Since surviving the stroke I have noticed my tolerance level has decreased, my filter has shortened. I get irritated.
I also notice that I suffer ignorance lightly, again I get irritated.
Many things I have read seem to indicate that irritability is normal, as is depression and headaches. This doesn't make it any easier to deal with although it gives me some comfort to know its normal.
Mental comfort has become something missing from survivors of heart attacks, strokes, cancers and I'm sure many other things. After surviving a heart attack it was the initial few years that my mind was preoccupied with the question of when is it going to happen again? I can say that it has been on my mind since surviving the stroke too and I have heard the same concerns from some cancer survivors I know.
Overall living life and dealing with the issue of the day has been the answer to the haunting questions of my mortality, if I live life, appreciate the awesome things in it and take care of myself to the best of my ability then I've done what I can to avoid future events like my past ones.