Speech and language therapist says there is improvement

I have been practicing writing emails on both the keyboard and my phone. Apparently the practice is paying off. I am really lucky that we have such a great team of stroke therapists. Though therapy makes me tired. I am learning to pace myself and chunk work into pieces.

Still tired

Chest infection kept me awake last night. It's lots better once I am up and about. This weather isn't helping my miserable mood.

busy day

Got quite a few things sorted but still things are building up. Off to see the neuropsychiatrist tomorrow at Walton. Happy days.
Will follow up tomorrow.

YouTube lesson

I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down - Elvis Costello & The Attractions

Found this with Shazam, have a listen...

I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down

Elvis Costello & The Attractions

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Yesterday and today.

I was tired yesterday and lay on the bed in the afternoon chasing some elusive shut eye which as to form didn't arise. Not helped by a drop in external temperature and a mad shower of hailstones. Decided to leap off the bed and set up the new eero mesh WiFi I snaffled in the prime day sales. Note I don't leap anywhere anymore. I was very diligent at unplugging everything but omitted to make a note of my network name and password. It only took me an hour to reassemble the letters numbers and special characters into the right combo. Got there eventually but gave myself a headache. Added the second box in the hall and things seemed good. Apple TV wasn't responding on the Ethernet. Just added it to WiFi and worked out what to do. Watched a scary movie which did make me jump a few times. All seems ok on the WiFi front and one box still to deploy. May need another on for the kitchen but who knows.
Typed on iOS.

Watching a podcast

Talking about camera control taken using camera control on my iPhone

It’s been a busy week.

Monday to Friday that is. Seen the OT twice, got homework off the Physio. Saw the specialist nurse in Walton neuro centre it was triggering for the whole trauma thing of what happened to me. Even reading the discharge letter the night before felt weird. It's helped move me along the denial/acceptance spectrum. Thursday I saw the stroke a team psychologist she's helping me along the way. Friday was the speech and language therapist. Some tests and some exercises including this. Off to GP surgery for my flu jab managed to lock ourselves out on the way. The locksmith was there within 15 minutes and a master at his craft.
I have manflu and everyone knows it. Had a couple of catch up calls with good people which lifted my spirits.
Writing this blog post is part of my speech and language therapy homework.
Today's post is sponsored by lemsip.

Do I need to change the name?

My plan was after my op on the 25th of June. I would update this blog regularly didn't realise at the time that wasn't to be the case. I had a stroke whilst in the ITU at Walton hospital or the Walton Centre as it preferred to be called. It's only now nearly 4 months later that the effect it had is beginning to dawn on me. I am and always have been the king of denial, especially around matters related to illnessaffect affecting me. I'm not gonna make a rash promise as to how often I will update this but everybody seems to think slow and gradual is the way to go.

Late nights and Early mornings.

The hospital has its own rhythm unfortunately I keep missing my place. So I was up at 6 and I am here waiting to see if I can get some of my usual strength of Quetiapine pills. It's a novel antipsychotic that works with my mood stabilisers (lithium and sodium valproate) and mirtazapine to keep my bipolar happy. It's available in 25mg or 200mg. I take 600mg last night there was only 25mg available- do the math. 

King Toast

I have blogged before about the role of toast in my nursing career and its pivotal role as the staple snack in NHS. A child of the sixties I was exposed to many bread promoting advertising campaigns. One of them "six slices a day is the well balanced way" has stuck with me. Nobody mentioned the lathering of butter that I have often applied. The catchphrase was promoted by British and Irish millers to try to halt the decline in white bread consumption. 1970-74.
Anyway toast is everywhere in the NHS and to borrow a rodent analogy you are never more than 6 feet ish from a means of making toast in the NHS.
I spent a lot of my student days making, eating or thinking of toast or related matters.

Water No Get Enemy - Fela Kuti

Enjoying stumbling across a recent episode of Desert Island Discs guest is boxer Anthony Joshua   Found this with Shazam, have a listen... Water No Get Enemy Fela Kuti Discover, explore and share music you love Get Shazam now

The plan is the first casualty of war.

Ok so I had resurrected my vintage blog to chart the highs and Lows of my repair to my vintage cerebral aneurysm (no 1). I read all the preop info. Lost some weight increased my physical activity and even did some COPD classes. I thought I was ready to go and up for it. The blurb said one or two nights in dock and 4-6 weeks off work. In my dreams. I confess in retrospect I was terrified. Particularly of having a stroke caused by the trauma and losing speech or thinking power.
Jean dropped me off at the front of the hospital advised not to rush away in case there wasn't a bed. Jefferson Day Ward came up trumps with a bed and a chair with my name on. I got changed into the kit. Was told to sit in the chair but opted for getting in to bed pulling covers and falling promptly to kip.
TBC

Saw everyone l need to.

So it's waiting apparently I have lost my top of the list slot. Seen the gas man and the radiologist and feel really tired. I am alone I am room full of beds. Sod this I am on one and have an hour a halves kip. I emerge feeling humanoid, and two staff jump on me for an ECG.

First on the list

P was Pole position fully clerked in just need to see anaesthetist and doc to consent me. Saw top staff nurse and pharmacist. Lost 7kg by their reckoning in a month. I am not putting to much store in different scales. They may need to wake me up for the anaesthetic the shock of two 5 oclocks in the same day has left me reeling.

