Am I Feeling Better Because of the Keppra
My typing has improved again and I seem to be making fewer mistakes. I seem to have much more control over the Shift and Control keys and I don’t make the spelling mistakes I did a few days ago.
Could this be an effect of taking the Keppra?
A Setback Yesterday
\i spent most of yesterday in hospital at Addenbrooke’s after what they thought was a post stroke seizure. I was back home by eight with a prescription for Keppra, which is an anti-epilepsy medicine. They also gave me a CT Scan, which showed there was no new damage. So that is good news.
A Replacement for Warfarin?
On BBC Breakfast this morning, they were talking about a replacement for Warfarin, that would be just one pill a day.
For a lot of people, this will obviously be better and it is likely that the cost to the NHS will be less in terms of blood testing. But this new drug will not be cheap.
In a way, I think that the alternative of providing an up-to-date National Anticoagulant Service might be much better.
As an example, I’m moving to London in a few weeks, so I’ll have to get that sorted fairly quickly. But as I usually have to be tested every two weeks or so, I can envisage a few small problems, especially as I’ll be needed to be tested over Christmas.
Stem Cells and Stroke Patients
A lot of people mat well object to the fact that foetal stem cells have been used to help a stroke patient in Glasgow.
I’ve probably been fairly lucky with my stroke and it is doubtful whether I would have needed this treatment.
But, would I have said yes or no, if I had been offered the treatment. I don’t know, but I would have always wanted to get better.
It is interesting to postulate what families and the NHS will say. After all, if someone is completely disabled, it doesn’t help anybody, least of all the patient.
I must admit too, that if this treatment is a success, then the three parties involved, the patient, his family and the health service will all probably be in favour.
It will be interesting to see how the moral arguments develop.
And Now The Good News!
Well I suppose it’s good news, in that the hospital doesn’t want to see me again about the stroke! I suppose I should be pleased but I don’t think I showed much emotion as I was getting tired after the travel. In fact if I have any emotions now, it’s about going to London, hopefully for a new start! At least when it’s like tonight, I won’t have to stay inside watching nothing on the television.
How Am I Doing?
I’m going to see my Doctor at Addenbrooke’s tomorrow, so I thought I’d write down a few notes.
If I start with my body and move downwards from the top of my head, I can summarise it as follows.
I was suffering a sort of itch and a sensitive scalp, but that seems to have reduced and almost stopped since, I’ve started taking the Amitriptyline. I’m only on one 10 mg. tablet a day and I take that just before bed, so that it helps me sleep reasonably well.
My brain seems to think clearly and I’ve started programming again. I do think though, that some of my memory functions aren’t too good, in that I make a mental note to do something and then forget it a few minutes later. But the long-term memory is intact and I can remember funny tales from years back with ease.
My eyes now seem to be working better, in that I have no trouble seeing anything as I walk around. Although, obviously, I’m not driving or even cycling. I also find that I can’t see the ball when I try to play table tennis. But I can use binoculars to look at things like the moons of Jupiter, which is something I couldn’t do when I left the hospital.
I do seem to have gone a bit deaf, but then I was always going that way.
I still have pain in the left side of my face and it gets worse as the afternoon progresses towards evening. I suspect this is because the Amitriptyline I took the night before is wearing off. I find too, that typing on the computer gets more difficult from about three and my eyes are tired.
My mouth is a bit sore, as my teeth tend to catch the inside of my left cheek. It could be that I’m cutting a Wisdom tooth, but my dentist is a long way away in Felixstowe. In addition, my teeth never seem clean. I wish there was a walk-in dental hygienist!
My right arm is a hundred percent, but my left hand is still a little wayward and there is pain the wrist. I can though now wear my heavy Rolex again, which C left for me as her last Christmas present. It has the inscription “J Xmas 2007 and Forever C” and I feel undressed without it.
I do find trouble reading newspapers, as I find it difficult to separate the pages. I had thought this was due to the stroke, but my friend, John, at the football has the same problem and he’s a fit farmer, who’s about my age. He reckons it’s the papers and the ink they use! So perhaps it’s just old age again!
There is also pain in my left humerus in the old injury, where the bully broke my arm at school. Again it gets worse as the day progresses.
I have been working on my core strength and don’t seem to suffer any pain or reactions in my trunk at all.
