stockflyer

Stroke Survivor - male
  • Posts

    90
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About stockflyer

  • Birthday 07/26/1959

Contact Methods

  • Stroke Network Email
    Yes

Shared Information

  • Stroke Anniversary (first stroke)
    10-18-2015
  • Interests
    family, travel, hiking, garden, stamp collecting (traveling the world), reading, college football
  • How did you find us?
    Other

Registration Information

  • First Name
    John
  • State
    MI

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  1. stockflyer

    bored

    making compost? That has got to be a crappy job! I would like to try that, but don't think it would go over with my neighbors.
  2. stockflyer

    bored

    Reading is fantastic. I used to do that pre-stroke. Read lots. Now with my headache I usually get about 20 min. at a time. I took up my 30 year old stamp collection and started that again. It is nice since I can "travel the world". Right now I am working on Greek stamps. I stop and learn a little bit about the stamp the year there etc. I have found out about the leaders, wars, different taxes they needed and was added to stamp. I found out when they invaded Turkey and issued stamps for a few years for use in that territory. Massive inflation. Their stamps used to be a few lecta? to a few Drachma. I put in a my album a stamp that was 5 million drachma. Now that is inflation. A few years later they devalued the money and the stamps show it. Similar to pre-WWII German stamps were in the millions of Marks because of their inflation. (picture goes here, but haven't learned how yet) Pictures of sites, artwork, animals, cars, trucks, trains (one of my favorites), etc. So much to stop and enjoy. When you look at years at a time you can see a story unfold. Not as hard for me as reading, and does help with boredom. Unfortantely I cant do it very long at a time before I mess up and have to quit. I also figure it is very good as therapy.
  3. Hi Jay, I think your Daughter thinks of you as a normal Dad, one who can still help. She doesn't think of you as a handicapped person that needs her pity. All in all I would have to say, good job. Now just ask her for a lift to the second hand stores so you can look for a table.
  4. stockflyer

    bored

    Hi TS, I'm not living with a lot a people much older than me. But I know what you mean. I'll go down to the Older Person's Center here and I'm usually the youngest by 20 years or so on avg. Some I really like to visit with but others are a PIA. Always critical about everything, with never a kind word for anyone. I leave the room too. Not sure what you issues are and limitations are, so have no ideas for you, but I think we all have those days. I'm kinda having one today. Just exhausted and too tired to really do anything. Hate those days. anyway, Have a Great Day! John
  5. stockflyer

    Years pass

    Congrats on the 10,000 steps. I am working up to that goal to. I still want my goal to walk the Appalachian trail. Probably can't happen, but if you don't try..... Again, good job, Have a Great Day!
  6. Hi Smarshall, Thanks. My headaches, are more appropriately called my headache. As in 1. I always have it, over 1 1/2 years now. It only varies in intensity. Low, med, or high. Low in morning. The med or high after that. If I exert myself the headache go up. If the weather changes it is terrible. Can't go to sleep at night partly because of the hurt. Tried all the over the counter pain killers and some other things. Nothing helps yet. These pills are about $10 a month for me. But with the pain I am always having I would consider any amount to give me a normal day. Good luck on your garden. Hope you don't have deer, rabbits, or groundhogs nearby. Last year I did a little bit of gardeing in the yard. 2 tomato plants, and some zucchini. We got none. The deer ate all the blooms on everything. I did a little container gardening on our deck. And nothing ate it. I couldn't do much last summer. Only few months after stroke and had a lot of trouble, but it was nice to sit around the plants. Got tomatos, lettuce, eggplant, basil, brocolli, sage. Not like my bigger garden, but was achievable. I still need a lot of help in our garden so we will see how far I really get.
  7. Hi, I thought I would write more often, but this seems to be the pace. I stopped going to our Older Persons Center (OPC) where I would work out on the rehab exercise machines. I was trying to see if I could get off Ambien and get my head to quit hurting all the time. It is so tiring. So far no luck. I went to a new neurologist last month who specializes in chronic head aches to see if there is another approach. She has me on Pamelor which is supposed to make you sleepy. Not me, just kinda excited, but very tired. Weird. But I have to build up the dose over a few months to see if there is improvement. It's some sort of antidepressant, but fortunately I don't need it for that. S'pposed to help with nerve pain and interupt the feedback look for pain. If not, then try something else. Social security decided that I was disabled. I thought I would be glad to get that decision. But it created weird feeling. I know I am disabled, but I don't want other people telling me that. It seemed like a jail sentence. It was faster decision than I thought it would take, guess I am more messed up than I thought. Oh well, I keep telling myself I will still walk the Appalachian Trail, so maybe something will happen. So far I've only walked a few hundred yards on that point between Tennessee and North Carolina, pre-stroke. It's time to get the garden started. Got some seeds planted indoors. Now I have to build a cover for my garden so that deer, rabbits, and ground hogs don't eat everything. This has been a constant battle. Hopefully I will get more of my vegs than I give to them this last year. Animals 100, John 0. I saved some tomato seeds from an Heirloom a few years ago and decided this year to try them. They have started to grow. first step. Now to grow them and see what I got. I don't know what they are. In my haste back then I only labeled the envelope heirloom seeds. Duh, what one? Sometimes I get so frustrated with me. Why did I think I would remember the type? Oh well. If I can get them to grow and the deer don't eat the blooms like last year, I will find out if they are cherry or larger. I am hoping they are cherry. if so I know they are Ruby Pearls. So have been the best small cherry - grape sized I have ever eaten. So sweet. Others are good, but these are just a little better. I'm always open to better ways to garden, so if you have tricks, I'm all ears. Thanks, all for now, Have a Great Day everyone!
  8. Happy Anniversary stockflyer!

