As we turn the calendar over to start another year, my personal target is to make significant progress with my right arm. I do feel as though things are changing, however it still requires a lot of input from me.
This coming July will see the 5th anniversary of my Stroke - how time has slipped over - which makes my more resolute in my endeavours to combat my incapacities.
Christmas 2013 was a joyful time as our family came to stay with us, including our two year old granddaughter. How delightful to have a child's prescence at this magical time. She knows that I have something wrong with me and is always efficient at giving me my walking stick when we go out! I have simply told her that I have a "poorly arm" and she accepts that I am not the perfect playmate, not only have I a poorly arm, but I cannot sit on the floor exactly where she would like me to be or lift her up, but we have that understanding.
There has been a shift in my husband's families circumstances, which has resulted in his mother living alone in their bungalow and his father in a residential care home. Far from ideal after almost 73 years of marriage. This in turn, has resulted in us visiting on a weekly basis - something not long ago that I could not have contemplated. I am far more able to withstand the journey and the visiting of other relatives whilst we are there. Sometimes I do feel tired on the following day, but nothing as severe as it used to be.
As you will be aware, if you keep up to date with my blog, towards the end of last year my G.P. changed the medication that I had been taking post-stroke. The blood pressure tablet was reduced by half and my statin was changed for a different brand. Over the following initial week or two I noticed that my joints, in particular my fingers and knees were less painful, resulting in the ability to walk a distance without pain. I am now able to walk around two and a half to three miles with a coffee stop on route. This has been another huge milestone for me and really lifted my spirits, especially as people are beginning to comment on the difference. I am feeling confident enough to undertake longer walks on my own, however, I do carry a phone with me incase I get into difficulties.
If my application is sucessful I am hoping to walk around the local Fun Run in May - another personal target for 2014.
I have restarted the weekly chairobics class which gives me gentle stretching exercises in a group session. There is no pressure on any class member and we take it in our own time and achieve what we can at that particular time and day.
All of these things combined, have seen me eating and sleeping better, my weight loss target has been achieved and generally I am feeling more confident over a whole range of things that seemed impossible at one time.
I am not complacent and know that regular blood tests and blood presure checks will be the norm, but I feel that 2014 will be a bigger turning point than previously.
As I have said many times: Recovery is a marathon not a sprint - but with patience, perseverence it can be achieved.
