h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Wednesday night - sitting here merrily copying some DVDs for number one Daughter. At around 10:00pm decided it was time for a cuppa - So! got up to go to kitchen and then found that left leg had forgotten how to work in conjunction with right leg. It was dragging along behind. As I have a history of swollen feet/legs, I decided the best thing to do was ignore it (and it would go away) Wrong. Thursday morning when I got up (having forgotten about last night) I discovered that left leg was still playing silly bu***rs and that left hand had now gone numb and left arm was being decidedly unresponsive!! As per heading - Oh S**t!

I decided to try the three obvious tests - can I smile? - yes. Can I speak a logical sentence? - yes. Can I raise both arms above my head? yes. Everything's ok then - no

I tried to write my name - ok that's not difficult, I've been doing it for years. Unfortunately, it looks nothing like my usual signature - all tight and the bl**dy pen won't do what I want. (I'm left handed by the way) Ok we'll try the keyboard - as a Secretary for many years, I can happily type away at 85 words per minute - this is by no means unusual; many people can do it much faster than that. However, it seems that the left hand doesn't want to play and is missing the keys I tell it to press; and is pressing the ones I don't want it to touch.

One very harrassed SS decides it is time to call in the experts. So! a call to the GP elicits the response "I think we should see you this morning"

It transpires that I 'may' have had what is called a 'transient stroke' Wonderful!! I told the Doctor that I didn't have time for one; but apparently that has no bearing. I seem to have extremely high blood pressure (great!) so there are tablets for this, plus aspirin to thin the blood. I need to do more exercise/lose weight/stop smoking/go on a no fat, no salt diet/be happy etc., Oh and if I can find the time, a blood/cholesterol test next week.

Daughter has an exercise bike; which I have used today. I also have to make sure that I get no stress - how does one avoid stress in the face of the above - I ask you!!

So! if my postings are less legible or less frequent over the next few days, please bear with me. Hopefully you will be able to decipher my drivel.

Scorp, that's horrible - and very dangerous as far as I know. Hope you'll get the capabiluity of moving your arm and leg back

Scorpio hang in there.
Believe me , I know that is harder with one arm

I am sad to see you must go through this.

hootoo helped to get me back on track from a similar state in which you have described. I hope your function starts to return quickly and you get your BP and cholesteral under control.

It is hard to have patience.
Geesh forget not being stressed! It would be abnormal to bee unaffected
Stress can move you though.
I am sure you will try your best ,as always.
Hopefully you will have function returning slowly ( if not quickly)to keep you ready for fighting ro eventually get back to where you were.

Best wishes being proactive with available good professionals backing you upImprovment happens!

Scorp,hun, I've sent you a mail

Very dear Scorpio,

So sorry to hear about what has happened . You have been advised to do all the right things. cutting salt out of your ditet will lower your BP at least 10 degree(?) within a month!.(I know, it worked for me!)The food tastes so bland that you automatically lose weight!! Also diet is absolutely VITAL.
Go to a nutritionist as well and try and eat lots of fish - steam your vegetables - get a three tier steamer - IF you do smoke well - you have been told what to do. I had stopped smoking fourteen years before I had emergency open heart surgery, the doctors still blamed my smoking.
Stress is obviously a tremendous factor. How does one get rid of it? You will have to work out your method - gardening-pottery-art-birdwatching(!!!)perhaps even writing so that we can still hear from you. I know that I get rid of my stress with FreeCell - which is called Idiot's Delight by one website!!.
Courage my very dear friend. And defy all the the doctors!!

With much affection
Christiane AR1

Very dear abbi normal big

So good to hear you are well. I miss you !

Christiane AR1

Scorpio<witch,

I am so sorry to hear of your problems. Please, please do as they tell you. The little I know about your lifestyle suggests that much can be done to improve things.

Your rushing about is fine if you are but you are clearly not. The diet your wildlife visitors receive suggests that you enjoy gorgeous food, but perhaps not the best for your health.

Please, please rest. If you are lucky the cholesterol is a diet and environmental problem not an hereditary one, and dealing with both should bring your blood pressure down.

Do take care,



Websailor

Scopio, you'd better do as your told, by the doc's or else
my wishes are with you

Hi Scorpio
I am sorry to read about your experience,you must have been scared(i know i would).
We never have salt ,either in oour cooking or on our food,and we try to stick to a low fat diet,with an occasional treat.Hubby stopped smokng when he had a heart attack,unfortunately i don't have the willpower he has,but have been trying for the last two weeks.
I'm overweight as well,despite efforts to avoid sweets and pastries.
Please do take care,i hope everything comes back to normal.as i'm sure it will,and try not to get stressed,not easy i know!Thinking of you.

Hello

Take it easy

All the advice from everybody else mirrors what I want to say, so I shan't repeat it

Somebody reminded me yesterday that to BE STILL is one of the greatest achievements we can aspire to in this hectic world - and I thought of you.

So be still, my friend


Fb

Wow! so much caring and kind thoughts.

Thank you all so very very much.

I am currently feeling much better. Arms and legs seem to again know what they are supposed to be doing. Have been back to the Doctor this morning; and she is still very concerned about the high blood pressure; which the tablets have so far failed to reduce. However, it is less than a week, so I can't expect miracles. The sodding hospital turned me away this morning 'cos I had drunk a cup of black coffee before turning up there - I was only told not to eat anything - so we have to back again tomorrow for the blood tests.