  9. Went out, forget to get the photo. Will try again to remember in a few days. Remembery isn't what it used to be.
  10. Hi Fred, I may not really know you, but understanding your life at least the big pieces are good. I never went to Vietnam, little young then. But I spent 25 years in the AF. 4 active 21 reserve and met many who had been there and heard their stories. The good, the bad, and the ugly. I am guessing yours experience would be close. I really appreciate all you and your group did and I am very proud of you. And proud to have met you. Years ago I thought I would have had a full life if I lived to 80. No man in my family has made it to 80 yet. My dad was 68 when he died of pancreatic cancel. Now after the stroke I am just glad to wake up the next day and do what I can to try to put larger parts of the impact behind me. I am glad to find this site so I can talk and learn from you and others here. Have a great day!
  11. Hi, thanks. My son is just out of the AF and came home yesterday for a week or two. I will try to have him take a picture when we are walking and I will post with my experience to date. Have a great day!
  12. Hi, The hospital where I went when I had my stroke and spent a couple weeks on the rehab floor had their annual rehab "party". I thought it may be a little lame but it was really nice. I didn't see any who was there when I was as a patient but I got to see a lot of the nurses, aids, doctors. I think they like to see how far everyone had come. It must feel pretty good to see the help you gave others. I was able to express my gratitude to those who really helped me. My OT was really great and probably the most single person who helped me. She specializes in strokes and knew how to keep me moving forward. Also to slow me down if I was pushing too hard. I hadn't learned about Exhaustion at this point. :Doh: I saw "my" aid too. He was teh one who helped my take my first 3 steps. Amazing how it is going as they can remember how you were. Something I don't fully recall. I went using some trekking poles I got a month ago (I will need to write about that in another post) and did it even though there was a lot of walking. Got totally exhausted rest of day and next day. But that is how it goes. But I got there without my roller! Anyway I was very glad I went and if you have a chance to visit yours, go ahead - it will likely be good for you. Thanks guys - Have a Great Day! John
  13. Happy Birthday stockflyer!

  14. Hi, I've been reading others blogs and really get a lot of enjoyment from them. I figure they are really helpful so thought I would try my own. Read if you want. I'm now about 8 months post stroke. Many things are looking up, but there are still a bunch of issues. I am lucky compared to some in that I didnt' get any paralysis. I am very weak though and get reminded of it all the time. In my town we have what we call the Older Person's Center (OPC). In there we have lots of activities, but I haven't done any of the arts yet. But they have a room of rehab type workout equipment and another room for aerobics. The local hospital physical therapy group uses it as well. There usually several of us there at the same time and we get to talk and share. One fellow I've been talking with has damage to his legs, some kind of neuropathy that was caused by gout medicine he took for 30 years. He has a difficult time walking, but on the leg press which is one of his favorites he was talking about how he was up to 55 pounds of weight. I was impressed. I can only manage 15 pounds, but on a good day about 18 pounds. He is a good inspiration. Another guy had a stroke and is recovering well. He can walk about 1 mile now. I am really envious since I really like to walk and did hike about 4 miles the day before my stroke. He told me he tried to ride his bike last week and immediately fell down. I can't ride mine yet either. We agreed to keep progressing and that we would ride together someday. I am sure he will get there. I sure hope I can do it again. But we will see. I have a constant headache, practically 24/7, but it goes up and down. Today it started a little lower, but has managed to get high again. I think reading and thinking makes it hurts worse. But I have to do that if I ever want to get past it. I don't want to let this narrow my boundaries. My daughter who lives in North Carolina, we are in Michigan, decided to move back home. But no hospitals around us are hiring. So she took a traveling nurse job in Austin, Tx and just left from visiting us. I want to go visit her while she is down there, but don't know if I can make it yet. The noise from the plane is too loud and don't know if I can manage the effort to get there yet. Just a short trip to doctor or store is enough to force me to rest for a few hours before I can attempt something else. I like Austin and have been there many times for work. Anyway - can't let this totally stop us. Have a Great Day! John
  15. I say every attempt = success. Good or bad, win or lose, accomplish or not. Just attempt counts.