KevRider

Stroke Survivor - male
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Blog Entries posted by KevRider

  1. KevRider
    I normally try and update my Blog early Wednesday morning but I was in Phoenix yesterday. Im finding that the Yoga , although not as strenuous as physio-therapy, eaves me pretty trashed for the rest of the day. I can feel it stretching some muscles and trying to active others which I have not used since my stroke. It seems to be working since the day after I always move/walk more easily and with slightly better form 🙂 The problem with road trips is that I tend to use the excuse that we can't cook away from home to indulge in eating out.   WE had to go frm Flagstaff to Phoenix and we chose to go down the gorge into Sedona which I cant do without stopping for a coffee and a vegan chocolate (see pic) cake We sill eat Vegan with the occasional piece of grilled salmon but I suspect I eat more than I do at home so am not surprised that Im not loosing weight which is staying at around 186 lb. Well I'm home now till Feb 14th.
    Wed:Yoga
    Thu: Take it easy
    Fri: Gym
    Sat: Gardening
    Sun: Yoga
    Mon: Road trip
    Tues: Road trip
    Stamina seems to be slowly increasing and my headiness is less than it has been 🙂 So slight and slow improvement but still improvement!
  2. KevRider

    projects
    so this week was rather windy and cold so we hid in the house and indulged in several movies. I'm ready for a bit better weather so I can get to work in the garden. I think I may be levelled off on my recovery, or at least its hard to detect any improvements. I am trying to increase my stamina and have increase my treadmill walk 1% of incline to 6%.I still get just a touch of headiness in new balancing situations.
     
    We awoke yesterday to a covering of snow about 2" or 5 cm. Any precipitation is very welcome in this dessert! The snow on the concrete base of the barn was super slippery, so it gave me another challenge to my balance.
     
    I have reduced my snacking in between meals but my weight stays steady. At least my other project; to improve my French is going well and is great fun.
     
    I'm ready for this winter to be over !!
  3. KevRider

    projects
    A week of working on projects and some heavy stuff, like lifting those fence panels in to place to finish the north stall running pens, and pounding a few T bars into place, left me a bit tight and stiff at the end of the days.  I think I probably got it about right as I was ready to go the next days. Trying to notice returning function is harder now as the returns are pretty subtle. Some time its more a realization that some thing has gone. This week I had a feeling of pressure around my occiput and near my ears, a little like a blocked eustachian tube. The feeling of pressure sent me running for my BP machine. It turned out 149/81 which was fine as my doctor is happy up to 160/100 as I have prescribed hyper tension. Then as the week went on the feeling would return now and again but I  realized that the old headiness I would get, and was permanent in rehab, had disappeared. In fact I can't recall the last time i had that headiness/dizziness!
     
    Walking wise, I get a bit staggery when tired, typically at the end of the day. Then the other day as I felt a bit staggery,  I then applied a bit more concentration to my muscle movement, like when I was in rehab and every step was a mental & physical challenge. A little concentration and the gait was much better. Then I realized that most of the day now, when not tired, I walk without really thinking of it!
     
    "Winter is coming' night are very chilly but days are still sunny as we enter Fall, and the harvest is changing with more winter squash (see header pic) 
     
  4. KevRider
    So it's 2020! I'm not usually into blogging or journals etc. But some times I loose track of my recovery and dip into depression. Every day seems such and effort and I try and keep an attitude of gratitude, for still being here if nothing else. Daily improvement is so slow that I loose sight of my baseline, which is I can out after the stoke paralyzed in both limbs on the left side and unable to speak. Yesterday was New Years Eve and my last physio therapy session in which I ran. My recovery has been amazing or so I'm told 🙂 that's another reason for gratitude. So I'm starting this (we will see if I mange to maintain it.) Another member was saying they are starting to keep a jar in which they write about something good that's happened in the week and put in the jar. So this I will use as the jar and set my goals for the coming year.
    1. Write a post about at least one god thing that's happened every week.
    2 Get to the gym at least twice a week unless out of town.
    3. Use the treadmill at home if not going to gym. 
    4. Take Sundays as a relaxation day and do nothing.
    5 Loose some weight - now 191lb I was at 175 before the stroke.
     
