Thriving with ADHD (after a stroke): A Personal Journey of Energy, Challenges, and Growth

Here I am, Tuesday at 4:15 a.m., wide awake. Yesterday, I was up around 8:30 a.m., shoveled snow, walked in the snow, did yoga, and even squeezed in over three minutes of cold therapy. I caught up with two friends on the phone, texted a few others, listened to a self-help audiobook, watched a movie, did laundry, and cooked dinner. And probably more, I can’t remember (of course, darn stroke). OH! I also posted 3 blog posts.

I “should” be exhausted. No naps, countless baths (I lost track), and two showers later, I find myself full of energy. Yes, our water bill will be scarey, but at the moment, baths bring me joy—and let’s face it, I could use as much of that as I can get. Oh, and I had two cups of chamomile tea, but here I am, still wide awake. Honestly, it’s not the worst thing. Somehow, I’ll find a way to function this week.

All night, I’ve been buzzing with ideas and excitement about the future. Our future. This is my ADHD brain in action. And no, not everyone has ADHD. It’s not some exclusive club or quirky badge of honor. Please, stop diagnosing your friends and family. For me, ADHD was never even on my radar. I genuinely thought my brain worked like everyone else’s. After diagnosis, I asked a coworker, “Doesn’t everyone’s brain work this way?” Her simple answer? “No.” And that was that. I know the surge of energy is also partly due to the new meds I’ve been switched to. Honestly, I’m conflicted. On one hand, they’re making me feel too good tonight—this level of alertness isn’t sustainable when you’ve got a 9-to-5 job and a history that demands good sleep after a stroke. But I promised myself I’d give the meds a year, and I’m sticking to that commitment.

For the record, I’m not anti-medication. I fully support those who benefit from them. Meds can be life-changing, even lifesaving. But for me, they’ve always been a source of internal struggle, which I’m beginning to unpack. Hypnotherapy is helping me dig into some of these limiting beliefs. It’s hard not to connect my hesitation to past experiences. For instance, they think HRT caused my stroke—traditional Western medicine. And they “suspect” blood thinners led to my brain bleed—again, Western medicine. I’m not a doctor and can’t say for certain what went wrong, but clearly, something didn’t work as it should have.

Anyway, sarcasm aside, today is going to be quite the ride. I’m working all day, my “helper” is back (MTC), Yoga at 5:30 p.m., therapy at 7:00 p.m., and a never-ending list of small chores. It’s a lot. But I know you get it. We got this!

UPDATE: Today was much worse for many, many reasons. May share tomorrow. In the meantime, I have to clean up for yoga and therapy. Be good to yourselves friends!