Action on Stroke Month

 About Action on Stroke Month

May 2012 sees the launch of the UK’s first Action on Stroke Month, our annual push to pack in as much awareness raising and fundraising as we can, and to encourage stroke survivors and families who may not know of us to get in touch.

Over 150 stroke clubs, groups and hospitals have so far signed up to join Action on Stroke Month they’ll be:

• running information days
• taking part in events and raising money, and
• celebrating the recoveries that people with stroke can make.

There will also be a very serious message. The focus of this year’s Action on Stroke Month is Life After Stroke.

This campaign will serve to highlight the everyday difficulties that stroke survivors and their families face and what needs to change to ensure stroke survivors are supported to make the best possible individual recovery.

Everyone can join in during Action on Stroke Month. Whether it’s hosting an information stand at your shopping centre, asking your health centre to put up a poster or simply wearing a badge, we need your help to get the message out there.

This information has been taken from "The Stroke Association" web-site:

http://www.stroke.org.uk/

Event: Sip for Stroke

Sip for Stroke

1/3/2012 - 1/5/2012

Venue: UK Wide

Type: Special Event

Throughout spring, we are encouraging people to organise a Sip for Stroke event and help stroke survivors and their families.

Sip for Stroke is a great excuse to meet up over tea or coffee and cake and an easy way to help raise money for those affected by stroke.
What better excuse to catch up with people over a cuppa and a piece of cake whilst doing your bit for charity this year.
You could Sip for Stroke anywhere, at work, home, school, village hall or even a local community centre that you are part of.
It's simple, quick, and a great way to do your bit for those affected by stroke whilst having fun and catching up with people.
If you cannot organise your own event, why not ask if your local coffee shop wants to get involved and donate a small amount for every drink or cake they sell on a particular day or week?
Registering couldn't be easier, simply sign up here fill in a few details and we will send a pack out to you. You can also email us or call 020 7566 1525.

Event contact

I am hosting one of these events at my local Cricket Club on Saturday April 7th.

Keep Calm & Carry On 2

The weeks over the Christmas & New Year period can always be that little more stressful, and this year I found it more so than in previous years. In the few weeks prior to Christmas I had been suffering with Vertigo and this had made me feel quite queasy at times and for some reason very vulnerable. Without any reason to do so, I felt a sort of insecurity and overemotional.
Thankfully, I only had to take tablets only for two or three weeks to combat the Vertigo.
I guess that because of this, there was a lot of tension in my body and at times I had terrific pains in my neck that would travel down into my shoulder and the top of my good arm. It was a miserable time and one that I have now overcome without prescription medication but with the help and encouragement from my husband.
I acknowledge that I have found it difficult over these weeks to be now going into a third new year without fully regaining the use of my right arm or hand. I remain resolute that "I will not be beaten" and try even harder to overcome the obstacles.
I attended the Botox clinic on December 22nd and we agreed that as my hand and fingers are still quite loose, that no Botox would be given at that time and I next go on February 2nd. I can still do a finger spread and maintain for a while and I can also rotate my hand from the wrist so the palms face upwards.
I have also been practicing getting hold of objects and can now actually get hold of things as you would expect and not "backwards" as I was previously.
I have an appointment at the Hospital Eye Clinic later in January for another Visual Fields test and to check the pressure. Depending on the latter result, I may have to be prescribed drops.
My friends and acquaintances tell me, "that I am coming on in leaps and bounds" and I am, but how I would love to be able: to clip my own toe nails, walk down a full flight of stairs one foot in front of the other, get in and out of a bath without assistance, drive, make a full meal but most of all be able to stretch and hold out my right arm.
Let's see what progress I make with regard to all of these in this next year.

Continuing my journey

To extend the wrist

To extend the wrist

Reach out & hold

I do not now have regular appointments with my Physio, but occasional contact is kept by e-mail. I recently received a message that stated she "was pleased that my hand is continuing its journey". This is something that I had never considered - the fact that all my recovery has been and still is a continuing journey. I strive to maintain progress with daily exercises and am always trying to re-invent them to adapt them to my current needs.

I am now trying to extend and strengthen my wrist. This I do by holding a salt seller horizontally in my right hand (I should hold the wrist down with my left hand) and then pull up the wrist and hold in this position for up to 10 seconds.

