Phase 2 - In which Mary Gets Hers Oats

Hello again!  I know it's been a while again, sorry.  Time just seems to be flying by faster than I can take notice of it. The time between my stroke and now has been like that too.

My Mom and Sister came down Sunday morning while I was still in the hospital.  I knew Mom was coming but it was unexpected to see my Sister - she took the week off to help.  Wasn't that nice?  I also got visitors other than family.  A friend who I play Mah Jongg  and volunteer in the community with came by and another friend who facilitates a Women's Group I attend on Sunday nights came too.  The day passed really quickly and I was able to show off getting out of bed and walking without aid.  I finally convinced the nurses that I didn't need that leg compression thingy.  Boy I really don't like it - I get all tangled up in the tubing and it never feels right after you take it off and put it on again!

The only residual effect I could discern the day after (other than the numbness in my right side) was when I spoke, sometimes it felt like I was trying to say 2 words at once.  Everyone else said they didn't notice but ... I did.  Half my face felt like it does after Novocaine - tingly and like my teeth were moving when I chewed!  My ribcage felt like there were 2 hands (one front and one back) pressing on it.  My arm was tingly and twitchy.  I was holding hands with my sister and she looked at me and said "What?"  I said "What, what?"  She started to laugh and said "You don't know you are squeezing my hand, do you?"  And I didn't.  My knee felt like a rubber ball was on the inside and my foot was tingly and I couldn't get it to go heel/toe when I was walking.  All that being said, I felt like I dodged a bullet with all that had happened.  It was a clot and not a bleed.  It was small and not catastrophic.  The effects should all dissipate with time and work.

I was released on Monday with follow ups with the Neurologist and Cardiologist scheduled.

Two and a half months later the feeling in my face has come back, after PT and Acupuncture (still ongoing) I am walking normally, can balance well, still working on running and am almost to the point of having legible handwriting!  Yahoo!  I can't thank my PT and Acupuncturist enough for their encouragement and innovative treatment.  It's made all the difference.  They are at Relief at Hand in Seminole, FL.

I still have numbness in my fingers, foot and sometimes my knee.  The pressure on my ribcage is less but still there.  I tire easily but am working on my stamina.  I have to - in 2 weeks, TDH and I start on our Bucket List traveling.  We are going to the Royal Peacock Mine in NV to dig for Opals!  We saw it years ago on a Travel Channel Show and wrote it down for future reference.  Well, The Future Is HERE!!!

I also have picked up jewelry again as a therapeutic aid.  I figure there is no better way to get back fine motor control than to DO IT!  Following are my efforts.

I found most of the shells on our trip to the Bahamas to celebrate a friends 40th birthday.  The first one looked like a dolphin tail when I picked it up.  I knew exactly what I was going to do with it!

This one looks like a dancer to me with her beaded skirt flowing to the side as she twirls.

 This one I just couldn't resist.  It has so many colors and pathways - it speaks for itself.

 This was actually the first thing I attempted after the stroke, just to see if I could control the wire.

 This was the second thing I did.  I felt really confident that I could hold something and wrap it too.

 This was the third thing.  The sea glass came from the Bahamas and was the perfect shape.

 This is the last thing I attempted, yesterday in fact.  The coral looks like Yin/Yang to me.

I hope to be a bit more regular with this from now on.

And the title comes from a Beatles song: The Two of Us - Phase 1 - In Which Doris Gets Her Oats.

Be well all.