• A  blog is a personal journal of your daily life as a stroke survivor or stroke caregiver.  Surprisingly, countless members have called it therapeautic to write down their thoughts and to vent their frustrations.  You can make it private, just for your eyes or public and share your personal thoughts with your friends.  Why not try it, create your blog and start writing and see if it helps you.  

Blogs

Featured Entries

  • swilkinson

    Living on angel time.

    By swilkinson

    I went to see the neurosurgeon on Tuesday. I was interviewed by a young Asian associate doctor and sent for a 3D MRI and angiogram, a brand new way of showing  the blood supply within the brain. The results were given to me by the associate and then I saw the specialist. It appears the aneurysm is larger and deeper than previously thought but at my age they are not going to operate as it would mean a full brain surgery. Coiling, one method of dealing with an aneurysm, is not an option. I think I
    • 12 comments
    • 3,017 views

Family matters

I have been busy with family the past three weeks. I went up to Armidale for a little break and while I was there my daughter misstepped and ruptured the meniscus behind her right knee. Luckily the injury required rest not an operation, that meant no work, no driving, no more than  a few minutes on her feet. Her husband took care of her the first week then I came home and was asked to go  for a week to drive her daughter to school, take Shirley to doctors appointments, physio etc and do the shop

swilkinson

swilkinson in Family

Winter is here

So live is pretty good and motion is back for the most part and moving without the concentration it used to take 6 months ago. I still get a little light headed when I enter a balancing challenge from a position that I may not have tried since the stroke. I find I work more naturally and actively but then run out of energy. I find after a certain amount of work I will suddenly get fatigued and muscles are harder to control. Or as I tell Deb, I have gone wobbly. I can return to better control wit

KevRider

KevRider in projects

I Had Lacunar Stroke Not aTIA

I took paperwork to my dr office as usual from nursing home I live in....I was horrified they changed diagnosis to TIA WITHOUT RESIDUAL DEFICITS.   Do they think time here on a vacation? I can't believe that somebody would make this change when what happened to my medical records would happen to my neurological reports from  My doctor? So I was furious and I brought it to the attention of the nurse gave me the paperwork and she said oh talk to The supervisor. And of course nothing was done

SassyBetsy

SassyBetsy in Blog

British Breakfast

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 rec

KevRider

KevRider in projects

you got to be whole when you are in any relationship- sage wisdom

Some of you who know me, I am heavy into uplifting books, inspiring biographies & oprah's Super soul sunday where she gets accomplished leaders, thinkers  which I have realized based on where I am in my own journey find great AHA moments to cliche lines.  Anyway enough of background  recently Oprah had Michelle Obama on her show talking about her "becoming" book great book, if any one wants to read & get inspired by how to be great mom or wife this book is quite inspiring.  One of intere

HostAsha

HostAsha in my personal thoughts

Winter is here!

Well another week where I thought i'd have no specific improvement to report. Then yesterday i was caught with my hands full in the tack room of the barn, Feed in one hand and a kitty in the other. I had managed to pen the door and go in but now needed to close it .( The cat is closed in the tack room at night due to coyote and owls) With out thinking I flipped my leg back and kicked it close. I then realised what I had done! I had transferred weight onto one leg, a balancing that I would have n

KevRider

KevRider in projects

Now what? Will we be celebrating Christmas this year?

Just been talking to our assistant minister, she is my "boss" for pastoral care. We have a talk from time to time. We are both anxious to resume some of our church activities like our Playtime for Mums and kids, our Welfare programs and our night services but the current Covid regulations are preventing all of  that from happening. It is very frustrating. We discussed what we thought the future of our activities on behalf of the church might look like in the new year, with Covid or after Covid b

swilkinson

swilkinson in Thoughts on Covid

Broccoli

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

KevRider

KevRider in projects

The Rona is Here

So there's a ship in port which has the Rona.    The occupants are not allowed off the ship, but I'm guessing the really sick ones who need hospitalisation will be a different story.   Normally I wouldn't be concerned. The WA government is doing a great job containing it.   My biggest worry about it, is that Wayne works at the port!!   The ship is not berthed at the berth he works at, but it's still a worry.   The photo is of some of town. The ho

GreenQueen

GreenQueen in Nervous

Stroke was a good thing?

