Category Archives: hemorrhagic stroke
stroke update 4
Hi, good news, they sent me home on monday 21st August, three weeks and 5 days after being admitted to hospital with left side weakness in my arm and leg. Bad news I have the attention span of a goldfish 🙂 I actually wrote this about 5 days ago then forgot to post it.
Monday morning the physios had me walking on a treadmill, and decided that I could walk unsupervised, by 4 pm the early release team had an opening for me, by 7.30 the pharmacy had produced my pills and Simon had arrived to take me home.
Part of me would rather have stayed in an extra day, to be going from being ok to walk unsupervised but with medical staff on hand to home with Simon in 10 hours was a bit daunting. I would have liked to have been given the opportunity to say goodbye to some of the Paglesham Ward staff who had supported me and the Physio staff who made learning to walk again more fun than it probably should have been (Artie I would like my £100 note now).
I am home now, still getting tired in the afternoon, and having a slight headache, I need to go back to the hospital 6 weeks from the stroke to have another MRI, the swelling and residual bruising will have gone down by then. The Doctors are hoping that this will show why it happened.
The early release team is in place to give me support for up to 6 weeks after leaving hospital, they have been to see me and given me a set of exercises formulated to strengthen my left side, I can walk up and down stairs easier every day and even cooked dinner Friday, even though it was only Chilli.
Stroke update 3
Three weeks from the stroke and the doctors are still no closer to finding out what caused it. Tuesday after a good day with physios I had a seizure, which could just be part of the healing process, it isn’t uncommon after a head injury to have a fit. It lasted 2mins I came out of it without medical intervention and didn’t lose consciousness, at least I don’t think I did, I remember the questions and them using the hoist to put me into bed.
I think I have surprised the physios. When they left on the Friday I still couldn’t lift my foot then by Monday I could walk holding a hand. I now just need supervision, but it means I can walk to the toilet and have a shower, which is always a bonus.
Friday just gone I had a home assessment which meant that instead of physiotherapy at the hospital they took me home in a taxi and watched me get around at home, get on and off the bed, toilet and sofas. I also made Simon a cup of coffee, there wasn’t time for me to make and drink my own hot drink. I managed the stairs ‘slowly’ and petted the cats.
Hopefully these are the first steps to getting me home.
Stroke update
Hello since ‘goals for August’ was written I have had umpteen blood tests while the doctors try in vain to discover why this has happened, no family history, no high blood pressure, no stress, not over weight. I have been prescribed a muscle relaxant and had Botox in my left bicep and pec muscles, this is to weaken these muscles to enable me to use them.
Botox in my bicep allows my tricep to start working, because the bicep wasn’t switching off, the tricep couldn’t engage. Botox in the pec muscle stops my arm from being glued across my front. The Botox was done a little over a week ago and this evening I am using both hands to type this post. Botox was done on Friday 4th, by Sunday I could hold the arm away from my body with the other arm, Wednesday I could just about get grapes to my mouth. Each morning I had a little bit more movement. Today I almost have a full range of movement, the fine motor skills still have to be worked on, but I am pretty happy with the progress.
The muscle relaxant to help with my inability to release the large muscles in my legs, apparently I am a good teaching opportunity, most stroke victims have floppy muscles, mine are fully engaged and I can’t switch them off.
Friday the physios decided to attach what looks like a tens machine to the back of my leg, She had me straighten my leg then ran a current through it then I had to practice bringing my leg back what was interesting was with the leg twitch my foot brought itself into line.
Although I still can’t make my knee work I could wiggle my toes this morning.
I feel that I am making a good recovery and can’t wait to go home, medically I’m sound, but once I leave the hospital I lose the daily access to the physios so I shouldn’t be in too much of a hurry.
More soon
Goals for August
Hello, as you see from my previous post Goals for August probably won’t be sewing related, by the end of August I hope regain some control of my arm and leg and if I am lucky go home, so not too much.
I already have more control of my arm hopefully it will stop turning over on its own when I stop thinking about it, My leg is already accepting more of my weight, even if I can’t direct it to do anything yet, the physios seem happy enough, I ‘walked’across physio floor yesterday i say ‘walked’ i operated my right foot, someone else moved the left one I did manage to push down into my left heel.
More later
Musings of a Craft Enthusiast 