Wow, thank you all so much for the warm welcome. I have tears in my eyes ... I feel like I have already received so much understanding here in this one thread. I hope to give back to you all in some way!
To be honest, I am having regrets over returning to work so quickly, I wish I had taken the time to realize there were a lot more changes that I needed to get adjusted to. I focused so much on worrying how my mental capacity would be affected, that I lost sight of everything else that might be different. Besides feeling "dumber" than I used to, I also have numbness on the left side of my body from the stroke, and have issues regulating my mood ... I get really snappy at work now, and I feel terrible about it afterwards. My employer and coworkers have been pretty understanding, though I worry that they'll eventually get tired of my mood swings.
That is great to hear! I have, sadly, been hearing more and more about younger people experiencing SAHs and strokes, though it is still a much lower number compared to the general population that is affected, and I have not personally met anyone my age who I can relate to on this level. It's been an isolating experience, as it's hard to talk to my peers about what I've gone through ... conversations get awkward and I hear a lot of rubbish such as "I thought only old people had strokes," etc.
I also do not have a spouse or partner at this time, though my parents and best friend have been great sources of support in different ways. I sometimes worry that I'm not going to find a significant other who is understanding of what I've gone through, and I worry that I'll still be alone many years in the future, when both my parents have passed. I know it's a ridiculous notion to have, so I do my best not to think about it and try to look on the bright side of things. I remind myself that I'm alive and I have so much I want to accomplish!
Thanks for reading my venting. I wrote a lot more, but deleted it as it was turning into a novel, haha. Thank you all again for being so welcoming, I feel like I've found a great "home" here!