I do however have a bit of a problem with a mixture of constipation and diarrhoea. That’s probably the best way to describe it, as sometimes I find going a strain and at other times it’s loose like it was for most of my life before I was diagnosed as a coeliac.
Incidentally, when I typed that last paragraph, I just typed diarrhoea right for the first time in my life!
My legs are fine, although I do suffer the odd cramp at night in my left shin and my varicose veins are getting worse. But compared to my parents’ ones, they are minor.
I’m eating well and I’m now just about the same weight as I was this time last year of about 58.5 kilos stripped.
One slight problem is that I always seem to feel a bit cold during the day. But as I said, I’m sleeping well and am very warm in bed.
As to getting around, I have no problems, that others don’t have like late or missing trains and taxis that take forever to come. But how many who are recovering from strokes, have travelling as far as Inverness, Edinburgh, Middlesbrough, Sheffield and Crewe without any special assistance? I can’t wait to get to my new house in London, from where I can really explore the country.
I’m also managing well with the Warfarin. But it’s a system that is so antiquated and ill-thought out, that something should be done to create a proper National Anticoagulation Service, possibly based on pharmacies and the Internet. But I’ve not missed a correct dose and save for the odd small nose bleeds, I’ve not had any trouble.
I also think I felt a bit better after last Wednesday when I had my three-monthly B12 injection.
So let’s face it!
I could be much worse.
I sleep well, get tired, cook everything I need, travel where I want, but just feel trapped living in the country with a bit of nagging pain.
I’m moving so the first problem will go and I hope that the pain will fade away with time.
Today’s Nottingham Card
friend has asked me to give him some pointers to the races at Nottingham today.
Here are my quick thoughts.
Race 1 – Neytiki as it’s got the most attractive jockey! She’s a coeliac too! Avoid Brand Bob as the horse has a bad draw. The horse is also owned by someone I know!
A general point is that it’s probably worth watching Richard Hughes mount in the first, but a PlacePot using all his mounts would be a good idea, as he’s closing in on the jockey’s championship.
I can’t say I can guarantee these selections, but my father’s ability to pick winners improved after he’d had a stroke.
Race 2 – Ittirad as trainer Michael Jarvis and jocky Philip Robinson are often dangerous in this sort of race.
Race 3 – Academy and Charles Camoin.
Race 4 – If Hayley wins the first, back Ace of Spies here. Make My Dream is probably worth looking at.
Race 5 – Be patriotic and back the Queen’s horse – Starshine. Seriously though it looks like a horse that gets a distance and few except the Queen run those.
Race 6 – Spinning is napped and should go close and Naddwah is my pick. But don’t underestimate Compton Blue because of Richard Hughes going for the championship.
Race 7 – Point North and Colour Scheme.
Race 8 – Kenyan Cat as trainer a great and honest guy and horse just missed a hat trick.
It Would Appear It’s Nothing Serious
The doctor did a thorough job and used all the equipment in his back-room to give my sinuses a thorough check-over and it would appear it’s nothing more serious than neuralgia. I’m to have a CT Scan for a final check and go back to see him in six weeks.
So that isn’t too bad is it?
He also gave me some pain killers to take before I go to bed.
Blast! I Just Broke a Glass
I like to document all my clumsiness, so that I try harder! I was looking for something to drink and found a bottle of Green’s Premium Golden Ale. it’s not my favourite, but I try to like it. Perhaps these thoughts made my hand slip with the opener and the bottle fell over on the tumbler and broke it!
I must be more careful, next time!
My State of Health
Since I ended up in Addenbrooke’s a week ago, I’ve not felt well at all.
- My teeth feel like I haven’t cleaned them in a week and it’s almost as if they’re covered in slime, which I guess is the muck pouring out of my sinuses.
- My arm and face are in pain. But it seems that my left hand is better on the keyboard though!
- But at least my eyesight has improved and I am able to use a pair of binoculars. I thought that yesterday at the football, I followed the match better than at any time since my stroke.
- My throat hurts and I suspect that is the coughing to try to clear it.
- I thought for a while yesterday that I was totally constipated, but that cleared up this morning.
- At least I’m sleeping reasonably well, but I don’t like the number of pain killers I’m taking. I’m well below limit set by my doctor, so I suppose that is one thing.
I’m seeing a consultant about my sinuses on Tuesday morning, so at least the end might be in sight.
I really hope so!
The Anonymous Widower 