Michael Schumacher

With being an F1 fan my thoughts are with Michael Schumacher and his family at this time, especially as I had similar brain surgery when I had my initial stroke. He won't know anything about what is happening at the moment but his family will be having a dreadful time.

Once he is conscious again, the long road to recovery really starts and it is a hard road but he will have to stay strong.

Happy New Year to all my followers and all the best for 2014.

 

Therapies

The standard package for a stroke victim is 6 weeks of physio and 6 weeks of speech therapy. This is ridiculous and very inadequate, one size does not fit all. For example in my case I couldn't learn to read in 6 weeks. Also I was eager to get movement back in my arm and working hard with Sarah the physio but the system says sessions have to stop.  Someone needs to sort this out!

After 6 weeks of the speech therapy which I felt was not helping, I was told I would have to have 8 weeks off before being considered for more therapy. 

Physio was stopped after 6 weeks but Sarah suggested I self referred for more therapy. During this time my arm started to move which was very exciting, then Sarah dropped the bomb shell that I couldn't have any more therapy as I had already had too much! More annoying was a fellow patient was over 19 stone and was receiving therapy because she was struggling to walk and had to use a wheel chair. My view is this type of person should be given a diet sheet and told to come back when they have lost a few stones.

I was extremely frustrated as I felt I hadn't progressed at all with the speech therapy I had received, over the 8 week break I was given similar exercises to complete.  I showed these to Ann a friend who comes to see me each week and she agreed they were not what I needed.  She came up with a number of ideas and suggestions to help me as she realised my problem was a type of dyslexia caused by my brain injury. Not being able to read or write is very frustrating and I suppose it is difficult for other people to understand this when normally it is something we just take for granted. Ann has been brilliant because she does understand and has really tried to help me.

I couldn't wait to start at the aphasia centre in Newcastle University and just hoped they would be able to help me.

Life after hospital

Just to let you know what state I was in when I got home. 

> my right leg was heavy and stiff

> my right arm did not move at all

> my speech was not very good

> my sight had been affected by the stroke

> and I could not read or write

I felt that the future did not look very bright and I kept having my black days. 

After one of my doctors visits I was referred for speech therapy and physio, but disappointed to learn that I was only allowed six sessions of each. I started physio at at the Richardson hospital with Sarah, The first thing she did was to put my arm in a sling as she was concerned about my shoulder. She ordered me an arm brace which would support my shoulder. The next day out I had speech therapy at Darlington Memorial Hospital with Rosamond. The first session was to assess my needs. 

At the end of April Jill from the Stroke Association starting to make weekly visits to my home. I looked forward to these visits as she was very good. 

I was getting frustrated with speech therapy as I felt I was not making progress. 

As I was not able to read Liz got me some talking books I would listen to these books for an hour each day  Liz suddenly realised that I was starting to talk more and could form sentences. Listening to the to the books was obviously helping. 

Whilst I was in hospital The speech therapist Claire had referred me to the Tavistock Aphasia Centre at Newcastle University so I was pleased to get invitation to go for an assessment. This was on 5 June in Newcastle. The assessment took 2 1/2 hours, it was only after two hours that they realised what my problem was. I could not read or write because I did not know my letters, I was dyslexic because of the stroke. They offered me a place there and then to start in October. I was really looking forward to this. 

Back Home

There wasn't too much snow in Bishop Auckland but there was big snowdrifts in Bowes. I didn't recognise the route we took as it was all new to me but fortunately the girls knew the way and they kept telling me where we were. On the approach to the drive the car got stuck in the snow but we managed to reverse and continued down the drive at the second attempt. We got into the house and all was quiet and then Liz came through followed by a little dog. At first Megan did not move as too many people in the kitchen, she saw me and then went mad really excited to see me. 

I then had to do some tests to prove that I was able to manage at home. These were passed with flying colours The nurses then left me. The dog was still a bit unsure of me and was sulking because I had said I will not be long when I left her in February to go shopping. 

It was strange having to learn where every thing was in a house like what was in each cupboard and where  each room was. But it was nice to be home and sleeping in my own bed, we had to swap sides so I could get in and out easier. On the evening I was able to watch the news on television for the first time since my stroke as there was no television in hospital. This felt very strange but I soon got used to it again. My biggest problem was that I could not read and therefore I could not catch up on my magazines. 

Being at home meant I could go outside to see my land and buildings and the sheep we still had huge snowdrifts which lasted for weeks, they were as high as the summer house roof. 

I had achieved my first goal for getting home before the lambs were born so I had to set new goals. My first goal was to get walking again. I challenged myself  to walk to the end of the drive which is about 250 meters this was quite a challenge as it is uphill 50% of the way. I did this very slowly with the little dog by my side. 

Writing on my blog

I thought I would put a note on how this blog is written.

My Aphasia means i'm having to learn to read and write again. Liz and I agree the contents and Liz then writes it up longhand for me. I read it back to her and then I dictate it to my iPad using the speech function. 

Any errors or misspellings I then correct. This takes time but hope you are enjoying my blog. 

I welcome any comments. 

Coming home

Sat in my hospital ward in Bishop Auckland I was unaware of the problems people were having because of the snow. The nurses told me they had struggled to get into work and that buses had been cancelled etc but it did not register with me. I could see snow on the rooftops but it didn't seem too bad.
As part of my preparation for going home Liz John and myself had met with social services, they were keen to send carers round three times a day to get me up, make my lunch and to put  me to bed. Liz was not keen but thought perhaps my condition was too bad she would  not be able to manage, (at the rehab hospital relatives are asked to leave at meal times and not there when patients get up, showered etc. it would be better if partners were also shown what to do. 

Liz had received a phone call on the Friday morning from the carers saying they had done a risk assessment early because of the snow and would have to come early to put me to bed. Liz told them I had not come home and there was no way A 50 year old man would go to bed early in the after noon. She cancelled the arrangement. 

On Friday night the snow came with a vengeance roads were blocked huge snowdrifts the poor sheep farmers who had started lambing were having dreadful problems. 

Liz came to see me on the Saturday but had to come by taxi as she couldn't even get the Land Rover out of our driveway. Good job I wasn't at home as I may have been waiting for a carer to get me up! 

I was worrying I wouldn't be allowed to go home until the snow thawed but I think Liz was determined to get the drive dug out. On Sunday morning Liz was digging  snow when a Graham from the village arrived with his wife Sue and a another friend Gillian to help dig the snow The drifts were very deep and it took a long time but the Land Rover would now come out. 

I was beginning to get nervous and excited about going home. It had been a long time since I set out to go shopping one Saturday morning in February. I was also a little nervous that I wouldn't pass The home assessment and would have to return to hospital. One of my neighbours on the ward had gone home but couldn't manage the stairs and had come back. 

On the Sunday afternoon Liz' brother Tony came and they set about giving me a shave as they said I looked like  Robinson Crusoe this is one of the downside all being in hospital a long time - no one gives you a shave. 

The big day arrived 25 March 2013 I can go home!