Reiki

Had a Reiki treatment from my good friend today.
Whatever your feelings on these alternative treatments should keep and open mind. Since my last treatment 4-5 months ago my arm has improved significantly.

The energy flowed very well and I felt a deep sense of calm and well being!

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Eventful Day

Went to hospital with my dad to have his prostate markers inserted in preparation for his radio therapy.
All went OK, journey back in wet, dark and mist a bit scary. I'm not a good passenger, be glad when I'm driving again.

Just looked at my book sales report, I've had a sudden sales spurt, still time to get them in time for the holidays http://astore.amazon.co.uk/andhilstrsur-21?_encoding=UTF8&node=103

3rd Book Available

The third book in my surviving a stroke series, One Year On, is now available on Amazon Kindle https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B006NFB5BO

IBS

Went out for lunch with my parents today, I just had a chicken baguette, in line with my diet, it came with mixed leaf side salad which I enjoyed at the time.
Unfortunately this evening my body "rejected" it, and has left me with moderate IBS discomfort. I've had IBS for 30 years now and since the stroke it seems to have got worse again. Sometimes I just wish I could eat what I liked without repercussions! 

Vivid dreams

I have always been a frequent and vivid dreamer.
However one of the aftereffects of the stroke had been to increase the apparent vividness of my dreams.
For the most part they are good if rather weird, at worst they are a little disturbing, but rarely what you would call bad.
I have actually started dreaming as I am just falling asleep and still continuing when I am just waking up, giving the impression that I am having waking dreams.

I have to say that I enjoy these dreams, and actually look forward to going to sleep and dreaming.

Following the suggestion of someone on the TalkStroke Forum, I'm going to try to record some of them in a book.

One year on

It's now a year since I had my stroke.
What a year of ups and downs it's been too, mostly up's though I have to say.
I have been lucky, I survived and I've only been moderately affected.
I can just about walk now, but only for short distances. Arm movement and control is slowly returning. I have a few short term memory, cognitive, and stress issues. My blood pressure is just about under control now, as long as I avoid stress, as is my cholesterol.
I have managed to avoid any falls or seizures so far.

Generally I have come to terms with my new life and I feel positive for the future.

I look at this image from time to time, (MRI image taken the day after the stroke), it reminds me that a little piece of me is gone forever.

Brain Training

I've joined the Luminosity web site http://www.lumosity.com to see if I can address some of the post stroke mental issues that I have.

Lazy Saturday

I'm having, what I used to call a lazy day in my old life, today, not going out anywhere and just relaxing, I've done my housework for the day now, so apart from physio and eating, I've got nothing to do.

My parents are going out somewhere, but I'm not going with them, I'm trying to give them more time to themselves as well as having more time to myself.
I know I shouldn't but I feel guilty for putting them through what I have.

My mum still fusses over me, but I'm trying to wean her off it!
I've stopped her from letting herself into my flat now, she has to knock the door like everyone else. It makes the place feel more like my own again! - Little things!

The first stage of overclocking on my PC seems to be OK, system seems stable enough, the only thing I have noticed is perhaps a 1 degree rise in Northbridge temperature.

I've got my eye on the GPUs for the next overclocking stage, before I do any more on the motherboard.

Motability Car

At long last my motability car claim is moving again. The DWP have finally extended my mobility allowance until Jan 2014, so I have got the car on order again.

Great thanks to Sue Parsons, the ULH Complex Case Manager - Stroke for sorting this out for me!

Sense triumphs over bureaucracy! 

Sunday Morning

Longer walk and housework left me feeling a bit shattered again.
The meeting yesterday tired me too, had a couple of hours sleep when I got home.

I don't think non stroke survivors understand how tiring everything can be! Mentally and physically, everything is tiring! Apparently it lessens after about a year... can't wait!

Stroke unit reunion

I'm going to a reunion / feedback meeting for Lincoln Stroke unit, where I spent my time in hospital, this afternoon.

I'm glad I'm going to give feedback and support to the people who helped me, but at the same time not looking forward to it. I've never been very good at this type of social occasion and also everything is so difficult after a stroke, even simple things like conversation!

My parents are coming to as my carers, so at least I won't be on my own.

Thursday

A bit achey this morning, bit of a reaction to the jabs, Pneumonia arm is particularly bad, feels like the muscle is bruised internally, still I expect I'll be fine by tomorrow!

Lost another 1/2 kg in the last week, had a cholesterol result of 2.9 yesterday from a recent blood test, which is excellent and my blood pressure this morning was 110/78 which is not bad, it's always at it's highest in the morning, before I take my Amlodopine, and some 14 hours after I have taken my Ramipril.

So it looks like I'm doing all the right things.
Just got to keep improving the physical side now and get my thinking and coping working better!

2 jabs for the price of 1

Had my flu jab and a pneumonia jab as well.
No anaphalactic shock  or anything, had one in each arm.

I can't complain at all about the service I have had from the NHS since my stroke.

Flu Jab

Going for my flu jab today, only the second one I've had, last year, I felt fluey for a day afterwards.

My Complex Case Manager - Stroke (Stroke Matron) told me I need to have them as catching flu causes your blood platelets to become sticky, which causes increased clotting and therefore increase stroke risk.

I am so used to injections, needles and blood tests these days it doesn't bother me at all.

Post Stroke Domestication

This morning as I was cleaning the bathroom, I realised that I quite enjoy doing it. Maybe because I find it therapeutic on every level, but mainly I think it's because I can now do it!

I've come a long way since leaving hospital!

A letter from your brain.

Here is a great insight to all kinds of brain injury http://www.waiting.com/letter.html 

Fatigue

As expected the walk and the house work made me feel pretty worn out. I had a couple of lie downs and whiffs of oxygen... and I made it through.

My blood pressure is pretty sensible at the moment, finally got the medication right.
I've just got a reading of 108/65 ... perfect.

Have a quiet day for the rest of the day now, except for my physio exercises. I never find an excuse for not doing these!

Was this a forewarning?

Looking back, from about August 2010 I was unwell. I had a series of sinus problems which gave me some worrying dizzy spells, and after this I felt under the weather. At lunchtimes I would walk to one of 2 parks near to the office, and sit in the fresh air, which seemed to help clear my sinuses.
I felt a bit down at these times as though my life had somehow changed.

Looking back I wonder if these dizzy spells were the results of TIAs... little did I know at the time what was waiting for me in a couple of months!