Looking at my blog I was surprised that I haven't written anything about my personal journey for nine months or so. Time really passed me by last year as there was such a lot going on, both within the family and also the town where I live.
My adopted home town is a very vibrant place with a real community spirit and businesses and residents totally got in the spirit of the Tour de France Grand Depart which passed through on Sunday July 6th. Before that momentous occasion came The Great Bed Race, on the second Saturday in June, - a permanent fixture on the town's calendar.
The bed race takes months of planning and the town can experience 20,000 visitors on the day.
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| The town becomes decorated ready for TdF. |
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| Decorated for the parade. |
The Tour de France, Grand Depart weekend was very busy: pop up cafes and seating in the market square and also seating at the castle top with the chance to watch the race on a big screen tv was something special to be a part of.
The race itself was "over in a flash" as the peloton whizzed through town, however, residents and tourists stayed and had picnics and there was a general good "feel good factor" in town.
It was only to be expected that family and friends would want to come and stay for the weekend and we managed to accommodate an extra six people! It was really enjoyable to catch up with them, but it did take its toll and I needed a few days to recover.
Anyone looking at me would not know that I had a major Ischaemic Stroke, (blockage in an artery leading to the brain), July 2009, the only sign is my right arm and hand which have not yet made full recovery and also I walk with the aid of a stick. So, I'm not sure that some people would necessarily understand how tiredness can affect me still. My body just shuts down and it can mean that I have to be assisted upstairs to bed and undressed. My hand and fingers can become taut and painful and my neck sore. When I get like this, I just have to accept that this is the way things are, and as frustrating as it is, rest and do nothing.
A few week after all this activity came another major festival in town - one of entertainment and visual arts. I have a great passion for this festival and miss being part of the arts scene, (AmDram was my passion pre-stroke). I try to go to as many events as I can and support all the volunteers who put on this wonderful festival. My sister comes to stay for a few nights and we pick and chose our events beforehand - she is the artist of the family. Once again, this time over a ten day period, I am out several times and once it is all over I am in need of much needed rest. It is also about this time that I have two sessions of acupuncture quite close together. I find this treatment works really well and improves my stamina or relaxes me depending on what I require and request on the day. I have been having acupuncture for about three and a half or four years - post stroke. I find it to be really beneficial and would recommend anyone to try it. It is a personal choice and will not be appropriate for everyone.
There is another festival in town - an innovative poetry and performance festival. Acts perform on the street and in various venues around town, this year will be its third year, and is gaining notoriety. Yes! I also try and attend some events but with friends who are like-minded.
It was in late summer/early autumn that family matters took over. My father-in-law decided that he wanted to live permanently in a different care home, one which specifically catered for the needs of disabled and amputees and my mother-in-law fell and broke her femur. Both were 97 and it all seemed quite sad that after 73 years of marriage that they would be further apart.
This resulted in my husband and I travelling more frequently to see them and this was made more difficult as they were now about thirty five miles from each other: a similar journey to what we have been accustomed to see my mother in law, but now a round journey of 196 miles to see my father in law. I had to cease driving after my stroke and have found this extremely frustrating - especially as I have to be so reliant on my husband or friends. Now the pressure was building on my husband who had to carry out all the driving and experience the added emotional impact. We travelled as often as we could to see my husband's father, but on occasions stayed overnight in a guest house. Travelling
great distances in a day is not agreeable for me as I can get painful and tender joints, back and knees.
Sadly, my father-in-law died in between Christmas and New Year and in a strange way I miss the journeys and meeting fellow residents.
At the end of October we visited London to see the poppies in the moat at the Tower of London. 888,246 ceramic poppies, each one representing a British & Colonial fatality of W.W.1. A humbling, awe-inspiring work of art.
We are very fortunate in that our eldest son lives in North London and so we always have a place to stay. Another memorable trip, but very tiring and again I required rest and treatment on my return.
Earlier in the year we visited the Chelsea Flower Show which is held annually at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, a very busy place to be! At times I found the crowds to be overwhelming and this made my head feel very "whizzy". I have learnt that by drinking a bottle of water when this occurs to be beneficial. A strange feeling, but a quick fix remedy.
A busy few months, with a holiday touring Belgium and Luxembourg in-between the Bed Race and Tour de France also.
So, after five and a half years, I am well on the way to recovery, but at times not without problems.
I am able to go out and participate in events, enjoy nights out at the theatre, go out for meals, walks, holidays and generally have a social life.I try to maintain a normal routine during the day, but if I am going out at night I try to rest during the afternoon. It can be frustrating sitting down and watching my husband do jobs that I feel I should be doing.
I do have acupuncture around every three weeks, which I personally find beneficial. Approximately every five/six weeks I have treatment to put my body back in alignment. Walking or even the cold weather, when I tend to "scrunch" up my frame, means that my body slips out of alignment and this results in a very painful neck, shoulder, arm and knee. As I am walking more frequently and for longer distances, with my uneven gait, it is so easy for things to become un-aligned. The top,cervical, vertebrae is the key to the body's support and holding us up.
If I get overtired I do get the peculiar sensation in the head, it is like when a merry go round stops and you get off, but the head keeps travelling. A sensation which I have still not lost entirely, but thankfully this is occurring less frequently. Occasionally, I am prescribed medication from my G.P. for this condition.
A simple but effective way of keeping the body warm, and therefore less likely to be "hudled", is to wear a scarf around the neck, wear gloves - even in the house I have a pair of fingerless on - and wear a hat on chilly days. This way the nerves are all kept warm and cosy.
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| Nerve functions |
It took her around seven years to fully recover, so I am still work in progress and aiming to combat the effects of my stroke.
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