On Sun, 4 Mar 2007 11:58:05 +0000, JF <jf@NOSPAMmarage.demon.co.uk>
wrote:

>X-No-Archive: yes
>
>It's three months since I had an ataxia stroke which left me unable to
>walk so I thought I'd follow up with a progress report:
>
>Once one has learned to hold ones head up as a baby, the stages of
>learning to walk again are firstly using a Zimmer frame; a stable device
>that gives confidence but it doesn't encourage a proper gait. Ungainly
>shuffling, crouched over a frame, legs wide apart may be safe but it
>isn't walking.
>
>The second stage is using crutches. According to my physiotherapist,
>crutches are an improvement on frames because they allow more
>flexibility. The frame, like darleks, is defeated by stairs.
>Nevertheless I hated those damned crutches; I could never figure out
>proper co-ordination between arms and legs, and having to disentangle my
>forearms from the sleeves whenever I wanted to use my hands was a
>nuisance. Left to themselves they were always falling over whereas the
>frame always remained upright. To the consternation of my
>physiotherapist I insisted on skipping the crutches stage and went
>straight to the third stage: ordinary walking -- or as near ordinary as
>I could manage.
>
>The physiotherapist is a great girl. Once she realised that her crutch
>instructions were a waste of time, she wholeheartedly pushed me into
>walking. It worked. The corridors of the Meath Centre in Godalming,
>where I do most of my physio sessions, are equipped with friendly
>handrails which inspire great confidence. If a slip of concentration
>causes me to lose my balance, a handrail isn't far away. It was some
>time before I could walk across our living room with nothing around me
>but I eventually managed it. I'm also walking through the garage to my
>office. I need to wear my Peter Pan type handling belt when walking
>outdoors so that a handler can slip a steadying finger into a loop and
>keep me upright. So far I've only managed trips around the garden paths.
>The thought of having to walk along a crowded pavement fills me with
>horror but my physiotherapist insists that it's part of her programme
>and that the day isn't far off when I'll be having to chance crowded
>pavements. I sometimes suspect a cruel streak in that girl.
>
>Right now she's pushing me into advanced stuff such as picking up
>objects, turning around, and setting them down somewhere else. The first
>time I tried it I suffered terrible nausea attacks. Now I can shift
>weights about and generally cope with a changing centre of gravity
>although walking with a payload is still a problem. Many of the
>operations she suggests are worse thinking about than actually doing. I
>astonished her and myself by walking backwards at her behest with ease
>although thinking about doing it had me shuddering.
>
>My main problem is that my left foot is dead. There are no working
>nerves in its instep. It's exactly like trying to walk on a foot that's
>gone to 'sleep'. Pretty well impossible. Getting control of my left foot
>and teaching my brain to know where it is has been a real challenge.
>
>Rising to my feet from different heights has been greatly eased by my
>weight loss over the three months since my stroke on 2nd December. I've
>lost three stone; a stone a month loss which seems to be continuing. I
>can take no will-power credit for this: a consequence of either the
>stroke or the alarming handfuls of drugs I'm swallowing daily is a total
>loss of appetite. I actually dislike having to eat and would happily go
>without eating at all if my wife, Christine, would let me -- which she
>won't. My love of coffee is a thing of the past. Every now and then I
>try again in disbelief but it's no use -- instant, cappuchino, espresso
>-- they all taste like mud. Earl Grey tea without milk or sugar is fine
>so I'm now addicted to that.
>
>One of the problems stroke victims suffer is that they're not very
>healthy owing to lack of exercise. In my case my weight, blood pressure,
>blood-sugar, cholesterol are all under excellent control, but I'm unable
>to get much in the way of working up some serious cardiovascular sweats
>with strenuous exercise. Twice weekly sessions on the treadmills at the
>Meath Centre provide the fast walking opportunities which I need but
>they're not enough and expecting Christine to take me to the centre
>every day is a little hard on her. She does so much for me anyway.
>
>Looking through catalogues of treadmill suppliers was a sobering
>experience. For my weight a commercial machine is a must and they're
>expensive. Nevertheless I've bitten the bullet and ordered one. I dare
>say I can donate it to the village's spanking new cottage hospital when
>I've finished with it.
>
>Apart from walking again, my next objective is to get rid of the damned
>catheter. I've had a bloody urine bag strapped to leg and connected to
>an uncomfortable tube thrust in my wotsit since mid December in hospital
>when my prostate gland swelled up and closed down my urinary system
>without asking. I can't describe the agony that urine retention caused
>when my bladder backed up and infected my kidneys. I wouldn't wish that
>pain on my worst enemy.
>
>Two weeks ago I had a morning of sonic scans, X-rays and other assorted
>tests at the Nuffield Hospital in Guildford (my word, they're
>efficient!) and the results are that the prostate's condition is benign
>and that I'm a suitable candidate for a TURP operation. A word of
>warning: don't go using s search engine to look up TURP -- it's not
>suitable reading for the squeamish or those of a nervous disposition!
>
>I'm booked into the Nuffield Hospital for five days in April. That's one
>day for the op, and four days of observation to make sure that the
>process works. They like to be certain that urine and other stuff is
>being properly ejected. The Nuffield operate a fixed price system when
>they're satisfied that treatment is likely to be routine. One pays a
>little extra but one doesn't have to worry about the extra cost of
>treatment if there are complications. Two weeks in the Nuffield could
>turn me into a pauper. Well -- almost. I'm looking forward to the op
>because I can't wait to get rid of this bloody catheter and its wretched
>bag.
>
>Generally my progress has been uneven. A catalogue of progress surges
>and then miserable set backs. I seem to be prone to any illness doing
>the rounds. Last week I had a urinary infection that knocked me for six.
>I was so feak and weeble that I could hardly stand, and spent the entire
>time in bed. That I couldn't walk caused the most awful depression in
>the early stages because I imagined that I suffered a reversion.
>
>Tests on urine samples pointed a finger at a possible MRSA infection as
>a legacy of my stay in hospital. I even had to endure a catheter
>replacement -- an uncomfortable business -- because the old catheter
>came from the Royal Surrey Hospital. Careful analysis of samples
>eventually established that I was suffering from some sort of e-coli
>infection. I was given a narrow spectrum antibiotic with the most awful
>side effects. Dizziness and God knows what else. Thankfully I was taken
>off that smartish.
>
>On balance I'm quite upbeat and cheerful. I've got a lot to be a
>cheerful about: my concentration has steadily improved to the point when
>I can almost do a full morning's work. Admittedly I'm still very slow.
>It took me three days to do a VAT return but I did it. Christine is
>the best nurse in the world and the support from my wonderful doctor,
>based at the top of my road in the new cottage hospital, is second to
>none. The professionalism shown by her colleagues such as the practice
>nurse and the diabetic nurse is remarkable.

