Hi Colin,
Finished my 1st week of work and not sure if i went back to early? I did 2 day of 2-3 hiurs each, but also a 40 minute drive to and from work. Feel really shattered. My speech was getting good was the worst it had been to 3 weeks yesterday at work, due to the fatigue. Hows your week been?
Cheers Clarkey
The good thing is that you are returning to work under a heavily phased return.
It seems that evrything crumbles when the SF comes on strong. Including speech, reading etc.
My opinion is that you returned far too early. However, its such a good phased return that maybe it is a good thing.
I will not drive when the fatigue comes on. So driving home needs monitoring.
Overall can I say well done for getting back on the workplace treadmill.
For reasons I dont grasp, I have had a bad week. SF has gone up from the typical medium, on to high and then on to very high. I am now struggling to give myself a good talking to and to get back on an even keel. Things will improve. I need a full nights sleep and I am becoming erratic with this. So I will work on getting sleep all night every night. Last night was good so thats a neat step forward.
Do you have any hours when the SF lifts ? I have had two occasions when it lifted and boy did I know the difference. It was wonderful, utterly magic. Now I want another one of those sessions.
Time for a bit of lunch
Colin
Hi Colin, sorry you had a bad week, sometimes we are our own worse enemy.
This week i am at work monday, wednesday and friday, which is better spread out than last week. So hopefully wont be as tired. Still not sure if i went back to work to early, but was going stir crazy at home and really not work hard at work I not giving me work to do and i am just doing little bits.
Dear Clarkey
Do let us know how the work thing goes and especially the commute home.
I would still be unable to consider working. I find this lack of ability mind blowing. Perhaps my brain damage is worse than many. I dont really know!
So if some one was to advise me about a return to work, whatever could they say.
Today I am trying to log in to a bank account online and I just cant do it. I have been using online banking for at least 15 years and wonder why I cant do it any more. To say it is frustrating is quite an understaement. I can feel my BP rising by the minute.
Good luck with the employment.
Colin
Hi Colin,
Sorry for the delay in getting back. Your reply is so sad I feel so sorry. Have you spoken to your GP and the SA specialist for advice?
Do you still have your job?, my job has remained open for me and are very supportive. I am planning to continue to work for 3 mornings until the end of February and see how it goes.
On a negative for me, As part of my post stroke assessments, (blood, blood pressure, heart, eyes and hearing) I failed my hearing and am being fitted with a hearing aid tomorrow, my blood tests are all good except the liver (serum alt) so not sure if the Atorvastatin is causing that.
My speech is good until i am tired and with 3-4 hours of being out I get hit my fatigue which come on suddenly.
I think we are on the long road to recovery my friend, but we will get there.
Take care
Thats sounds a good plan with employment.
No I dont have my job any more. I am an FCA with specialization in personal tax and pensions. No way can I ever risk doing that work again. My brain no longer does the summersaults it used to do and so I would be giving bad advice. I needed to continually update my knowledge and I have stopped updating. So I couldnt start until I retrained. And I am not doing that. I am impressed that my governing body has told me that I keep my letters no matter what. And they have given me free lifetime membership.
So I am retired. I do a 5 hours a month voluntary admin job and it presses my ability. I also do the most basic voluntary work at our church. Make tea. Wash up. Wait on tables. I need to be helpful to society and thats the level at which I can help. I rather like waiting on tables. Such a change from the high powered tax advice stuff.
It took me two years to convince friends and family that I reallly will not be doing their tax returns each year !
I appreciate how lucky I am to have sufficient income without working. So my situation doesnt apply to many of us SS. Hence I explain what I can and cant do voluntary. It took me years to be able to make tea and coffee for a number of people. I still have to work at it, for instance, lining up teacups in the same pattern as the customers are seated. I can clearly recall when I could only do two at a time. Now I do ten without a problem.
We really are changed by a stroke arent we.
BTW my ears went to pot after stroke. I am apparently 50% deaf in one ear. I ahve been fitted with a modern quite magic hearing aid, but confess I dont wear it. I prefer to do a bit of lip reading and a bit of facing to the left so I hear with my right !
Yes the SF is the biggest issue. Happy to discuss with you anytime
Colin
Hi Colin
I did my 1st gym session today post stroke, ran 3 km on the treadmill in 25minutes usually do 5k in tnat time, but felt happy, heart rate stayed under 130. Finished with 25 sit ups on a decline bench and 20 press ups. Felt the most alive since my stroke. Plan to go again on Friday.
Hope you are feeling ok?
Kind regardd
Simon
Dear Simon
I gently weeded the garden and walked sedately about 2km. Utterly knackered. So exhausted I could cry.
I used to be fit. Used is the operative word.
Yoga yesterday. Special gentle yoga for us invalids. Excellent. Starts to free up some of the joints that have the messaging system stroke damaged.
I am so pleased that you can do your level of exercise. Even more pleased that you feel alive again. I understand that phrase totally.
Dont overdo things. Build gently on that unbelievably good gym session.
Colin
Bless ya Colin,
I think yoga is the way forward, i plan to take it up too.
I am so competitive and sport havebeen a big part of my life, and now dont think i will do or manage my sports again. So i plan totake up a new sport possibly bowls. I was going to take it up in my 60s, but looks like i willstart 10 years earlier.
Also going to get more into my gardening,
Take care for now Colin
Yoga is really good for me. Its a very gentle yoga and can be done seated if we want. Do try to get in to yoga and any other activity that might help you adjust.
We can so easily forget just how much disability we deal with all day every day.
Gardenning is my main therapy. My garden is about 80 meters but quite narrow. Lots of walking ! And I like eating the fruits of my therapy.
Colin
Hi Clarkey,
That’s very much how I feel. I’ve been feeling a bit down as I just haven’t much energy or motivation but yesterday and today have been better. I’ve been to my ballet class and had a little sleep afterwards. I find if I lie down I can sleep for 2 hours whereas if I just close my eyes on the sofa it’s a lot shorter. I get frustrated when I spend so much time asleep!
Some days are certainly better than others.