Game on (I hope)

Eureka aka the Sandown.

I spent a lot of time in the Sandown 77-79. Mind you so did half the Students of Mabel Fletcher Technical College. Its mission was to churn out mainly girls Iand women to vocational roles like nursery nursing, dressmaking, some arts and drama and people like me who was deemed not bright enough for nursing yet. I was sold a pup when I rocked up at the careers office after leaving school.
What's your plan laddie? The careers master with the waxed moustache asked. I looked and felt baffled. He stunk of St Bruno. Nursing Sir Nursing said a sweaty boy quivering at attention. WHAT! Nursing for a man.
Don't worry Sir not till I am 18. AND TILL THEN??!! Dole sir. 9 quid a week I will make it last. He made a phone call shoved a paper in my hand and said you'll get a letter to start in September. The leaflet said people remember nurses. That always stuck with me. Anyways what is a Greek restaurant was where I spent two hours a day around lunchtime. The Sandown the bar never the

lounge.

Half all over (and the beard)

Thought I better get a trim prior to my op tomorrow. Kev is old school in his seventies and spends more time in Turkey than the UK. It's a tiny two chair shop. His grandson covers half the week for him. We talk about his cardiac problems which are now sorted. Also 40 degrees is hot for a Turkish holiday.
Kev bought the shop off Frank who I was a loyal customer of for many years. Next door is a tiny gym seems to be women only.

Move On Up - Curtis Mayfield

I was just lamenting to myself the lack of floor standing Tom toms and percussion instruments in general and this comes on.  Found this with Shazam, have a listen... Move On Up Curtis Mayfield Discover, explore and share music you love Get Shazam now

Another disturbed nights kip.

Restlessness and bizarre dreams are the order of the night. Tomorrow is the big day. I have to rock up at Walton Neuro at 7am.

Every picture tells a story

Off to Britains largest Cathedral

At times like this I often make a trip to one of our cathedral's to contemplate and spend some quiet time. I am very anxious and it helps, even if I am not sure why. I pass on the bistro and gift shop. I head off to somewhere less full of tourists

One app that’s useful

I am really over apped at the moment. Eating drinking motivational meditation mood and meds. I keep saying i need like an app portal "one app to rule them" as Tolkien may have said. I use steps and pedometer++ on a daily basis. Before I started my latest campaign I was lucky to hit a 1000 a day. I started to up it and now aim for 3500. Apparently I have walked 10 miles already. Go slow and steady and build up gradually and get used to the smell of embrocation. Ralgex ( other brands are available).

Finished work when?

Well in theory it was 5pm Thursday. Still looking at my open tasks in Reminders and the list is longer than a Leonard Cohen song.

Prof Hardman giving her inaugural lecture

Charlottes done some great work and it was good to some supporters of her local food production activity in the audience.

Prof Hardman

At the Yoko Ono building listening to Charlottes inaugural address. Few stars in the audience sat next to Emma B. Carl Roberts had a nice few words with me. I rock up here now and again to give a talk.

My my thats a thick set of case notes Mr Clare

If Walton did a frequent flyers program I would be on it. I always like lounge access and fast pass. Unfortunatley today I am sneaking slowly to the front of the queue where the screens tell me the man in room 17 is on time. The gasman seems a nice chap, though he ominously locked the door I wondered what was coming next but he tried some chat first - got to respect the man for that. He had a very jovial style maybe too jovial. He ascertained what I knew and the risks - and we had a long chat about what I am facing. My non-compliance with my CPAP was a source of concern. He was surprised I haven't got the full metabolic syndome hit going on. My HbA1C and BP and cholesterol are strangely low. Had I been in ITU before - after my previous visits had to confess to not knowing - I might have kipped in the bus stop on Long Lane for all I know. He asked me a couple of times when I having this done - we mainly because the MDT suggested it - but was I sure? Yep I trust that team doc I will do it. So I asked what would happen if I said no now - wouldnt I be at risk. You cant say no now you are those anticoagulants and you are really at risk. It was a bit up and down but I think we got there in the end - I said I looked forward to seeing him on Tuesday - no, it wont be me I do Mondays. Well tara unlock the door and get out of here.

High risk hurdles

I am extremely mindful if I don't get the green light from the anaesthetist today I am going to have a problem. I am trying not to focus on the negative thoughts but to be honest I am struggling.
Local anaesthesia is clearly not an option, neither is a spinal.
There is a program on the telly about a zoo and they are struggling to weigh Monty a portly little koala. I know how he feels.

A lost clipboard

Quite sad.

Walking again

Lovely morning taken an early lunch break to get some steps. Playlist is Walk 23. BTO, Doobies, Ike and Tina, Soft Cell and the TRB (saw them live in Birkenhead before they were big). Rock against Racism tour.

High risk Anaesthetic clinic today

Off to this fun gig this afternoon - hope it is more fun than it sounds. Will report back.

All you need

Liverpool F2F

Really great group at the Bridge Chapel. 27 people attended but what is more important is the rich quality of discussion. I didn't get to speak to everyone but as ever came away thinking this is one of the best, most important, regular things Obesity UK things I am involved in. Fantastic to see more blokes than ever too.

Labour war chest

Sent Uncle Keir a few bob towards the battle. He has asked me to volunteer in our twinned constituency of Southport (long time no sea). I suspect given my recovery, I should be having a quiet election this time around.

Made up