A cool and cloudy day. Woke up just after eight. Weeping from my repaired nostril has dried up. This is reassuring, in the light of the clot busting meds I'm taking! I just have to be very careful not to avoid any anxiety or effort that will cause blood to go to my head. Not easy for me. I've been driven with a tendency to be over active for many years, taking advantage of good health and fitness. All is now up for review.
Listened to an excellent 'Thought for the Day' about how our legal system works, and how it reflects the diverse cultural origins of our language, then got up for pills and breakfast. While I was eating I had a briefing call from Callum at Occupational Therapy where we talked about what I can and can't do, and need help with, to facilitate rehab. My recourse to past learning from Chi Gung and Alexander technique when I was admitted to the stroke emergency ward enabled me to walk steadily and safely, aware of co-ordination blips, I understand how important Tai Chi is going to be to regaining full confident movement, so I'll soon be engaged in a class with a group of other stroke patients. I also had a clarifying email from King's Road surgery, setting my mind at rest about Blood Pressure checks.
Trump and his team have exerted enough pressure on Israel and Hamas to agree a cease fire and follow up plan which will secure the release of hostages and hostage bodies and the release of 250 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails and 1,700 detainees from the Gaza offensive. Further negotiations are pending in the disarmament of Hamas and withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. A surge of humanitarian aid is now expected into Gaza where a state of famine has existed for several weeks. Will this cruel nightmare now come to an end at last? I hope and pray it will.
We've discussed getting rid of the car for the past year. Even slight visual impairment is enough for me to give up driving after 55 years as a motorist. I no longer enjoy driving, it's too demanding and stressful, and Clare's glaucoma prevents her from seeing well enough to drive. We must let go of our dear VW Polo which has my initials in its registration plate. Given that it's nineteen years old, and would no longer be acceptable as a legal road vehicle a few years from now, despite being sound and reliable, its scrap value is only £50. I phoned NG motors who sold it to us and they have agreed to take it away and hopefully find a new owner for it, perhaps a learner driver, who will be able to get a few more years of use from it before it is no longer legally usable on the road. One of the team will collect it and do the admin in a few days from now.
I needed a snooze after lunch to clear my head. Then I got dressed and went out with Clare for a walk. We got separated when I stopped to send a message from Owain and chat to Nick from church who stopped to ask me how I was recovering, and I couldn't spot her anywhere. She was OK and walked home separately from me, but I found it distressing to lose track of her. I went to the top of Llandaff Fields and back. Joints are a bit stiff but warmed up as long as I kept a steady pace and didn't push myself. It wasn't exhausting. The fresh air and exercise did me good. I feel walking benefits my blood circulation. It reduces tingling in my left hand, which is I think a tell-tale stroke symptom in my case.
Owain called MSDEC and got some information about what it means to be a 'virtual ward' patient. I have an appointment there in a week's time at UHW to measure blood pressure and a meeting with the cardio consultant for a briefing and a heart monitor fitting. Heaven knows what this is all about and where it leads. Owain left us at tea time. We won't see him for a while as he's off for a week's respite in Berlin's techno community. It's been marvellous having him here for a few days. Clare and I are back on our own this evening. We're both holding our own, not getting worse, maybe improving a little, conscious there are friends and family close at hand whom we can phone if we need to.
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