A Pain Diary
This is a set of notes to see if I can find the best strategy for controlling the pain.
Tuesday, 31st August
10:00 – The pain in my jaw, face and arm is bad. I’ll give it 7/10.
11:00 – The doctor gives me some 15 mg. codiene tablets and says to take one or two, three times a day. He says it won’t hurt if I mix them with paracetamol.
12:00 – I take two codiene and one paracetamol tablets.
13:00 – Lunch is one of Waitrose tiffins, which I feel helps my mouth.
14:00 – Pain is down to about 5/10 and I sleep for perhaps an hour.
17:00 – I’ve done quite a bit of typing this afternoon, so the left hand isn’t too bad. Pain still 5/10.
19:00 – Pain now about 6/10, so I’ve taken another two codiene.
20:00 – Supper was a tuna steak, peas and sauce followed by raspberries and yoghurt. It was surprisingly easy to eat and the fruit and yoghurt was very soothing. I should say that I still eat peas with my right hand, using the fork as a spoon. Pain is now about 4/10.
Wednesday 1st Setember
06:00 – I have just got up after a good night’s sleep or at least a very reasonable one. I didn’t take one of the sleeping pills either. Pain is about 3/10.
07:00 – Just taken one codiene and one paracetamol.
12:00 – On the way to Lingfield, I took two codiene and one paracetamol to keep the pain level to about 4/10.
17:00 – Supper was pasta in Carlucciuo’s with a still lemonade. Pain still about 4/10.
19:00 – On the train home to Whittlesford, I actually slept for twenty minutes or so, so the pain level was probably a bit less. I didn’t end up in Cambridge either!
21:00 – Just cook one codiene and one paracetamol before bed. I’m trying to keep the number I take each day to below the maximum, as that gives me a margin for if the pain gets worth. Pain is probably at a 3/10 level.
Thursday 2nd September
07:00 Woke up after a good night’s sleep. Pain in the face after a cup of tea. Perhaps 4/10.
08:00 – Took one codiene and one paracetamol.
11:00 – I went to see a physiotherapist, who used some electrical therapy on my arm and also said that some of problems there were because I don’t sit straight up.
15:00 – I’ve peeled a few potatoes for a fish pie and the cold water and the movement seems to hsve eased the pain in my wrist. The pain level is about 3/10.
22:00 – As with yesterday, I have a codiene and a paracetamol before going to bed. The pain level is about 3/10.
Friday 3rd September
07:00 – Slept well with no problems.
09:00 – Took one codiene and a paracetamol. Pain level about 4/10.
18:00 – Took one codiene and a paracetamol. Pain level about 4/10. Pain mainly in a tooth. Did find that a slice of Marian’s chocolate cake had a beneficial effect.
Saturday 4th September
07:00 My arm wasn’t good in the morning and I had a bit of trouble putting a shirt on as I couldn’t find the left arm-hole.
22:00 – I didn’t have too much pain all day and had perhaps one paracetamol, when I got up and one in the evening. Pain level about 4/10.
Sunday 5th September
07:00 – I woke up much better this morning after a lot of sleep. I took a paracetamol. The pain level was 3/10.
21:00 – Not much pain at 3/10 and I’ll probably take a paracetamol before I retire.
Monday 6th September
07:00 – I slept well with little pain. Perhaps about 5/10.
I Can’t Sleep!
Since I had the stroke, I’ve always been able to sleep. But not tonight, as the pain in my face is too much and I reckon if I’ve had an hour of sleep, I’ve been lucky!
I’ve taken a couple of paracetamol tablets and they have made no difference.
It’s now three o’clock in the morning and I’ve got up to listen to the radio and play on the computer. At least my typing is fine!
So let’s hope the pain is a sign that my brain is getting to grips with my body again!
After Stroke Pain
When I left hospital three months ago, I wasn’t in much pain. I suppose I’m not really now, but I do have an itchy scalp, pain in the left side of my face, in my left wrist and in my humerus, which was broken when I was about fourteen. Reading a piece on the National Stroke Association’s website, this pain may be caused by the brain misreading the sensations sent through the nerves and not nerve damage. It also says that conventional medicines aren’t very good at countering the pain.
