Hi
Emerald eyes, been away for a while dealing with a separate health issue outside of my stroke,
How are you getting on good i hope still being active. On the active issue I recently bought a pair of nordic style walking poles, they are brilliant got rubber tips for walking on tarmac and pavements. they are good lower and upper body workout, gets your heart pumping. anyway just checking in on you, and there are a few others i need to touch base with in the coming days.
best wishes
Wattsy
Hi Wattsy, I’m doing well and the same goes for my diabetes according to the results last week at my annual check, so I’m very happy that I’m doing all I need to do to stay as fit and healthy as I can 
I love my walk poles too, they can really help propel you along and give you a good workout at the same time can’t they Have you managed to venture down to a gym yet 
Hi
glad to hear your news, been to the gym a few times, done some miles on the bikes, have not yet been on the treadmills been using my poles instead, cannot believe how weak I have become since my stroke going to take some time to really improve my muscle wastage, but you know all about that, got the tee shirt and all that
Good to hear from you
x
Wattsy
Get a bit more protein into you, that will help build up muscle 
It can be quite shocking how much you can lose though. I was nearly a stone underweight post stroke and as weak as dish water.
Now though, my latest accomplishment is jogging the length of the gym today in my circuit training class…and in a straight line…without tripping over my own feet 
Yes,
I am also guilty of increasing weakness after stroke,
I think it’s common and only natural ; most won’t realize, of course.
Roland
Hi
mine is mainly due to muscle wastage and is slowly improving though exercise, use elastic bands for arms and upper body, and bought some nordic style walking poles for legs and and heart rate
have found also that getting more sleep helps a lot go to be at around 11.30 always wake up for a pee at about 3.30 then back to sleep until 5.30 ish then my mind starts to work and its dozing at best until i get uo 7.30 t0 8am
so in realty not much proper sleep at all, so it is either go to bed earlier which is often not convenient so tend to nap on top of my bed for couple of hours in the afternoon particularly if i have exercised,
Regards
Wattsy
Using protein powder every day plus protein bars on top helping but a way to go yet so work in progress.
Well done with the jogging power to you
Wattsy
Anyone who exercises after stroke is a hero in my books. It’s much tougher to get stroked muscles back in action. So bravo to you,
ciao, Roland
It is tough Roland, you’re right there. I’ve been working damn hard down at the gym for the past 2 years, you’d think I’d be built like arnold schwarzenegger by now with the amount of hours I put in each day but I’m not, I’m no where near…not that I’d want to be that over inflated anyway 
But I do think something might be waking up in my right leg, I noticed in the gym yesterday. But no doubt its going to be a while before it lets me I figure out what that will be and what improvement it might make in my walking.
You see I don’t feel muscle burn or exhaustion in my stroke leg, I don’t feel the muscle pain I will feel in my left leg after I’ve increased the weights and pushed my limit a bit. Same goes for my stroke arm. But I felt a little something in the leg yesterday, so I’m going to push again today to see if I get anything Watch this page 
Hi Emerald,
I love it when a new feeling hits you… it’s hard to place, and to figure out its roll. I am feeling more in my foot. Last week I felt an ache in my quads after a “walk”… and I was delighted to feel pain ; it lasted 5 days, then the quad recovered. That feedback was invaluable… hope you’re experiencing a similar awakening !!
Happy Gym,
Ciao, Roland
@wattsy
Have you tried going for pee 90 minutes before bedtime and then again at bedtime?
That may eliminate the need for a disturbance overnight
3¢
I did the exact same workout routine today, even increased a bit in the weights but I couldn’t replicate that feeling in my lower leg today.
Its a weird one actually. Doing a bit of a power walk up hill, I will feel the burn in the hamstrings/calf of my left leg but I wont feel that same burn in the right, absolutely nothing.
I do however, feel the burn in my quads on the leg extension machine. But then I won’t feel any burn doing squats, go figure 
The same goes for my arms; I feel the burn and when the muscles tire in my left arm but I’ll still have enough oomph to complete the action of the exercise. While my right arm feels nothing and will just stop dead wherever and you have to just release from the exercise and rest it. And its definitely weaker side!