Aren't you dead?

Linz had it:

> On Sun, 4 Mar 2007 11:58:05 +0000, JF <jf@NOSPAMmarage.demon.co.uk>
> wrote:
>
> >On balance I'm quite upbeat and cheerful. I've got a lot to be a
> >cheerful about: my concentration has steadily improved to the point when
> >I can almost do a full morning's work. Admittedly I'm still very slow.
> >It took me three days to do a VAT return but I did it. Christine is
> >the best nurse in the world and the support from my wonderful doctor,
> >based at the top of my road in the new cottage hospital, is second to
> >none. The professionalism shown by her colleagues such as the practice
> >nurse and the diabetic nurse is remarkable.
>
> Aren't you dead?

I think he might be - that post didn't reach my server.

--
David
=====

<Linz> wrote in message
news:32amu2d0b8q4h5r6s01tkhugjqlqn8mp07@4ax.com...
> On Sun, 4 Mar 2007 11:58:05 +0000, JF <jf@NOSPAMmarage.demon.co.uk>
> wrote:
>
>>X-No-Archive: yes
>>
>>It's three months since I had an ataxia stroke which left me unable to
>>walk so I thought I'd follow up with a progress report:
>>
>>Once one has learned to hold ones head up as a baby, the stages of
>>learning to walk again are firstly using a Zimmer frame; a stable
>>device
>>that gives confidence but it doesn't encourage a proper gait. Ungainly
>>shuffling, crouched over a frame, legs wide apart may be safe but it
>>isn't walking.
>>
>>The second stage is using crutches. According to my physiotherapist,
>>crutches are an improvement on frames because they allow more
>>flexibility. The frame, like darleks, is defeated by stairs.

Oh, my goodness. Another exercise in rhoticism! I always thought of
them as "Dalleks".
> Aren't you dead?

As with another poster or two, I didn't get the JF post, but found the
progress report uplifting.


>

the Omrud wrote:
> Linz had it:
>> JF wrote:

>>> On balance I'm quite upbeat and cheerful. I've got a lot to be a
>>> cheerful about: my concentration has steadily improved to the point
>>> when I can almost do a full morning's work. Admittedly I'm still
>>> very slow. It took me three days to do a VAT return but I did it.
>>> Christine is
>>> the best nurse in the world and the support from my wonderful
>>> doctor, based at the top of my road in the new cottage hospital, is
>>> second to none. The professionalism shown by her colleagues such as
>>> the practice nurse and the diabetic nurse is remarkable.
>>
>> Aren't you dead?
>
> I think he might be - that post didn't reach my server.

