Again, many thanks to Alex, Clement and all you others, for your encouragement.
I truly appreciate the words of support I have received from everyone, they have been a real motivator.
Also, I must say this,
I’ve enjoyed producing this fourth episode of the Blog, but without ‘you lot’ who share your forum with me I’d not have had a direction or a purpose. As always I look forward to what you have to say as we share our stories in this Online Community Forum.
In case you are late to the party,
and want to take a look,
here are the links to my other Blog posts:
Another great read Bob, your description of your visits to the floor made me chuckle it’s the way you tell them
I totally re exploring other opportunities. Many of the things I enjoyed pre stroke are no longer possible but I have found other things to plug the gap. It’s not all bad.
@Bobbi another great episode. I love the amusing way that you describe situations which many of us can associate with. I’ve been in very similar situations and your writing really brings a smile to my face. Keep em coming Bobbi
Thanks very much for these blogs, Bobbi, they really make my day. I am nearly three years post stroke, and I still can’t really accept the “new normal”. I am greatly impressed by the amount of your one-finger typing - and no typos either! It takes me ages, and I usually don’t do much more than this!
I am pleased that I’ve amused you. We are all in this same boat aren’t we?
As for ‘typos’ I am an Obsessive Correction Doyen. (O.C.D.) There’s not many posts get by me without at least one little pencil at the top. I should have those letters after my name.
It’s when you find yourself attempting to correct bits of dust on the screen . . .
Yes, yes, I did just try to do that.
Bobbi (O.C.D.) - newly qualified complete with the stiffycate.
As for your untimely visits to the floor, there is one good way you might avoid having to wait there for 2 hours for someone to get you back up again you know. Get down there deliberately and start working on ways to get yourself back up again. Rehearse it in your mind first and have a plan in place, particularly for if you can’t get back up again. Getting back up can be a good workout in itself too
Just turning over face down in bed can be a huge enterprise, and even more so trying to get back the right way up again. Don’t try it. Really. Don’t.
In theory I’ve worked out that getting in an upright position while on the bed might be better than struggling off the floor.
Just lock me up in a padded cell and I’d have it all sorted in no time.
It’s those hard corners.
Most of my progress has been made involuntarily.
By a trick of fate the powers that govern us, or me in particular, decide it is time for another lesson.
I always wonder how it could be such a problem these days when at one time getting down and getting up was just an ordinary everyday activity.
. . . and I suddenly think, I didn’t realise I had become this weak, or last week either to be honest. That’s another thing, memory, how does that work, again?
Avoiding tying myself in knots is an absorbing hobby. Not sure I’d recommend it though. Not for folk of a nervous disposition. Cirque de Soleil has nothing on me.
I hear you Bobbi But the best place to start would be to study how the likes of paraplegics and amputees do it on the likes of youtube You can learn a lot post stroke by studying them and how they manage in their daily lives. You can even pick up a lot of tips for cooking in the kitchen with them
Unfortunately I didn’t pay too much attention to creator names at the time I was looking…and that was at a time when I had limbs like noodles and cognition was still AWOL I just knew I’m stuffed if I fell when no one was around and needed ways to pick myself back up again. That time fortunately never reared its ugly head for me and I’d forgotten at that resource until now
One of the falls I’ve had happened when I awoke in the early hours (as you do), didn’t turn on a light (c’mon, I’ve been living here for over 30 years - know it like the back of my leg) moved towards the door… and then got that horrible feeling that my balance was going on holiday. I knew the bed was behind me, somewhere, so I threw myself in that direction.
Missed it by half an inch. My wife, bless her, thought that a wardrobe had fallen over. I leave a small LED light on in the hall now.
Just thought you’d like to know… as you’re interested in falls, and that.
Several types of environments do not provide enough visual information for your brain and so can result in dizziness and unsteadiness. The most obvious of these is at night when it is dark, or when you are somewhere that only has dim lighting.
Balancing with your eyes shut is a whole other exercise which I have not been able to master…yet
Edit: what I forgot to say is, our stroke brain needs the light on when it’s dark for those very reasons above
Actually I have had one for some time. It can be very useful in the way you suggest.
Originally the bed was fitted with a number of rails. At my request these were removed as they no longer had any useful function. However they fitted the lever, a sort of short handrail at the head of the bed. It is useful, but there have been occasions when I have rolled over in bed and cracked my arm on it. I have wondered whether to save myself the bruises and the full blue oaths that it can cause, but maybe for a little longer the security it offers makes it worth hanging on to.
Thanks though for making that point. Sometimes I feel whole and it is only when things go wrong that I realise I have a way to go yet.
@Jfitz and @Bobbi. I still use that handrail (lever). I thought about getting rid of it, but find it so helpful in turning during my worst pain, and for sitting up to get out of bed. I think it will be staying indefinitely. Occasional I hit it with my arm or head, but better than being stuck in the bed or falling on the floor.
The ‘falling’ to the floor is more of a slide that, with nothing to hold on to, just doesn’t stop until you reach the floor.
On the floor I more or less lose ability to get back into any sort of position to recover. It is a horrible feeling. Powerless, I can eventually pull myself back up but it takes half an hour of struggling and leaves me totally worn out.
I asked a physio to help me learn to make a better go of overcoming this. He didn’t get it and showed me how to use a succession of stools and chairs to get back up standing.
Thing is when you are on your own and about to go back down again, these chairs and stools are nowhere to be seen.
So the thirty minute work out has to begin again.
Getting on the floor to do something was not a problem, getting back up okay too.
But there is no way I risk ‘the floor’ these days it is just too unpleasant an experience.
No doubt whatsoever, it will happen again, though.
Not as much anymore, but certainly while learning and sometimes now, like a half fall at the hospital:
First for the fall I felt coming, I dropped to my knees as softly as possible so the fall would not be as far. I had 4 stick so I was able to hold onto it. Wasn’t strong enough to get up using it on a slick floor though, so back to the old way of getting up…
Which is: put all four on the floor (hands and knees) lift best knee up to foot on the floor, use both hands on that knee to help push up to stand on legs, which will probably leave you somewhat hunched over forward. Catch your breath and with hands on hips, push yourself to upright position. catch breath, find the nearest place to rest. If there is a wall or chair or otherwise steady hand hold, crawl close to it before trying to get up.
it’s the way you tell them 
But the best place to start would be to study how the likes of paraplegics and amputees do it on the likes of youtube 