But despite all that, appearance wise, I’m still growing muscle, for example the muscle in my right stroke thigh is as hard as the left leg, right bicep appears the same size as the left, calves the same.
It is a bit of a conundrum trying to figure out what is missing, what brain connection still needs to be made, but my stroke is my hobby and I love what its got me doing; I’ll figure it out or I won’t.
I just love the high it gives me just trying. And I’ve met so many lovely people along this journey, I would never have met before so I’ve not complaints at all.
If you can get yourself to a gym or some exercise class, I would highly recommend it. It’s surprised me just how much support, encouragement I get from fellow gym members knowing how far I’ve come and from what. It’s an education for them too, opens their eyes and changes their whole perception of strokes, if they’ve had one
I think the body has an amazing way of looking at itself and creating symmetry. It compares both sides, and copies. I think we’re also cross linked (both hemispheres of the brain are activated) so that each half helps the other.
Likewise, my stroke is my hobby, and especially, once past the major hurdles (for me it’s Equinus, right now) it’s fascinating and well worth falling in love with, since we can better ourselves every day. What a privilege !!
What is sad is patients who do not realize what is going on with their body, and therefore lack the drive and focus to improve their condition
ciao, Roland
How are you, Roland? It’s been a while since I’ve reached out to you.
Take good care.
Ah Matthew,
yes, it’s been a while, and while there are plenty of ups and down (particularly with foot), I must admit there has been a fair amount of all-round progress. More awareness, and more feeling in my leg. More proprioceptors are registering, and after my last major walk I can feel my thigh, knee and yesterday a bit of plantar fasciitis… luckily that has settled today. So my walking has gone up a notch. I;m about to meet my wife’s chiropractor, she’s coming for a coffee… but she offered to look at my foot… next wed. I’ve a proper session with a podiatrist to see if I have Equinus… maybe I’m turning into a horse ?
How about you? Eyes good ? Are you feeling more settled with life and the universe? I certainly hope so !!! Please send news!!
Qigong going okay… I need to do more… especially with legs.
Speak soon, and thx for message,
ciao, ciao, Roland
I’ve been doing pretty well - doing a lot of cooking and qigong.
I’m glad to hear that you’re making progress – that’s what I want to hear!
By the way, my eyes are all better – no more need to worry there!
I will look for some doable qigong leg exercises for you in the coming days.
Always a delight to hear from you, dear Roland.
Take good care!
Hi Matthew,
It’s great to hear you are doing well. I’ve neglected Qigong a little lately, but spent more time outdoors. On Sunday, I walked 0.7 km, but it’s getting more efficient and more comfortable (relatively)… still a way to go. This week has been a good one, but today my ankle is stiff, and the foot is not happy walking. Tomorrow I see a podiatrist, to see if there’s anything I’ve missed and to check whether I have Equinus Foot Deformity, which I hope to be able to solve with stretches.
Wonder what you’re cooking today?
Ciao, Roland
PS. My Inner thigh has no more spasms ; they have vanished (after 1 year and 1 month of nasty painful locking). Perhaps these problems have simply relocated to my foot? but I think the ASEA supplement must have something to do with it because May was an explosive month of progress.
Great to hear your thigh spasms have gone. You certainly worked hard enough to get through it and it seems it has paid dividends for you.
Your foot is probably having a little protest today as you have worked it hard. Hope the appointment goes ok today.
I’m having Italian-style sausages with fried onions and peppers on them.
I will try to find you some more qigong exercises for your legs. Some of them are too difficult for many people.
Let me know how your foot appointment turns out.
Take good care.
Thanks, it was interesting, Matthew,
The podiatrist says I have no equinus, and no contracture. She can see the left foot elevating 30 degrees but the right only reaching 10 degrees. Then she answered a bunch of queries, and was impressed by what my physio had drilled into me (mainly walking with heel strike). Then she said I would benefit from a foot orthotic, to give my foot stability (I have over-pronation of the sub-talus).
Perhaps the funniest thing was that she thought I was in the medical profession since I now speak Latin when it comes to bones, muscles, tendons!
Enjoy the sausages !!
Ciao, Roland