    OK off to the gym.
  5. KevRider

    projects
    My early morning walk to the barn to feed our horses has always been a kind of datum line for my recovery. When I first got home this was a challenging limp which I was not allowed to take other than under the direct supervision of my wife and with the aid of hiking sticks. The other day it dropped to 9F (-13C) and I was moving at a slightly elevated rate of work to shorten the time and get back to the warmth of the house. It suddenly struck me as I went thru that regular routine that I was feeling completely normal. Sine then , once  I have booted the system with sufficient caffeine , that the first hour or so of motion is perfectly normal!
     
    Now the morning routine has been repeated so often that my body seems to know exactly what to do. Other less routine tasks during the day may result in my doing a new move, which challenged my balance. These still result in a light headedness but it passes very fast. As I get into the day I get more fatigued and my motion goes back to what I describe as feeling like driving a car with worn and slack steering. If I get really tired than it gets definitely wobbly. 

     
    Although very cold, when the sun has been up a couple of hours the hoop house is warm enough that we can get a little work done preparing for the coming year. I work till I feel my energy dropping and usually a couple of muscles feeling the strain = then stop. I have got better at pacing myself, pulling out rather than burning out! So now the challenge is to extend that fist hour to two.
  6. KevRider
    A quiet week. Its been very windy so have passed the time more indoors. Arizona is having a major relapse with the Corona virus so we aren't going anywhere for a while. Perhaps even a long while! I was entertaining my self with planning a trip to the UK and Paris which we have been intending to take with Deb's parents for their 50th Wedding Anniversary next June 2021. Then yesterday we heard the Americans won't be allowed to fly to Europe! At the rate we are going we could still have that problem next year!
    My activity this week has been little beyond my usual 20 mins a day treadmill, so it hard to notice any improvement. So since we have just passed my stroke 1st anniversary I thought I'd give myself a reality check. My headiness (like beinga bit drunk) which was with me in rehab constantly has all but disappeared and is only around when I initiate a sudden move. My walking still takes a major effort both muscles and mental focus but most people don't notice any thing. I can even balance on my left (previously paralyzed) leg for several seconds Here is the pic from rehab when I could not walk at all, I hated this rig!!

    So I need to keep  sense of relativity and gratitude. I 'm pretty lucky to be alive!! 
    BTW title pic is me and my therapist in the pool at rehab a year ago.
  7. KevRider

    projects
    Well this weeks 'big event' was our 20th anniversary. Usually we would go somewhere a bit special , like last year we took a road trip to Roswell and Carlsbad caverns but this year we had to make the best of it at home in isolation. As many here know we are vegan but we still managed to indulge in a couple of meals that were out of the usual. Deb made me a British breakfast with  faux meat sausages.

    This was a repeat of my birthday breakfast. For dinner we indulged in  cheese burger which is no big deal for normal persons but we imported a case of beyond burgers and a vegan cheddar which made for a delicious tasting meal but definitely beyond our usual low fat limit! A friend donated a vegan chocolate cake  which was super rich so the day ended uo been dominated by food and a romantic comedy 'Love punch'
     
    Otherwise the weather has been limiting activity though I did get into the green house to transplant some tomatoes to bigger pots and start egg plant, peppers and cucumbers.
    Cheers Kev
  8. KevRider
    So very suddenly were approaching summer. Yesterday we were up in the 80's and this morning was the first day of the year that the heating didn't come on. Flowers and trees are blooming all over the place. Iris are adding color to the garden. We have so much asparagus that we are giving it away to neighbors( Well not directly, we leave it at the gate) 

    The warner weather keeps drawing me outside to ride and garden. OF course being me I tend to over do it so lifting a few heavier thins Saturday resulted in my left (previously paralyzed ) arm straining a muscle and forcing Sunday off. Recovery seems to continue not notably every day more in cases of  something changing. Like my walking has been very good the other day I found I was weaving a bit and realized that where as before I would have to concentrate on each step I was walking more naturally without that focus and would therefore take the odd miss step, but also corrected the misbalance naturally 🙂 The headiness is pretty minimal and only present in exaggerated motion. So subtle but definite improvement. Stay safe guys!.
    Wed: treadmill
    Thu: treadmill
    Fri: Gardening
    Sat:Gardening
    Sun :Ouch  Day off
    Mon: Gardening
    Tue: Gardening & treadmill
    Ave BP 155/88 That's pretty normal for me at the moment weight 189 lb 
  9. KevRider
    May day marking the advent of spring, brought temperature in the 80s this week, but with high winds. The mornings although still chilly at high 40s were sunny and not much wind, so its been a week of riding a lot. Some very long trots posting left muscles a bit fatigued but it was good to be riding out again.  The dog enjoys it too!