Sometimes people ask me if my stroke was a good thing to in the long run, and I am often perplexed with how to answer it. Yes the stroke took a lot of my happiness and my joy’s away and I wish that I could do a lot more than what  I can. The one positive thing, however, was I was correctly diagnosed and finally medicated for  my ADHD. And that way I feel like stroke was a benefit to me because I feel like I’m a better person. I just wanted to Blog that random thought that I had at 3 o’clock in t

ksmith

ksmith in Random thoughts

inspiring words by Eleanor Roosevelt

Right after my stroke when I was deep in dumps of despair I  found strength in inspiring people like FDR who even being disabled got country out of deep depression & started so many great projects in America, funded & created national parks, social security  & even made bank accounts FDIC so that common people don't loose their hard earned money.  I was amazed & inspired by Eleanor Roosevelt who was close confidant & his partner in all senses. Recently I read one of her quote

HostAsha

HostAsha in my personal thoughts

Peppers

Here we are on the weekly blog, but little to tell. No identifiable improvements but I  am to be getting to do more work than at the beginning of the year so I'm hoping that's a sign of increasing stamina. So we are down in the 30s some mornings lately though still 80S afternoon. That kind of highj dessert swing can let an early frost sneak in so we have been harvesting crops that would get damaged. This weeks main target the peppers. The various wok loads make it hard to gauge but I

KevRider

KevRider in projects

Keeping a positive attitude

The Covid goes on. We still have restrictions but not as much as some countries do. We still have cases, in our State, New South Wales it is mostly under 20 new infections a day. It is a great result but it has come at a price. Many people are out of work, many can no longer afford luxuries like holidays so most stayed home this school holidays. Some older people are still feeling isolated as we are regularly told to keep safe, to keep away from crowded areas, not to gather in groups etc. I know

swilkinson

swilkinson in Thoughts on Covid

Digging

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

KevRider

KevRider in projects

What goes around comes around

There's an awesome group of people in town who started an amazing charity. It's all local stuff.  All money they make at the events they have (from donations by locals) stays local.    When I first became disabled, they were awesome to us.   Due to covid19, they are unable to hold the big annual  gala event,  but they have asked for donations for an online auction.    You know I like to make cards?   I decided to make cards and calendars for them. Twelve s

GreenQueen

GreenQueen in Nervous

Mary Jane

145/83 BP was a pleasant reading this morning, a bit lower than my average 152/88 ( Remember I have prescribed hypertension) my doctor likes higher BP to push thru my constricted veins. So a natural drop in BP suggest a possible clearing of veins. The push for normal movement continues  but I can't claim to have identified any specific improvements. This weeks specific project is to harvest the marihuana plants. We are lucky that in AZ we have legal marihuana and I 'm far enough away f

KevRider

KevRider in projects

Helpless

Connor has a parrot, native to Western Australia. Bobby, a red breasted Scarlett Parrot.   Tuesday we noticed Bobby wasn't well so took him to the vet.  Birds are known to hide their illness and only show symptoms when it's too late.  That happened.  The vet gave us medication for 10 days, not to fix him but to make him comfortable.   Poor baby, he died tonight.    Connor was, and still is, inconsolable.    All I want to do is say the right thing, do the r

GreenQueen

GreenQueen in Sad

a Matter of Concentration.

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 occipu

KevRider

KevRider in projects

God is so kind to us & I feel so grateful

Things are not finalized yet but its moving into right direction, so I have to share my joy.  hubby  has spent his first few years of his life in village in India with his family & is very fond of his native place, & even after moving to city in India his family has connection with village which has our very powerful community God we all believe in  & his whole family & extended family will gather their once a year for special prayer ceremony. Usually now in village there are mos

HostAsha

HostAsha in my personal thoughts

Fences

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,

KevRider

KevRider in projects

Project

Well this week I can't identify any actual improvements. Of course they can be so subtle now I have to pay attention to spot one. I do catch my self slipping back to my safe walk and find myself having to coach myself , like "Come on a bit faster" as I continue to move more as I used to. This week I have been involved with installing a big drum composter. The screwing of nuts onto bolts was an exercise they used to have me do in rehab, and I found I was flashing back to that as i had to do it a

KevRider

KevRider

Feeling Loved

Yesterday I took Riley for a ride on Henry.  This morning Wayne was doing stuff in the shed, and had the dogs out the front. I had a doctor's appointment.  As I went up the driveway on Henry, Riley followed me. Wayne picked her up so I could leave. When I got almost to George rd (100 metres from home), my phone rang. I answered it on my watch; it was Wayne. I said to him: it's ok, she's here. Exactly as I answered, Riley jumped up onto Henry.  Apparently as soon as her put her back on th

GreenQueen

GreenQueen