Number 15 - Stroke of luck part 2 - Coming Home 

Part 2 - coming home

In High Wycombe stroke centre, my ward time was busy and uncomfortable. Practiced medical hands flitted around me administering drugs, fitting electrodes, wheeling me about for MRI scans, and applying awareness and function tests. ("Can you swallow ?" A nurse asked me " I might struggle with a dick" I answered out of one side of my mouth with a smile! "That attitude will help a lot !" Said the nurse, laughing). I wandered in and out of consciousness, feeling a fatigue I had never known before. Way beyond "tired" this was to define the next year of my life.

Twilight day fed into twilight night, barely able to sleep because of the thirty electrodes fitted to me and the alarms triggered when they detected an anomaly.

When morning came the ward OT suggested that I shower to freshen myself up. I had close to no movement in my right arm, and little in my right leg. I cramped up trying to get out of bed then promptly fell to the tiled floor. I couldnt walk. I couldnt get up. I flailed and raged ending up crying like I havent in years. The OT helped me up and helped me to the shower room. I had been profoundly right handed all my life: very dominantly so, and now it was barely usable. I did what I could to get clean, but the effort of it all made me sweatier than before. I was helped back to the bed and crashed into sleep.

I was awakened my Mrs Tuna, my stroke consultant, and her entourage. There followed one of the pivotal discussions of my life. She asked me a few questions to gauge what I knew about what was happening to me. Then she began :

"David, you have been preparing a stroke for a long time. Your extra fat externally was mirrored internally. Your blood pressure was high. Very high. You suffered what is called a Lacunar stroke in the left Pons area of your brain stem. The width of a playing card either way and you could have died or been paraplegic. In fact it was contained, and early intervention seems to have cleared the clot already. You may not feel it, but you have been incredibly lucky. You have the chance to change your life and avoid a recurrence.

I cannot guarantee it, but in my long experience , if you invest fully in rehabilitation with diet, exercise and rest you will be able to make a very good recovery. Your brain will only repair what there is demand for, however. It will not waste neuroplastic effort.

I will have the OTs assess you, and if they are convinced you can thrive assisted at home I will discharge you ASAP. I will try to ensure all resources are available for you in your own health authority. This will be very hard work, and not instinctive, but you can make a good recovery. It is largely in your hands".

I almost wept at this motivation. Amazingly I had not been afraid though all of this, but the hope, supported by a trusted expert. made me break with joy and hope.

Overnight there had been two new admissions in my ward bay: One was Doreen - a sixty year old who had collapsed while gardening, and who had lain undiscovered for ten hours until her family returned from work. They sat at her bedside, she unconscious, on oxygen, immobile. A BAD stroke, left unattended for hours. The other was Ray, a man in his fifties who complained all day, despite being, to my witness, relatively lightly affected by his stroke. He was very , perhaps justifiably, sorry for himself. I could see what Mrs Tuna was saying : Doreen reminded me that I had been so lucky, Ray that I had nothing to lose by being positive.

The OT signed me off, and my bezzy Andy came later that day to take me home. I was a broken mess in the car. At home I was helped to bed and I slept the clock round.

Trisha, the OT, visited next day. With practiced efficiency she assessed what I was able to do, and what I needed to do. I was genuinely positive with her. Kayla, a stroke nurse a while back, conspired with Trish to ensure I was rehabilitated to death ! A Stroke nutritionist arrived the same day, and Kayla worked out what I need to eat and drink for rehabiliation AND ongoing health (I.e lose some lard). So many folks who suffer strokes report awful support from their local NHS, which I think is sad. The support I received from the second the ambulance arrived right up to my GP has been first class and comprehensive - a massive reason why I have recovered so well so far.

Trisha continued the wonderful practice of explaining the reason for things, and what was happening to me. She bought me a book on Neuroplasticity on her second biweekly visit which explained that TRYING to perform a movement restricted by area damaged by the stroke actually triggers the brain to try new neural paths across the burned bit, and eventually to the creation of new neurosets being created. TRYING HARD to pick up pieces of pasta from one cup to another made my brain build a nerveway to allow it over time. Same with every other task. Trish and Kayla set me hours of rehab every day, which I didnt miss. I could feel and see the progress weekly. Frustrating as hell, but I read all I could about neuroplasticity so that I could understand properly what I was doing.

Kaylas wonderful care, Andy and my Kids' ongoing positivity really felt like I was being carried through my early recovery.

I had a few nasty falls, and couldnt get up, and the ever-present neurofatigue was a real beast to fight through, but after a month's OT progress, Trisha procured a stroke physiotherapist to assess me for the rehab centre. Debbie came and duffed me up. and claimed I was ready if I was prepared to work hard. I could perceive genuine improvements in only a month, and already lost 7 kgs, so I was fired up ! I was booked for Corbett Hospital Stroke Rehabilitation unit for the following week, and Andy Bright was to take me. I was scared and thrilled in equal measure.

In Pt 3 I will discuss my extended rehabilitation journey, and lift up the amazing team there.