    Been working in the green house also where irrigation problems literally had me on my knees, as the electric are below ground. Working on my knees seemed to put me in positions I would not normally use and the challenged to my balance and induce some headiness and fatigued me more rapidly. My left arm is still unsteady but better than last fall.  My riding is still a little bumpy and it suggests that my core muscles still need to recover. Headiness has diminished to where its just lurking in the background.
    Lunches are usually salads form my own green house which is cool. Recover now is more subtle but identifiable as old challenges get to performed naturally. 
    Wed: Ride & treadmill
    Thur: Ride and garden
    Fri: Ride and treadmill
    Sat: Ride & garden
    Sun: Ride & garden
    Mon Ride and Garden
    Tue: Ride and garden
    Weight same same. too much snacking. BP 158/88 
  10. KevRider
    My recent attempts to push for normal seem to be paying off. Most of my motion lately is normal, though I still have to concentrate on doing it. Often the first couple of steps may be slightly lacking, but then i push a little, focus and its back again. This recently re-learned motion gets me into new areas of balance challenge. But only small ones which trigger a little headiness for just a moment and I seem to be learning how to re-balance and haven't been anywhere near falling yet.
    Control of my left arm ahs improved so much I have decided that my riding is good enough to restart training. I had just started the half pass when I stroked. So we started again last week.:)
    I also felt strong enough to do some heavier work, re-arranging some heavy fence panels.
    Veggie's keep growing and bed is processing and storing some, others are still going to friends , see pic below:-

  11. KevRider

    projects
    Kind of a chilly week here,  not as bad a s Texas though!  It has kept me in a bit , but i did manage to get out to the green house aa couple of times. I managed to finish the wiring of the right side of that starts shelving i showed in the blog last week. It required a lot of up and down movement and some time down on my knees reaching under the lowest shelf. Normally that kind of motion would have triggered some major dizziness and it didn't 🙂 However it did tire me quickly. my movement is quite good these days but the stamina is still low. also I seem to recover from such tiredness  quicker though. I'm generally get ting more done around the house and  garden.
     
    I did have a balance issue when I tripped against a raised bed and toppled over. It was not exactly a fall as it was kind of in slow motion and i managed to to get a hand out and lower my self to the surface of the bed. That did challenge my balance enough to trigger some of the old dizziness.
    Any new balance requirement or challenge and the dizziness reappears. Still no big deal, just an observation.
     
    Yesterday the weather finally cracked and cold morning 8F was up to 55F by the afternoon, So we got in a nice log ride. We stayed at the walk for most of that so hopefully we wont be sore today. It was very pleasant out there and we saw a herd of deer, the first of the season.
     
    Kev
  12. KevRider
    So after years of trying to keep my blood pressure down and taking lisinopril my stoke doctor likes the Bp elevated some. My arteries in the base of my brain are very narrow so hes or with higher blood pressure is supposed to push though this restriction. I track it every morning and graph it. It all over the place and no trend is readily visible. Over time a drop would suggest improvement which is what my Dr hopes for.
    Some improvement are so subtle that it may be several days before I realize the change. Thee headiness Ive had with me since post stroke was reducing but this last week its reduced considerably it seems to come when my balance is challenged. Its absent most of the time and only comes when I make a sudden or unusual movement. I can get thru the day with it absent most of the time. 
    We have a house party today and then off on a road trip for our 19th anniversary to Carlsbad caverns via Roswell for my UFO following wife.
    Wed: event
    Thu: Yoga
    Fri: treadmill
    Sat: Day Gardening
    Sun: dat off
    Mon: Gym
    Tues: Snowed in - cancelled acupuncture
    weight 188lb - Bp ave 148/86
  13. KevRider
    This week its been harder to note specific improvement. Rather I seem to have realized that I may have to push beyond habits i've fallen into. I had started , and continue to run back from barn to the house every morning after feeding the horses. Yet I realized that I walk in a very steady and cautious way which has now served me for several months. One evening my wife was calling me to the bathroom to take meds and I realized I use to walk much faster in such circumstance. I increased stride and speed and had no problem! t wasn't like when I push to relearn a muscle use. I t was more like the natural movement was there waiting for me to return to it.
    I am making a resolution to day to try to move , in all things, like i used to. If nothing else I think it we redefine where my limits are.
    As Cober says; Quarantine while we continue to work in the hoop house every day which also stretches and challenges my balance. Is pretty much in full production in there.