Nor mine, and that would be very unusual.
--
Skitt (in Hayward, California)
http://www.geocities.com/opus731/

durk183@sbc.com had it:

>
> <Linz> wrote in message
> news:32amu2d0b8q4h5r6s01tkhugjqlqn8mp07@4ax.com...
> > On Sun, 4 Mar 2007 11:58:05 +0000, JF <jf@NOSPAMmarage.demon.co.uk>
> > wrote:
> >
> >>X-No-Archive: yes
> >>
> >>It's three months since I had an ataxia stroke which left me unable to
> >>walk so I thought I'd follow up with a progress report:
> >>
> >>Once one has learned to hold ones head up as a baby, the stages of
> >>learning to walk again are firstly using a Zimmer frame; a stable
> >>device
> >>that gives confidence but it doesn't encourage a proper gait. Ungainly
> >>shuffling, crouched over a frame, legs wide apart may be safe but it
> >>isn't walking.
> >>
> >>The second stage is using crutches. According to my physiotherapist,
> >>crutches are an improvement on frames because they allow more
> >>flexibility. The frame, like darleks, is defeated by stairs.
>
> Oh, my goodness. Another exercise in rhoticism! I always thought of
> them as "Dalleks".

You're nearly right - JF has it wrong. The spelling is Dalek. Evil
genius Davros, creator of the Daleks, was a member of the Kaled
(geddit?) species from the planet Scaro.

> > Aren't you dead?
>
> As with another poster or two, I didn't get the JF post, but found the
> progress report uplifting.

I think Linz may have added AUE to her reply, having read it in
another group.

--
David
=====

In article <x-KdnfwS8O9EwXbYnZ2dnUVZ_vyunZ2d@comcast.com>,
Skitt <skitt99@comcast.net> wrote:
>>> Aren't you dead?
>>
>> I think he might be - that post didn't reach my server.
>
>Nor mine, and that would be very unusual.

Nor mine, ditto.

Katy

In message <32amu2d0b8q4h5r6s01tkhugjqlqn8mp07@4ax.com>,
Linz@?.?.invalid writes

>>It's three months since I had an ataxia stroke which left me unable to
>>walk so I thought I'd follow up with a progress report:

As usual, that well-meaning but foolish sock, "Linz", took it into his
head to cross-post my report to a number of arbitrarily decided
newsgroups. This may have given the impression of server failings.

--
James Follett Novelist (Callsign G1LXP)

JF wrote:

> Linz@?.?.invalid writes

>>> It's three months since I had an ataxia stroke which left me unable to
>>> walk so I thought I'd follow up with a progress report:

> As usual, that well-meaning but foolish sock, "Linz", took it into his
> head to cross-post my report to a number of arbitrarily decided
> newsgroups. This may have given the impression of server failings.

Linz does exist - as real flesh and blood.

I've met *her*.

JNugent wrote:
> JF wrote:
>
>> Linz@?.?.invalid writes
>
>>>> It's three months since I had an ataxia stroke which left me
>>>> unable to walk so I thought I'd follow up with a progress report:
>
>> As usual, that well-meaning but foolish sock, "Linz", took it into
>> his head to cross-post my report to a number of arbitrarily decided
>> newsgroups. This may have given the impression of server failings.
>
> Linz does exist - as real flesh and blood.
>
> I've met *her*.

Yes, but she doesn't use that name any more. Because of alt.net ****wits
like the troll above.
--
Linz
Wet Yorks via Cambridge, York, London and Watford
My accent may vary

"ah" <splifingate@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:45f5e7c5$0$9295$8f2e0ebb@news.shared-secrets.com...
> John L Russell wrote:
> > "Amethyst Deceiver" <spam@lindsayendell.co.uk> wrote in message
> > news:esjphq$46p$1@fiasco.xenopsyche.net...
> >> JNugent wrote:
> >> > JF wrote:
> >> >
> >> >> Linz@?.?.invalid writes
> >> >
> >> >>>> It's three months since I had an ataxia stroke which left me
> >> >>>> unable to walk so I thought I'd follow up with a progress report:
> >> >
> >> >> As usual, that well-meaning but foolish sock, "Linz", took it into
> >> >> his head to cross-post my report to a number of arbitrarily decided
> >> >> newsgroups. This may have given the impression of server failings.
> >> >
> >> > Linz does exist - as real flesh and blood.
> >> >
> >> > I've met *her*.
> >>
> >> Yes, but she doesn't use that name any more. Because of alt.net
****wits
> >> like the troll above.
> >> --
> >> Linz
> >> Wet Yorks via Cambridge, York, London and Watford
> >> My accent may vary
> >>
> >> Found your post compelling Linz.Can't think of anything sensible to say
by
> > way of reaction.You sound 10 times more gutsy than I'd be in your
> > situation.
> >
> > Is there anything we can do?
>

> Take this to email.

Why?I'd rather annoy you.