Life Update | Stroke News, Blood Results....and a new haircut!

It’s been about three months since I last updated you on all things Stroke. I feel that a three month time span gives a good measure of progress. Someone once told me that you can’t measure recovery in hours, days, or sometimes even weeks. Sometimes the best way to see how far you’ve come is too look back in months. Months pass so quickly nowdays, it doesn’t feel like two minutes since I was writing my six month update back in January! Yep, that’s right, we are at nine months since my stroke now, and where has that time gone?! The ‘’gap year’’ I thought would take forever to pass is going far too quickly for my liking…anyway, here is all my news! 

I’ll start by going back to January. I talked about my diagnosis from the Rheumatologist with Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS). Well, I’d seen two different Doctors and they left me querying where to go with my medication. I went to my GP for clarification and he said he would write to a specialist Haematologist (the expert of all experts with regards to APS) that he knew. He received a letter back saying that this other Doctor wasn’t convinced in the first place that I had APS! Say What?! You’re confused right? So were we. Next we got a referral to this guy, and a couple of weeks ago I sat in his consulting room and he talked me through everything he meant in the letter. For the first time, a doctor had actually shown me my blood results and explained what all the numbers and colours meant. I understand where he’s coming from now, a couple of the results aren’t what you would expect in a person with APS, however others are. He can’t be sure. And to answer my original question he thinks the medication I’m on at the minute is doing the job for me. He’s happy not to see me again and leave my care in the hands of the original Rheumatologist!

On a much cheerier note, I have been discharged from my hand therapist. She was helping me gain strength, grip and co-ordination. I went back last week for a review after a couple of months of wearing a hand brace because my tendons had flared up (I won’t lie, I gave up with it much sooner than I should of done, it just became so irritating). The tendons had fixed themselves without the need for injections, and my strength was as good as it’s going to get. It’s still weaker than my right, just because it’s my naturally weaker hand but I’m pleased with it.

Next up is news about work. I still work in my newsagents two days a week but it is getting much easier - I wrote a blog post about getting my job, here, so you can have a read of that if you'd like. I work 7am-2pm on a Monday, and 10am-4pm on a Tuesday. In the early days I would have to nap on a Monday afternoon, go to bed early on a Tuesday, and rest all day Wednesday. Now I don’t have to nap, or go to bed early, and I tend to be able to have enough energy to blog post write on a Wednesday! At the moment there’s no plans to take on anymore hours. I like what I have, it’s a bit of money, and it gets me out the house, without tiring me out to give me the chance to do other stuff during the week.

I’m gradually ticking things off my list, slower than I’d hoped, but I have a lot planned now. I still haven’t actually got 100 things on the list, I think I’m at 56? So if anyone has any ideas, pop them in the comments below!

So onto completely none stroke related subjects…

I’ve had my haircut. Yes, something people do regularly, but this time I decided to go for a pretty radical change – for me anyway. I had about five inches of hair cut off. This never happens. I’ve never had my hair as short as it is now since I was about 12. It’s taking a lot of getting used to and I’m trying out different things with it, but I do really love it. I loved having longer hair, but I’m loving this new look. I feel like I look really different – and it’s a chance to buy some new hair products for shorter hair! I feel a Boots haul coming on!

 

There’s been a lot of change for my family in the past three months. We lost my Grandad very suddenly, and unexpectedly in his sleep at the beginning of February, after only losing my Nan last October. My family is adjusting without them, my Mum and Auntie are dealing with a lot. Losing both of them in such a short space of time has taught me how important it is to appreciate the people around you whilst they’re there. I don’t think people tell people half as much as they do how much they mean to them. So to you, yes you reading this right now….thanks for being around! You are very much appreciated!

Life seems so fast paced at the moment. I’m actually typing this as I’m on train going to catch up with my friend Alex in Lancaster – but life is good! Very good indeed. I’m looking forward to what the future holds (crikey, I sound like this will be my last every blog post…it’s not I’m back on Tuesday)!

That’s it for now. I’ll give you any stroke news as and when it comes, and remember to keep up to date on my list! See you soon!