    The first of the cucumbers have just arrived and out in the garden egg-plant abounds with sweet peppers coming soon. We are producing so much at the moment that time can't process it all so we have been feeding 5 other house holds. We pakage it up put in on a table in the garage and they come and collect it as we are still maintaining a high level of isolation.

    Thats it for this week.
  14. KevRider

    projects
    So I'm so close to normal movement that identifying improvement is a challenge.  I am moving normally unless fatigued but the easier movement leads me to imbalances quite often. However such are recovered quickly and instinctively. I'm steadily taking on more project work and my stamina is slowly increasing. I tend to work mostly in the mornings and still have a nap in the afternoons but not every day, which is a major improvement from 6 months ago when any exertion would need a nap after to recover. 
     
    So Monday was my 69th birthday, which I  have to admit 18 months ago i was wondering if I'd make it to 68! Covid has made is more meal oriented and when asked by Deb
     what I wanted to do I said Id like to start the year with a British Breakfast

    Those who are more familiar with me and my diet will know we eat a low fat, vegan diet. So the British Banger & the bacon are all fax-meat. 
    We have also developed a habit during the last month of feeding horses a little earlier and sitting out on the back patio to watch the sun set. I must admit its been getting a little chilly lately so we are ordering a fire pit to try and continue the habit.

    It can get quite spectacular at times but its also a nice time to chat and reflect.
    Well the election has finish bar the counting so I'll probably have the time to rejoin the chat room. 🙂
  15. KevRider

    projects
    So another week with nothing specific to report. Moving pretty well with jus the odd minor wobbly. Fells a little like driving a car with a worn steering rack, just need a lot of minor corrections along a trip. 
    These days it seems I have more to report from the garden. Of course a year ago I was writing gardening off. So we have a big cold front coming in on Monday supposedly down to 22F according to forecast and high probability of snow. So all veg in the out side bed have to be harvested. Part of that harvest was my first broccoli head 🙂 I like broccoli and have tried to grow a couple of plants every year but never get the timing right. lots of plant and no heads! This year we had 2 good heads and a few small ones. 

     Who knows next week perhaps snow shots?
  16. KevRider
    Well I had intended to do a blog every Wednesday but the best laid plans of mice etc.. Yoga seems to be paying off as walking etc seems a little easier but I seem to get out of balance more, but I also recover the balance  quickly. In the mornings you could hardly tell id had a stroke but as the day goes on fatigue will start to show. Headiness/dizziness has receded considerable =. I think that's more the acupuncture.  Im engaging in life more like I used to do. So time has been full and taking me out of the house more which is good. However it has meant that meant that I haven't got to the chat room and missed my post here.
     
    I had written off gardening this year but a neighbor Jim (closest) is helping big time and this weekend an old friend I hadn't seen for 11 yrs visited (middle) and all three of us prepping the beds for later planting.
    The downside to work - I forgot to stay hydrated and I think this drove up my BP to 169/91 so yesterday I drank much more and also took some THC to help sleep and this morning im at 140/80 which is good for me. Still losing the weight battle at 189 lbs.
     
  17. KevRider

    projects
    So Christmas has just gone by, my second since stroke. I can't claim any noticeable improvements this week but considering I'm running pretty close to normal unless fatigued , I'm not complaining.
    As many of you know, I eat vegan due to plaque and trying to keep my cholesterol down. So Deb out did her self this year with help of some products from Plant Based Meats | The Very Good Butchers – The Very Good Butchers US
     
    It was a very good xmas day, starting with a call from my mum in the UK followed by bacon butties, which are an old tradition in our house ( faux bacon of course). Present opening followed before sitting down to a 3 course meal; vegan caviar; roast stuffed joint ( again faux meat) Brussel sprouts, carrots  from our garden and mashed potatoes, gravy and cranberry sauce.

