Women fare worse than men after surviving a stroke, new report suggests – CBC

Studies show women 20 to 70% more likely to suffer anxiety, depression in recovery

Jun 01, 2023

For Katherine Isaac, having a stroke in her 40s was shocking and frightening enough — but she also wasn’t prepared for the emotional toll while she recovered.

The Ajax, Ont., resident caught COVID-19 in 2021 and realized something was wrong when she couldn’t make it up the stairs at home without being out of breath. She called 911, and wound up hospitalized with low levels of oxygen. She was then placed on a ventilator in the ICU.

A few days into her hospital stay, Isaac realized her left arm was becoming harder to control. She couldn’t lift it, or even grip a fork.

“After about a week, they determined that I had a stroke,” she recalled.

After three months of outpatient therapy, the cybersecurity executive struggled to get back to day-to-day activities; even little tasks became a struggle — like holding a cellphone or reaching products at the grocery store.

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/stroke-women-recovery-mental-health-anxiety-depression-1.6860606