Vivistim: One Stroke Survivor’s Experience – And Why Spasticity Matters

When recovery gets complicated, honest stories help us navigate the grey. In this episode, John Cross shares his lived experience with Vivistim (paired VNS) and why a less-talked-about barrier, spasticity,  shaped what he could (and couldn’t) do in therapy.

The Day Everything Changed

John’s story starts with something ordinary: a bad bout of COVID and relentless coughing. Soon after, he collapsed while getting ready for bed. He later learned he’d likely had a carotid artery dissection, a tear in the artery that can lead to stroke. The swelling in his brain was so severe he needed a decompressive craniectomy. Over a year later, he underwent cranioplasty to “put his head back together.” In between were weeks of hospitals, rehab transfers, infections, and a heavy protective helmet that strained his neck.

Life After Stroke: Identity Shifts and Small Wins

Before stroke, John worked long days as a mechanical designer and application engineer problem-solving was his world. After stroke, everything changed: left-sided weakness, hypersensitivity, time distortion, and the emotional rollercoaster many survivors know well. Work disappeared after a corporate acquisition; insurance hurdles stacked up. Still, he kept searching for options: hyperbaric oxygen, medications, and eventually Vivistim.

What Vivistim Is (and Isn’t)

This isn’t medical advice or a recommendation; it’s John’s account. Vivistim is a paired vagus nerve stimulation device: a small implant connected to the vagus nerve. The core idea is timing brief stimulation while you perform a task, to help the brain strengthen relevant neural pathways. John’s sessions included therapist activation and a magnet he could use himself. He didn’t always feel the “throat tickle” many describe. One day, he surprised himself by pinching a Post-it between thumb and finger, tiny, yes, but meaningful.

The Spasticity Factor

Here’s the critical insight from John’s story: spasticity can limit functional gains.

He describes his left arm as “locked up” so tight that even in zero-gravity setups, he felt like he was fighting a 15-pound weight. Without the ability to move the limb through useful ranges, pairing stimulation with specific movements was harder. He explored options like Botox (costly with his insurance) and became curious about longer-lasting approaches like cryo-neurolysis still hard to access in his region.

This doesn’t mean Vivistim can’t help someone with spasticity; it means spasticity may need its own plan so therapy, any therapy, has room to work.

The Emotional Load No One Warned Us About

John speaks candidly about fear, clinginess, and anger outbursts that felt out of character. He wished someone had prepared him for the emotional and cognitive shifts after discharge. In my experience, that gap is common. Hospital teams do an incredible job stabilizing people, but the “what now?” conversation often happens elsewhere, and often too late.

If that’s you: you’re not broken and you’re not alone. Emotional changes can be part of brain injury, not a moral failure. Support (counselling, peer groups, community) helps.

Advocacy, Patience, and the Power of Community

John’s engineering mindset both helped and hurt. He wanted to “solve” recovery quickly until he realized recovery demands experiments, patience, and feedback. He kept reaching out, kept learning, and kept trying. That’s hero work.

“Small wins count. Pinching a Post-it mattered because it meant my brain could still learn.”

—John Cross

Practical Takeaways (Not Medical Advice)

• If spasticity is a roadblock, make it a priority topic with your clinicians. Strength, range, and fine control often need spasticity addressed first.
• Pair therapy with purpose. Whether you use a device or not, rehearsing goal-based movements with repetition is powerful.
• Track tiny wins. A weekly note of “what moved, what felt different” builds momentum.
• Get emotional support. Recovery is physical, mental, and emotional. Consider a psychologist or peer group.
• Be your own advocate. Ask questions, seek options, and document outcomes.

If you want a lived-experience roadmap for the long haul, my book might help:

The Unexpected Way That a Stroke Became the Best Thing That Happened

And if this show supports you, consider joining the community:

Patreon.com/recoveryafterstroke

“Spasticity doesn’t mean progress is impossible. It means the plan needs adjusting.”

Sponsor

A thank you to Banksia Tech, distributors of the Hanson rehab glove by Syrebo, designed to help stroke survivors work on hand function at home, whether you’re early in recovery or years in. You’ll hear more during the episode.

Final Thought

John’s story isn’t about a miracle device. It’s about nuance: understanding that tools, timing, spasticity, emotions, and support all intertwine. Recovery isn’t linear, but small, honest wins stack up.

Disclaimer:

This blog is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please consult your doctor before making any changes to your health or recovery plan.

John Cross on Spasticity, Vivistim, and Finding Small Wins After Stroke

John shares his Vivistim experience and how spasticity shaped rehab, an honest look at small wins, setbacks, and hope in stroke recovery.

Highlights:

00:00 John Cross’s Background and Initial Stroke Experience
05:03 Jon Cross: The Night Everything Changed
16:48 Hospital Stay and Initial Diagnosis
18:27 Rehabilitation and Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS)
21:21 Jon Cross: Rewiring Recovery with Vivistim
35:29 Small Wins and Hope with the Vivistim Journey
49:23 Emotional and Psychological Impact
52:08 Adapting to Life Post-Stroke
54:42 Support Systems and Future Goals

Transcript:

John Cross’s Background and Initial Stroke Experience

Bill Gasiamis 0:00
Before we jump into today’s conversation, I want to take a moment to thank everyone who contributes to making this show possible. My Patreon supporters, YouTube commenters, Apple podcast reviewers, and everyone who’s brought my book The Unexpected Way That A Stroke Became The Best Thing That Happened, after doing this for more than 10 years on my own.

Bill Gasiamis 0:20
Your support now helps me create this content for other survivors who need hope, inspiration and real world insight into life after stroke and a special thank you to Banksia tech, proud distributors of the Hanson rehab glove by cerebo, designed to help stroke survivors improve hand function at home, whether you’re early in recovery or years down the track, and I’ll tell you mor