At The New York Times Nora Johnson offer a brief, but shatteringly accurate, description of a stroke's effect
But that was before the stroke. Now he’s wandering through strange country.
That sounds about right to me. I can remember moments of panic, confusion, and disorientation after a stroke. The simplest thing—opening a drawer, going into a room I hadn't been in for a while—seemed like a real achievement and it was enough to throw me off completely. Coming back after the stroke was a trip through uncharted teritory.