'.

DO let me doze off a lot at first - strokes are exhausting. Even after a few years some people say the slightest effort still leaves them ready for a nap

DO try to imagine the frustrations

DO give encouragement and hope - continuously. We need huge quantities of these to get us to keep up the struggle.

DO congratulate every small achievement - a feeble wiggle in a toe or a finger might not look much to you but it's a mega-moment for me.

DO keep reminding me that superhuman effort and concentration are obligatory But DO believe in my recovery

DO try to show me the funny side.

Any more?