Mind and Body Changes
In the previous post on Sudoku, I speculated how my problem solving ability was changing.
But this is not the only change that is happening.
Just after the second stroke in Hong Kong, my balance was not good and walking in a straight line was difficult. In fact when I went to physiotherapy or X-ray, it was always in a wheel chair. Incidentally, once in Addenbrookes, I was generally left to my own devices, after the first few hours. But that is in the main down to a difference in cultures.
But take what happened on my first day in Addenbrookes. I was taken to a kitchen and asked to make a cup of tea for myself. It tasted better than any cup of tea, I have ever made.
What that cup of tea taught me, was that you have to think differently and take in all possible outcomes, when you do something.
Now that I’ve been home for a few weeks and virtually looking after my cooking and personal needs on my own for the last three or so, I can see that my brain has developed new ways of doing things. As an example, I am sure, I’ve devised new ways of doing things to get round the problems I have, say with my left hand. But then I’ve done this before, when my arm was broken at school. For years, I avoided using it, as it didn’t work too well, So I sometimes used my right hand, when everybody else would have used their left.
Underneath it all, we all have several ways of doing things and when one is no longer available, we just use another one we know or devise a new one. As an example, how many of us are naturally left-handed, but have been made to write with the other hand. And then you have Ken Rosewall, who some would say was the finest tennis player of all time, but he was naturally left-handed and had been made to play with his right by his father.
At Last Some Good Health News!
I went to see the cardiologist yesterday afternoon. It was the sort of doctor’s visit that we all like!
He indicated that he had reviewed my X-rays ans scans from Addenbrookes and then asked me how I was getting on with the Warfarin. It has not been a problem for me and the anlysis at West Suffolk Hospital has gone very smoothly and professionally. He then said that the Warfarin should protect me from another stroke and that the leak in my heart valve was moderate and probably should be OK for ten years. As he knows, I’m a technologist, we talked a bit about how software and techniques are improving for a few moments. After the chat, I felt that if I did need an operation it would be a lot less serious than the ones my Mother-in-law had thirty years ago.
He then said that I should come back and see him in six months.
That last point really cheered me up!
Dry Eyes
I have been suffering from dye eyes recently and when |I last went to Addenbrookes, I got a prescription for some eye drops to ease the problem. They do to a certain extent, but I can’t put the drops in myself. I have this thing about eyes.
I did find this page for stroke sufferers on the RNIB web site, which explains how eyes can be effected by strokes and also gives some helpful advice.
A common effect of stroke-related vision problems is an increased sensitivity to light. The brain seems to have difficulty adjusting to different levels of light. Tinted glasses or sunglasses may be helpful in reducing the discomfort some people experience.
Another problem which can follow stroke is dry eye. The rate of blinking may slow following a stroke and /or there may be incomplete eye closure with a partial blink which will cause a part of the cornea to dry resulting in the eye feeling uncomfortable. Artificial tears, and reminding the person to try to blink completely and often, may be a possible solution for dry eyes.
But then the RNIB should know about eyes.
So I’m wearing my prescription sunglasses and trying to remember to blink! That is not meant to be trite or sarcastic, but it is easier for me than to put the solution in my eyes!
Cambridge Park and Ride
It looks like Cambridge are going to change the charging structure on the park and ride for the city, according to this report. If they do charge for parking as well, they will be going against what was said on Radio 5 some months ago. Then, it was said, that those parking and cycling were welcomed and that they took traffic off the roads in the congested city.
I have used the park and ride, usually to go to the centre for shopping or perhaps to see a film. As I have a bus pass, I don’t pay anything, so if they charged for parking, would those over sixty like me still use it. After all, Bury St. Edmunds has fairly low car park charges at certain times and it is just as close to me.
I also use the park and ride near to Addenbrookes and then walk in or take the free-for-me shuttle bus. This is cheaper than parking at the hospital and actually gets you conveniently closer to out-patients, than the car park. If I walk, as I do in the sun, it can also be argued that it is good for me.
If they do charge for parking or make it that parking includes the bus fare, it will be a sad day and except for Addenbrookes, I will cut my visits to the city.
I suppose though, Cambridge has to fund the busway somehow!
Between Life and Death
This program on BBC1 last night, was not the sort of television I usually watch, as I jokily say I’m allergic to hospitals. I suppose, that as I’ve seen the inside of them so much in recent years, what with the death of C and our youngest son, and now my strokes, it is quite understandable.
But for some reason, I didn’t turn the program off last night. Partly because it was Addenbrookes, I suppose and I do have a respect for the place after what they have done for my family. I’ve also played tennis with several of the doctors and know the cutting-edge ethos of the hospital, which is pushing the boundaries of what is possible.
In the end I found it very uplifting and almost supportive of my recovery, albeit from a very minor problem to those shown in the program. I could relate to all the people in the program on various levels, as a scientist, a father and a patient.
If there is one lesson we should all learn from last night’s program, it is that we shouldn’t stop funding units, such as this at Addenbrookes, in these times of austerity. You can’t put a price on human life and with this units, there must be much they are learning that can be applied across the NHS and the wider world. There are also other lessons to be learned by us all and let’s hope that someone, who watched the program last night, is moved to improve his behaviour or driving skills, so that he avoids the need for going to hospital. That would be a positive benfit for everyone and everything.
We might all learn that human life is precious!
Bad Friday
I don’t know why it’s called Good Friday. For me yesterday was definitely Bad Friday.
I didn’t get out of the house at all, as every time I thought about going to perhaps have a bike ride, it started to rain heavily. I just spent most of the time getting this blog up to date and doing puzzles in the kitchen. The television wasn’t even very good, so I spent the afternoon watching the Indian Premier League on ITV4. At least we had the Indian Hill Railways program on BBC2 in the evening.
The day had one positive though, in that I got rid of the ECG monitor in the morning.
Portable ECG Monitor
It wasn’t too bad to take off, but now I have the problem of getting it to the hospital before nine on Monday morning.
As an aside here, I suspect we’ll be seeing more of this type of device in the future. They’ll be smaller too!
A Day at the Hospital
I spent Thursday morning at Addenbrooke’s.
They did an ultrasound and found that I had one and that it gave good pictures. Why don’t they tell you there and then? I suspect that if it had been missing or badly faulty, they’d have called the Crash Team or whatever and locked me in a darkened room.
I then found out that they wanted to fit a ECG monitor on me to record the heart for some hours. So I got part of my chest shaved and the electrodes were glued on. I thought for a moment that horror of horrors, I wouldn’t be able to tuck my shirt in, but the nurse knew how to get the wires to my shirt pocket.
At least I had a lady to drive me about. She’s one of my old work colleagues, who’s married to another ex-pat Scot and work colleague, sheltering from the cold-up north in East Anglia. We went to Waitrose and then had a decent lunch. Pleased to see to, that the Star now sells Aspalls. A reason for going!
It’s only now that I realise how difficult it is living here without a car. The taxi from Cambridge on Wednesday night cost £40. It’s not the money, but I just think it’s extortionate.
View From a Hospital Window
This view was taken from my friend’s room in Addenbrooke’s Hospital.
View From Addenbrooke's
Despite the rumours, Cambridgeshire isn’t all flat!
Notice too, the apostrophe!
The Anonymous Widower 