Holding objects is something that I have been doing for a while, I have a variety of objects that are different shapes and medium. However, it has been a challenge to be able to reach out and take hold of an object. At first, I could only get hold of things the reverse way round: as I am predominantly right handed I would have to grab hold and cuff objects in the opposite way that is shown in the picture above. It was as though everything seemed to be working back to front.


To strenghten the triceps in my right arm I put my arm behind me, keeping the elbow straight and then hold up to the count of 10.  This I can do whilst holding the salt seller. My aim is to bring the arm forwards.

Shut The Box

1st throw of dice

Begin the game

2nd throw of dice

3rd throw of dice

Shut the Box is an easy to learn game that can be played by any number of players. It occured to me recently that this would make an ideal game to play for those of us who are recovering from a stroke. It is a useful aid for the mind as you have to work out simple maths. The game can be played at any time and I quite often challenge myself.
The game consists of nine tiles that are numbered from one upwards. The player throws the two dice into the tray and then uses the combined total to "shut" any number of tiles to the exact same value. The same player continues until such time as there are no tiles remaining in the up position that match the value of the dice thrown. That player's turn then ends. A note of the total value of the remaining tiles not shut is taken, and play passes to another who will attempt to improve on the previous player's score.
In the early days this could prove to be a valuable game to test the mind. Even now I will challenge friends!

Glitches & Hitches

The headaches, more a feeling of getting off a fairground ride, have sporadically interfered with my well being.
I first began to notice these episodes a few weeks ago and put them down to: being overtired, not taking my blood pressure tablet on time, something to do with the trapped nerve in my neck, trying to assist with Christmas preparations or doing too much and then having to rest.

The last one was a couple of days ago whilst we were returning back home from visiting relatives, a journey of around an hour and a quarter. I suddenly felt "hot and bothered" and on a night of driving rain had to open the car window. It is a most peculiar feeling, like getting off a roundabout, and although the room or wherever I am does not appear to move around me, my head needs to stop travelling.

All of this has quite un-settled me, and with my condition being neurological, has made me feel quite vulnerable. I have had a thorough check up with my G.P. who did some simple tests: closing my eyes and holding my arm out, tilting my head back for a while and then holding it steady and whilst looking straight ahead following her moving finger. My blood pressure showed a slight increase from a few weeks ago and I am awaiting results of a blood test. These tests, along with others, have indicated Vertigo and I have now been prescribed tablets to help with the feeling of dizziness and sickness.

Anything like this, particularly when I feel any type of problem that concerns my head causes anxiety, but I have the re-assurance from my G.P. that I can go back at any time and discuss these issues.  However, I have to try and accept that this is what the problem is and not get stressed or this will compound the problems.

Shake, rattle and roll

The "bad ankle" finally resolved itself after a four day enforced rest. As frustrating as I find this, I have learned that when these things happen my body is telling me something.
I continued to rest during the day as I had booked to go to a Christmas party on Thursday night, and the next two nights to theatre productions. Friends collected me and took me to these events which were very diverse and equally as pleasing and good fun.

On the Thursday I made an effort to get dressed up, even buying a new top. Horror of horrors! On my way home I realised that I would not be able to undo the zip at the back of my shiny new purchase and as my husband was out my friend had to do unzip me out! 
Lesson learnt - chose your clothes wisely.  

On Friday I attended the hospital's Neurological Rehab Unit to be measured and fitted for a new resting splint.
My hand has now opened and after a long time the swelling on my hand has gone, I know have knuckles and my fingers are back to their original size. The moulding and fitting by occupational therapists takes around 45 minutes. This is the first time that it has been updated and has been made to further stretch out my wrist and fingers. I still wear this overnight and at times during the day when I am not undertaking exercise with the use of my dynamic splint.

Apart from my 3 consecutive nights out, this week-end was the Christmas markets in the town where I live. I caught the bus to town on Saturday to have a look around, but my visit was cut very short. I visited 2 shops and tried to look at the market stalls but began to feel rather unwell. I dropped my stick in the shops and couldn't put purchases in my bag and felt very light headed. On my return home I just rested quietly.
My husband, who was officiating at this event, took time out to escort me around the following day.

I guess that I will not know what caused this to happen, but it does make me feel quite vulnerable.
Even after two and a half years I know that there is a long road ahead to recovery and sometimes wish that I could get up one morning and just give a big shake to get my bones and everything back in alignment.