Tuesday, October 03, 2006

3rd October~such a long time

i hadn't realised how long it had been since i wrote this blog maybe its because i have other one i am require to write each day that poor satin gets forgotten, which is wrong because i should be adding here as well as this is my site where i can spill all that is right and wrong with me.
so hows it all going we are coming to the year anniversary of my stroke and over the last few days, you get to thinking about this and that, some the upside, some the down, you know how it is.
You can't always be up, and i still sometimes have those "why me?" moments, but they don't seem to last long. However, i would like to take the time to let you dear readers know how i think i'm progressing, so here we go.
The Leg and my walk: is kind of "not too bad"; i feel i still look like a thunderbird puppet, but Sarah says i look like i've just hurt my ankle. Talking of Sarah, she has gone off to university but will be returning home most weekends to watch over her poor old mam !! as she isn't that far away really.
Arm and hand: Nothing, not a flicker, so its about adaptation. learning to do all the daily things with the one good one i've got which is my right hand. Thank goodness i am right handed. Some things i can do; some zips do up really easily while some are buggers. Bra? forget it.. help required! There are ways around most things: i've learnt how to peel potatoes one handed, i use a drawer to wedge things in to open bottles and to pull can ring-pulls. There are obviously some things i don't have a chance with, but i have my family around to help me. Food i cant cut up.. so im a bit of a baby at meal times, also i still make a mess of my face but that's because the left side of my mouth/face is still a bit numb sometimes, and i cant always feel if my mouth is closed.

I've noticed this week (and the ladies will understand this) i cant roll my lips around when applying lipstick; a silly thing but one that is noticeable to me. Other than that, life goes on, we have got the Nissan X-Trail now and my scooter of course. Next stop is to get my driving assessed so i can drive myself: not that i am all fired up to do that, just that it might be needed so it's something to get sorted sooner rather than later.

Been doing the walking on treadmill. I have to ask James when i see him in October why i can walk great on the treadmill, but get off and I'm a puppet again. I am also trying to build up the muscle in my upper leg and strengthen my knees which due to lack of use are getting stiff. i don't bend my left knee because at present the ankle doesn't flex at all so i move my leg from my hip: hard to explain really, but this is what creates the puppet-like movement. There are days when i feel the walk flows a bit better and others when it doesn't. Apart from all that i'm fine; life could be better, but it could be far far worse. Be thankful for small mercies, is what i say.
Regarding our M/s, we move onward always.. a small step at a time but none the less still froward. never back, i do all i can do to be a good slave, i still make mistake even after 5 years.. MG still has to correct me often but it what we do and neither of us would wish it any other way.
cleo.