The paper also says that you could end up misusing drugs. It’s a bit difficult when you don’t take them. But despite the advice I did take an aspirin.
I don’t know about it, but it is something that I must discuss with my doctor.
Non Disabled-Friendly Sugar Packets
Now I’m not disabled, but I do have a left hand that is less than perfect after the stroke.
On the train today, when I had my coffee, I found that it was virtually impossible to open the small square sugar packet without spilling half of it on the table.
Surely, in this day and age we can come up with something better! At least where you get little tubes I have less of a problem
Real Tennis as a Recovery Index
I played my first competitive game of real tennis since the last stroke yesterday. I didn’t do too well, but I think I was getting better as the hour progressed.
As real tennis has a computerised handicap system, it will be interesting if my handicap gets better or worse over the coming months.
SO if you’re recovering from a stroke or any other illness for that matter and you can play tennis, why not consider learning real tennis. It can be played at a gentle level if you wish, but as it depends very much on your thinking, as your physical prowess, you will at least know, if you are improving.
An Ideal Mouth Refresher
My mouth still feels rubish and I try to freshen it up with all sorts of things from curries to whisky.
Last night though when I cooked the chicken pie, I found the ideal drink to refresh my mouth. As I had some cider left over, I did the good thing and drunk half a bottle of Aspall’s Premier Cru Suffolk Cyder. It was so good, I’m drinking another bottle tonight!
Does The Watch I Wear Affect My Hand?
Normaly, I wear a heavy stainless steel bracelet-type watch on my left hand. As that is my gammy one, recently I’ve taken to wearing it on the right, but I don’t like to do that as it is inconvenient. I should also say that it used to be the Rolex that C gave me as my last Christmas present and that I nearly lost in Naples, but that is just too heavy for either hand.
So today, I got an old watch out with a leather strap and my hand seems to be a little bit better now that it is released from its steel corset.
I should also say that for years I always wore my watch on my right hand, as I felt that it was more comfortable. This was because my arm wasn’t very good for many years, due to it being broken by a bully at school. It almost seems to be that since the stroke my arm has returned to the state it was until fixed by a fitness trainer a couple of years ago.
It’s all very puzzling. But do I care, as it’s certainly better this evening.
Real Tennis at Cambridge
I went into Cambridge today to have a game of real tennis at the Cambridge University Real Tennis Club in Grange Road. I was also introducing an old Metier friend and colleague, Spencer Hamill, to the game.
I fared better than last time and still miss balls that are low at the left with a backhand. But then I was always crap in that area. But I did find that I could volley reasonably well and also I was serving overhead, which I haven’t done since the stroke. Here’s a clip.
Next time I play it’ll be off handicap and it will be interesting to see what happens.
A New Test for Autism
This report on the BBC shows the way that modern medicine is going. I know that I don’t suffer from autism, although I’m a bit weird, but then programmers are a lot of the time. These sort of scans though, will help doctors sort out stroke sufferers like me.
Let’s hope the medics and the programmers, who work with them keep going!
They have had one of the researchers involved, Christine Ecker, on BBC Breakfast this morning. She reckons that soon they will be able to use the test with children. They have even developed a quiet non-claustrophobic scanner, so children won’t be frightened.
I am very enthusiastic about this test and feel it will have other beneficial effects. Obviously, as the research techniques get better and we know more about the brain, they will benefit people like me, who have had strokes to those with more serious brain problems or injuries.
I also think that C, my late wife, would have welcomed this test. She was a barrister and most of her work was with families, divorce and children. She said to me many times, that childen with things a like autism and ADHD, put a tremendous strain on the marriage and often caused the break-up. Sometimes, that strain was caused by the difficulty of getting a diagnosis.
Hopefully, this test will reduce those problems and might even help couples to stay together!
I Can’t Fold Shirts
I’m just packi ng for my trip to Edinburgh tomorrow and have just realised that I can’t fold shirts, so they fit in my case.
But it’s not the stroke, as I couldn’t do it three years ago!
Perhaps I should try harder! Or should I get someone else to do it?
The Anonymous Widower 