Next week, depending on the results, I have to double the dosage of the blood pressure tablets. This is supposed to increase gradually till I'm taking around 5 per day. I have also been referred to some sort of specialist; but have to wait to hear about that.

I have read with interest all the suggestions posted - some like steaming food from AR1 – This is something I do as a matter of course. I have used a steamer in one form or another for years.

FB! I like the idea of being ‘still’. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to achieve. I remember many years ago; when I was expecting Daughter – the Doctor sent me into hospital for three months on the grounds that women who were told to rest invariably didn’t.

Smurfles! I wasn’t so much scared as annoyed and frustrated ‘cos I couldn’t do what I wanted. I don’t use salt either; except in making bread (it tastes foul without it). I have now received a sheet of ‘forbidden fruits’ from the GP – ie no fat, no salt, no all sorts of things – but to be fair, there isn’t a lot which will cause me a problem. Ok, I did make loads of cakes/pastries/biscuits and rich puds; but I like fresh fruit just as well; and SS and I frequently eat different meals, so it will be no problem to cook differently for myself.

I have to lose weight (I reckon around 4 stone should do it and this is the kick up the **** that I needed) Since Friday I have lost 2.3/4lbs – I don’t know if that’s good but I feel happy with it.

Prof! My father always said that I never followed his advice to ‘do as you’re bid’ I suppose I’d better review my options here.

Abi – I’m trying to convince myself that I don’t do stress – I have been a smoker for too many years to remember. Still – I’ve so far managed to cut back from 20 a day to 5, so that’s not a bad start.

Once again many many thanks for all your kind words; and if I’ve forgotten anyone, please accept my apologies.

Hi Scorpio

Well, everyone seems to have said it all already...what I will say is that stopping smoking actually reduces your stress. People think that they smoke in times of stress, but in fact the reverse is true - smoking causes stress rather than reducing it. Now, there's never a good time to stop smoking, but if you can stop whilst you're going through so much other shit then you'll know that you'll never need to go back to it again, to use it as a crutch. Strange but true - the best time to stop is when you're really having a hard time.

RF

"Arms and legs seem to again know what they are supposed to be doing"
Good! Glad to read that



Smurfles is stopping smoking , hope she is doing well.
I should stop.
I Don't think (since I have convinvced myself)
I would handle stress as well without Very bad attitude on my part. I hate being a *Biotch more than anything ,so that's my excuse! I am a witch when smokeless.

There are more items to help people quit.
Nicotine Patches - gum ( now flavored) Nasal sprays and more stuff coming!

Stress kills, however you get the balance down to a more reasonable level is good. Good Luck with the medications and Bravo for cutting down on smoking

Good words RF

My easiest time of quitting was during a crisis.
I know it does not really help anything, it IS silly to think so.

Smoking certainly stresses human bodies and your pets too.

Hello

Good for you - cutting down the smokes and losing weight already

4 stone's exactly what I lost in 2004. Do it slowly and sensibly, a couple of lbs at a time. You'll get there

Don't try to make it all better at once I get the feeling that patience might not be your greatest virtue?


Fb

Oh WS! I forgot about the water buffalo! I'm sure I mentioned it somewhere to you before; but I've found the place and am going to do serious damage to SS's wallet tomorrow. Apparently it tastes like beef; but has half the fat and half the cholesterol. The farmers turned to it last year as an experiment and it has gone down wonderfully well and the farm shop is about half an hour away.

Sorry to be a bore - I'll pack in now while I'm winning.

to all Scorpio

Dear Scorpio,

Well you sound as if you have got it beautifully under control. Well done.

Stress - how does one cut down on that. I burst into tears!. It helps me, but sadly embarasses everyone else. I always hae to say to them
"Please forgive the tears! That is my way of coping with stress"

Water buffalo. I thought that they milked them - I did not know that they also ate the meat!

It sounds as if you are going to a very nice place to have a break. Enjoy it.

Christiane AR1

I went to the clinic for stopping smoking...and discussed the many options.I REALLY want to stop,but have smoked for 40 years!!!!
I got the inhilator,so that i still have something in my hand,and can use it when i feel like i want to smoke,disgusting ,i know!!
I cut down from twenty a day to ten in the first three days,then i got stressed about something,and they went back up!I am with myself.
I went back after two weeks,and was given patches,which i havent started using yet....i read the leaflet and dont really fancy using them.
Well done scorpio,you're doing well.
I wish we could buy willpower!!

While I have been gadding around the countryside,i missed your post!So sorry to hear what happened.This happened to me a couple of years ago.My doctor,who had long since tired of lecturing me on my lifestyle,sat there with that all to familiar 'i told you so'expression and informed me this was a serious warning.Truely chastened i took the slap on the wrist.Your doctor will soon find the right balance of B.P.tablets,and loosing weight helps.My big failure is smoking.At one time i was spending more on patches than i was on smoking the failure is not the products,it is me.I wish you luck in giving up.I found it hard to stop trying to fill a 24hr.day with 25hrs.of things to do,but now i am so laid back i need a skateboard to support my headWishing you a speedy return to full health

I forgot to mention,if you are into trying weird and wonderful meat,ostrich is the latest thing.No,i'm not having a laugh,it is farmed organically,and is very lean.I must admit i do have a bit of a when i think of Mrs.Beeton.....First catch a dozen ostriches.....