Thank you Ruthy for your lists. As far as I am aware, this is at least in part, a mutual help group. And even though we have been told by many authorities not to compare with others, I think that it can be useful for certain purposes. So I shall repeat some of your fatigue list and state how things are for me. But overall aim is that we, as a collective, improve, despite the fact that we are all quite different. So while we can be grateful to be ahead of others for various aspects, we may use the examples of those who are ahead of us as target practice, to gee us on to bigger and better! Ideas are always welcome and are immensely useful.
[ ] Talking/concentrating for 2+ Hrs
I find that talk isn’t too much of an issue even though I can be occasionally aphasic. Words can come tumbling out and occasionally are a bit of a mess and a little difficult to form now. I have also found that some muscles have been affected - the right eye had to be corrected by about 4 degrees (not that it can be seen by others - thank you optition) because of a stroke-induced weakening, and the vocal chords are such that I have dropped my singing voice by about two tones. The last is a bit bizarre but very useful in choir!
Concentration tires me very quickly, especially computer work. Maybe about 20 minutes to 30 minutes maximum.
[ ] Driving for 2+ Hrs
Balance issues mean that I have declared myself unsafe to drive. The speed of response of my eyes isn’t quite up to it yet. It also means that I cannot ride a bike. That said, I have recently bought a tricycle and that is used.
[ ] Swimming for 50+ Mins
I didn’t swim before the stroke. So just the act of swimming itself now would be a miracle! Reminds me of a joke ….. "Person A: Will I swim after the stroke? Person B: “Yes, with some some hard work I should think so”. Person A: “That’s really good, for I couldn’t before!”
[ ] Working for 3+ Hrs
Again 30 minutes maximum and then I have to do something very different such as exercises/therapies. But I have to be careful with anything involving a degree of organisation and planning.
[ ] Poor sleep pattern
Very unusually in my experience of other stroke folk, this is an area I have had no problems with at all. I even fell asleep yesterday evening before my wife turned the lights out - lucky old her! I was troubled by something a few weeks ago, so I went downstairs for a couple of hours, but otherwise sleep is deep. I don’t know how lack of sleep can be fixed, and it was worse before the stroke! So I am confused.
So I am not sure how helpful that is, but it does serve to emphasize how different we all are despite sharing in the headline act of having had a stroke. Yesterday a guy dropped dead locally in his garden having suffered a massive heart attack - there were three ambulances all displaying the blues and twos outside. And a close friend of ours from uni days has also died, which we found out about yesterday too. He was only a little older. But we are all still alive and thriving, which has to be celebrated.
In general I reckon that we should occasionally do something a little crazy or risky, but never be stupid. The former can stretch our abilities, but the latter invites disaster.