    And plenty left for seconds.

    Then the piece de resistance, a home made vegan 'cheese cake'.  (sorry cant get this pic to rotate.)

    Then a couple of zoom meetings with friends & family. Followed by the compulsory watching of 'Love Actually'. A really cool day 🙂
     
    As of Xmas day we had raised over $13,000 for the Navajo toys for kids 🙂
     
    So merry Christmas and a happy New Year 
     
  18. KevRider

    projects
    This week has been pretty cold we were at 6F yesterday (-15C) and we stayed below freezing all day. Other that wrapping up well to feed the horse at dawn & dusk we have been hiding way in the house all day. Not good for the diet as I'm working off less and tending to snack more! Still stable at 186lbs.
     
    With the weather shutting down my activity I can't say that I have noticed any particular improvement in motion, but I still do my 20mins at 3mph on a 5.5% grade and it certainly does not tire me as much as 6 months ago so it seems my stamina is building 🙂
     
    An aspect I have not thought of so much until Deb reminded me is cognitive functions. A few days after my stroke I could not write. Well I could move my hand in a way that I thought was writing but the results looked more like ancient hieroglyphics! I had trouble talking and my reactions were such that I would not drive. When I did start driving it was with the tractor and   still hit the barn a couple of times. I had some computer coding that Deb wanted me to do and resisted as I feared my logic might not be up for it.
     
    Deb's comments this morning showed me I have been so obsessed with physical recovery that I was taking the cognitive recovery for granted. She pointed out 18 months ago I was in speech therapy for English and today I sent an hour talking on Skype in French!  
     
    So that's in for my weekly blog this week! A bien tot! 🙂
  19. KevRider
    So the days slip into each other. I loose track of which is which. I couldn't tell you my regime any more I ride when the weather is good, work in the garden and walk on the treadmill it i'm not too tired. I haven't been here to the chat room for a while as it seems everyone does zoom at 1pm . Perhaps I 'll make it to day. There little improvement to note this week but the gardening pits me in more diverse movement and challenges my balance, which I think is a good thing. After my stroke I found I had more trouble containing emotions. That become more normal but I had a funky time a couple of days ago, it seemed to be triggered by a man shooting a shop security guard in the head because she wouldn't let him in to a store not wearing a mask. I couldn't get my head around that!
    I had to force myself to focus on the things I was grateful for. We are producing eggs and greens in huge quantity and it was nice to be able to share some of the excess with friends. We didn't see them they just drove by and picked then up out of the garage. So far every thing has been in the hoop house,. But this week were planting outside. We can have frost as late as May31 here so squash plant s were covered by walls of water. Lettuce had to go under nets and shade cloth otherwise it becomes a buffet for the bunnies.
     
  20. KevRider

    projects
    So this week I can't claim to have noticed any specific improvement in motion. I'm moving very well now, which in turn makes it pretty hard to identify such improvements. I still get a little wobbly when tired. What has been noticeable is an increase in stamina. I can now apply myself more ardently to a project task until I get tired an then I go off for a cup of tea. ( How British) Last month I would be done for the day. Yesterday I worked pretty hard harvesting potatoes , had the tea, and then went on to walk 20 mins at 3mph on a 5% gradient.
    I'm definitely starting to build a little stamina back and I recover from exertion quicker 🙂
     
    There's a price to this! This week I 've been digging up potatoes. My back muscles certainly feel that. After two days of this I pulled up with some very taught and achy muscles all along my left side. This of course was the side that was paralyzed, and I think I'm bringing on line muscles I probably haven't used in over a year.  A day off and hot bath soak with salts helped and the next day I was good to go again.
     
    It's good to feel useful again as Deb was having to handle more than her share of the load to this point.
     

