The importance of exercise for physical stability

In the case of a stroke, every minute counts.

When Mr Steiner tried to get up in the middle of the night, his leg suddenly went numb and he felt very sick.

Mr Steiner suffered a second stroke while in the hospital

Mr Steiner did not realise that he was losing the ability to speak. The nursing staff recognised the situation immediately and called a doctor to his bedside.

"I was a vegetable"

Looking back, Mr Steiner describes himself during the acute phase of his illness as a “vegetable” – an expression that, for him, symbolises a state in which he was no longer able to grasp parts of his own perception. Despite his otherwise humorous personality, he reports that he felt no sense of humour whatsoever during this time.

Physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and singing lessons

Over a period of two years, Mr Steiner received weekly physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy sessions to aid his recovery following a stroke. Today, he only attends physiotherapy sessions to have painful or cramped areas of his body treated. With regard to his language skills, he reports that he benefited particularly from a singing teacher whose approach differed significantly from that of the speech therapist and gave him new insights into how to use language.

“You make the most progress at the beginning”

Mr Steiner learnt to walk again during his rehabilitation. At first he was confined to a wheelchair, and later used a walking frame. Although his mobility remains limited, by the time of the interview he was once again able to walk unaided – though not to jog. He found the rehabilitation very strenuous, as he had several therapy sessions every day. Speech therapy was particularly helpful for him, as he had difficulty speaking.

“Sometimes those around the patient need more help than the patient themselves”

Mr Steiner describes the enormous strain placed on his family members, who witnessed the critical situation while fully aware of what was happening. He explains that one of his relatives accompanied him in the ambulance as the sirens blared. At such moments, the gravity of the situation becomes very clear to family members.

A plateau in recovery

During the acute phase, Mr Steiner looked to the future with optimism and expected to recover quickly from his stroke. Two years on, he is glad that he did not realise at the time just how much his daily life would be affected by long-term limitations.

Mr Steiner would not have been able to call the emergency services

At the time of the stroke, Mr Steiner was living with his ex-girlfriend. When he realised something was wrong, he called her. She immediately called an ambulance.

Mr Steiner finds religion interesting

Religion and faith play no part in Mr Steiner’s life. Nevertheless, he is interested in how other people draw strength from their faith. That is why he frequently seeks out conversations on matters of faith and occasionally reads religious texts.

Reading aloud as a daily exercise

Mr Steiner practises every day to regain his ability to speak. Reading aloud is particularly helpful for him.

When the sister becomes a pillar of support

Since his stroke, his sister has been handling the administrative tasks.

The importance of exercise for physical stability

For Mr Steiner, daily exercise is important for maintaining his mobility. He finds that regular physical activity helps to ensure he remains mobile in his daily life. On days when he lacks the motivation to exercise, however, he notices that his physical abilities deteriorate. Climbing stairs is particularly difficult for him on such ‘bad days’.

Re-learning everyday tasks

Using the example of shopping, Mr Steiner describes how he had to relearn everyday tasks following his brain injury. What used to come naturally suddenly presented many challenges.

A thought-free state

Mr Steiner describes how, after his stroke, he sometimes felt as though his head was simply empty and he didn’t need to think. Although he found this state unsettling at times, it meant he could fall asleep without his mind racing as soon as he lay down. At the same time, however, he also experiences the opposite, where his thoughts bounce around his head like a ‘pinball’.

Mr Steiner no longer felt comfortable behind the wheel

After his stroke, Mr Steiner took some extra driving lessons to see if he was still able to drive. For a while, he continued to travel around the south in a camper van. However, when he realised that he no longer felt comfortable on narrow roads, he decided to sell the camper van. Since then, he has mainly been getting about by public transport and on his bike.

Return to the stage and personal boundaries

Mr Steiner wanted to return to the stage after his stroke. With the help of his manager at the time, he performed a play about his stroke. Although he thoroughly enjoyed the first performance, he was unable to continue with the stage programme in the long term. In the days that followed, he was no longer able to carry on with his daily work routine, meaning he could not commit to any further performances.

Mr Steiner measures his quality of life against an imaginary benchmark

Mr Steiner looks back on a life as an artist in which he has had a great deal of fun. He describes his current quality of life as relatively good. He has learnt that bad days are always followed by good ones.