Tiredness

I have never given in to this temporary state and have kept working away to try and get better.

I am extremely fortunate that I still receive 'physio and have built up a good relationship with the lady who has been treating me post-discharge. We laugh together and occasionally I get overwhelmed and get tearful.
I work hard at my homework with my husband who has been exceptionally supportive, but when he was working it became difficult as I would be tired and un-responsive when we attempted the exercise routine in the evening.

Tiredness is an on-going problem and I have come to realise that I have to pace myself. On a good day it is very tempting to go mad and try and do all manner of things and then I suffer for the next two days, and must rest.
Two or three months ago I had tremendous pain in my legs at night, I tried to sleep with a pillow underneath them, took painkillers and when nothing seemed to cure this convinced myself that I had a thrombosis.
(Every little thing that seems "not the norm" is a worry until I find the logical explanation) I had been over-doing things but not heeding the physio's advice of doing leg stretches: standing on the bottom stair step with only the toes on the step and then rocking the foot upwards and downwards to create a stretch to leg muscles.
For every new thing that I try I have to find a way of relaxing that joint/muscle etc. afterwards.

I try to do a little daily walking but if I overdo it my legs totally seize up which means that I literally cannot put one foot in front of the other.
If I get mentally tired it causes the inability to think straight and at times I can experience a "knocking" sensation in my head.


It can also cause my speech to be slightly slurred and then I get a little upset when people cannot understand me. Instead of asking me to explain they will look to the person I am with - - more irritation!
I used to start conversations:- "I am sorry, but since my stroke . . .". I don't do it as much these days, people must be aware that we work hard to combat these difficulties, and now I will make a joke of it.

I remember Thora Hird playing a stroke victim in Alan Bennett's "Lost for Words" and how if she couldn't remember a word would try word association - believe me it does work!