Therapy after 18 years?

by Annette
(Clarksviile)

I suffered a stroke 18 years ago after the birth of my youngest child. I didn't receive any speech therapy or brain exercise to help me get back to the way I was before. Am I still able to try to heal and my problem with thinking or concentrating and memorizing things after all these years? Or is it too late and my brain won't get any better than what it is?

I have so much trouble being able to just repeat verbally what I see on a piece of paper without looking at it. I can't repeat what I just looked at two seconds ago on that piece of paper without stumbling for words and pushing them out of my mouth.

I'm sorry if my question seems strange or not understandable but it is hard to explain. The best example I can give is like if you are working as a air traffic controller and you have to give a pilot certain directions with certain phrases such as " Piper 4JS, traffic 4 o'clock, 10 miles, report the traffic in sight". ....I couldn't repeat those numbers or that phrase by heart because I will stumble and trip over the numbers and letters, trying to push them out of my mouth! It is a real struggle.

I would have to constantly look at it and read it from a piece of paper. I can't perform calculations in my head like I used to. So, sorry if I confused anyone but that's the only way I can explain it.

But after 18 years is there still a chance to train my brain or are my brain cells irreparable. Thanks.