  21. KevRider
    Little to note on the physical recovery this week. I haven't noticed any improvements but advancements are slight at this stage. On the other hand I have noticed a reduction in my ability to contain emotions across the full scale. This has been true since my stroke but seems to have been exacerbated by events around the Black Lives Matter protests. So I have been a bit down this week. I went looking for some comic relief  and found on Netflix 'Douglas' which was a show by an Australian comedian which was funny but I found hilarious.  also found it hard to contain to the point on laughing so hard I had trouble breathing!
    The virus continues to climb here in Arizona so Deb & I are still isolating, the days are generally coffee, breakfast , ride, garden, Treadmill, lunch, Tv and dinner then sleep, Repeat !
    The weather did a first yesterday and froze after June 1st. killing a lot of outside plants it took out a bed of squash but weirdly left one unharmed. That was a major set back! By contrast the hoop house is growing into a jungle providing lots of greens and tomatoes are starting to come in strong. Tending the plants challenges my balance and can induce some headiness but for the most part the early headiness has all but disappeared.

  22. KevRider

    projects
    So this week i haven't had any notice improvements. Though perhaps my stamina is still improving. I have kept up my morning run back from the barn today additional incentive to get back quicker as we were down at 42F.  I'm still following the morning ride with some project work. This week it was getting the barns north side stalls ready for winter. Our predominant wind is from the south west , so for the with we move the horse to the lee side. To prep the running pens I had to take fencing down, and gravel and rake the area. then replace the fencing.
    I'm still not a strong as i was 2 years ago, when I would have done it all in one day/ So now I break project into 3 days of tasks.


    Also this week the horses needing trimming so where as i might have done both in a session i do a pair of hooves each day over 4 days. 
    Very slowly increasing the incline on the treadmill. Now its 20mins at 3mph at 5%
     
    This week we started re-watching Game of Thrones ----- " Winter is coming!"
     
  23. KevRider
    The best laid plans of mice and men! Well my new year intent was sabotages by a bout of nasty flu. It attacked my muscles and they ached terribly. It even affected my walking and it felt like I was going backward. On3e night of heavy blankets and sweating and the fever broke an by Thursday I felt better but was washed out energy wise so I decided the better path was to rest and recuperate so cancelled Yoga and Gym. I also had a presentation scheduled for Sunday and wanted to conserve energy for that.
    Monday felt sufficiently well that I returned to gym. Im trying to regain some stamina I can manage 9 Mins on the elliptical followed by a circuit of weights. I m incrementing it slowly and Im a long way from the 45 mins and weights I used to do. I may never regain that but Im still pushing for it all be it slowly.
     
    Reduced exercise and eating out hasn 't helped the weight loss but theres always the coming week!
    Wed: in bed with Flu
    THr: took it easy
    Fri: took it easy
    Sat: travel to Phoenix: ate out
    Sun: Presentation . second since stroke
    Mon: Back to Gym
    Tue: Acupuncture
    Weight 182lbs
     
     
  24. KevRider

    projects
    Little noticeable progress on the recovery front. Of course i'm 99% mobile now. The weather has been freezing here like 6F when I feed the horses and  staying below 0 during the day.
    Just maintaining my 20 min treadmill but am ready to increase gradient. I think I need to introduce some sit-ups to strengthen core muscles. I have reduced my snacking but weight is steady at 185 lb.
     
    Our height here in NE Arizona combined with clear skies makes for low temperatures but yesterday a warm font gave cloud cover. warm been relative at 27F, but resulting in some spectacular sun rises. Like this one

  25. KevRider
    So I wrote of certain activities after my stroke, one of which was growing veggies. I have a 48ft hoop house and come 13 out side beds which had gone to ruin over the summer as I was out of action. Well my wife made a deal with a neighbor & friend who has just retired and wants to get into growing. So now hes going to do the heavy work and I'll do lighter work and we will split the produce. So Saturday he came over with his son and daughter and her boy friend. They did an amazing job and the hoop house is in god order and ready for planting. Meanwhile I did 4 trays on lettuce starts.  It good to feel the garden comin back to life!
     
    Wed:Gym
    Thu: Yoga
    Fri: Tread mill
    Sat: GYM and gardening.
    Sun: Yoga
    Mon: Day off
    Tue: Acupuncture
    Kept to regime for Gym and Yoga but failed on snacking and paid the cost in weight which climbed to 188lb