Three months have passed since my last blog. Much has happened and I am still working on recovering from last July's stroke. Some days have been very productive and others full of challenges.
Nevertheless I keep plugging along.
I have had quite a battle with the French embassy regarding witnessing my signature on paperwork to sell a house outside of Paris. It seems that the employees there do not take their jobs very seriously. As a result, I had to make three trips to convince the consulate general himself that this was to be done according to the law after my "notaire" returned the paperwork twice! This is a hassle for a normal ambulatory person but for me: car sickness, having to walk up a hill, dealing with a bunch of incompetent and rude persons (and yes, all in French as their English is not as fluent as my French)... It was a most demanding challenge but I won in the end. Actually, we made the round trip in one day by the third time and I marched up the hill of that great fortress by myself! A side note: I have to pay 75% of the value of the house and its contents in addition of various fees to the French govt. YES
The garden has produced well and now it is time for fall planting. Peter is becoming quite knowledgeable as he isn't too far from my side when I take on this job. He has erected supports for my vegetables, helped me organize my shed so as to make my work easier, turned over the soil when I could not..
We have also undertaken renovating all of my flower beds. After eleven years in the ground, my 69 plus variety of day lilies needed either moving, dividing, or eliminating. At he peak of the season in July, I need two hours each day to deadhead. Since many of the beds are on hillsides, I had to revaluate their location for ease of access. It is most difficult for me to walk between plants on uneven ground. I never lost my balance but the repercussions were worst than those of the various PTs that I attempted. All is well during the actual process but my nervous system rebels shortly afterwards by clamping down on my right side. Only a good night' sleep can alleviate it somewhat. So as the last bloom has gone, each plant is moved. I am limited to one or two a day early in the AM as the sun and heat are not welcomed by my brain! We should be done by winter! Of course, this meant lifting many bulbs and curing them until the fall. After all, one doesn't want an unbalanced flower bed! They will be replanted once all of the perennials have be moved. I have to consider color and height. Yes, I am as fanatical about my plants as I am about my dancing or cooking. But you know what? It is this extreme focus that gets me through this tough journey of mine.
Health wise, I am doing well considering. I managed my blood pressure without drugs for nearly six weeks during which time my dizziness/loopiness was much better. Then about July 1rst, it started gradually rising. I'm back on a fairly low dosage of Losartan but am suffering the consequence. My present GP is not helpful by being part time three days a week and on vacation once a month. I am what you call "high maintenance." I am going boutique primary in two weeks with the brother of an old friend. The problem is that he is not so young but that has its benefits- experience.
I have heard back from Dr Yuri who is to start a new study in 2016 and I am on the list.
As far as dancing, I am hoping to do a showcase the second weekend in October. Slava and I have been working on this since this winter. Believe it or not music and dancing eliminate the sensations in my head (until I stand still). My biggest challenge is the traveling to the studio and of course dealing with night time hours. So tonight, Peter and I are going dancing for a short time to gradually increase my being able to have this come to fruition. Wish me luck.
Saturday, August 15, 2015
Thursday, May 14, 2015
10 months later
Winter was long and spring was slow coming. It was cold and rainy! As a result, we were not able to start finishing the garden project on time. Finally it was done and I could walk on the level paths. All but the corn and winter squash are in. I'm proud to say that I was able to plant most everything by myself! My two men did finish the raised beds. While they were working on those, I was scraping and raking in the aisles level. I have regained a good deal of strength. Yet I still battle the dizziness and now, rigidity and spasticity on the whole right side. This does slow me down.
Now that we have not had any rain since Easter, everything is beginning to look dry. I find it more difficult working in the sun. And I keep thinking of more projects to do! So we decided to hire a contractor to build me a paved walk to my garden just around Easter time. I had been promised it would be finished in a couple of weeks! Ha ha! Do you have any idea what's like to deal with the landscaping contractors who only work when they can fit you in between their big jobs? There were pavers, sand, stones, piles of dirt, and workers littering the backyard for nearly 6 or seven weeks. On the days that did not show up, we waited around for them! On the days they were here, we had to make sure that the work was what we ordered. And every day they worked, there were at least several mistakes, some fairly severe. I am nearly bald now from pulling out my hair but I must say, it turned out really well with a great deal of supervision from me!
My dear friend Karin has continued to come once a week to either help me inside the house, or to help me in the garden, or in my perennial beds. Although I can do a lot more by myself than last September, I could never completed by myself. Of course hubby and Darren have helped also.
My dancing continues to progress with Slava. Since we do not have a competition on the horizon, we have the luxury of studying the basics in detail. And we have discovered a number of "ha ha !" moments. We are fixing all the glitches in the waltz, The foxtrot, and the tango. Since I have a lot of residual from the stroke, it takes a fraction of a second for my right side to respond to any of my thoughts of moving. We will keep the quickstep and VW on the back burner until I recover all of my balance and speed.
I have basically left all of the doctors at Johns Hopkins except for a neuro-ophthalmologist Who actually listened to my symptoms and discovered that both of my eyes are tracking at different times, hence, all of those strange symptoms I have had since day one. Amazing that it took neurologist number seven (from a different hospital) to discover my problem! Try crossing your eyes and living that way…do you focus well? Do you feel drunk? Do you teeter totter around? I do! Some days are better than others; but the more skills I acquire and the more I do, the worse I feel. Yet if I don't push, I do not gain ground! Damned if you do, and damned if you don't.
Dr. Brown, finally the man who can answer my questions at Sinai Hospital, did say that any challenge to the brain is going to create a lot of noise, meaning a lot of misfiring which results in spasticity. Lovely...
I have read two books by Norman Doidge and I have watched dozens of programs on remapping the brain, plasticity. I have learned that there is a Doctor Who is conducting a study at Madison Wisconsin in terms of quieting the brain so that it might re-organize itself – heal itself. He has had great success in his trials for 30 years. He is an ex Russian. So far, I have asked three doctors to recommend me to his lab to be part of the study. Wonder what my chances are!
And meanwhile, I entertain a little –usually for lunch and afternoon. I will occasionally go out to a friends house for dinner, a very early dinner. But unfortunately, I still cannot travel very far as I get carsick from dizziness.
I looked normal on the outside but man oh man do I feel weird inside. And I have to work so hard to look normal especially as this rigidity is progressing. well let's keep our fingers crossed that I will be accepted into the studies at the University of Wisconsin.
Now that we have not had any rain since Easter, everything is beginning to look dry. I find it more difficult working in the sun. And I keep thinking of more projects to do! So we decided to hire a contractor to build me a paved walk to my garden just around Easter time. I had been promised it would be finished in a couple of weeks! Ha ha! Do you have any idea what's like to deal with the landscaping contractors who only work when they can fit you in between their big jobs? There were pavers, sand, stones, piles of dirt, and workers littering the backyard for nearly 6 or seven weeks. On the days that did not show up, we waited around for them! On the days they were here, we had to make sure that the work was what we ordered. And every day they worked, there were at least several mistakes, some fairly severe. I am nearly bald now from pulling out my hair but I must say, it turned out really well with a great deal of supervision from me!
My dear friend Karin has continued to come once a week to either help me inside the house, or to help me in the garden, or in my perennial beds. Although I can do a lot more by myself than last September, I could never completed by myself. Of course hubby and Darren have helped also.
My dancing continues to progress with Slava. Since we do not have a competition on the horizon, we have the luxury of studying the basics in detail. And we have discovered a number of "ha ha !" moments. We are fixing all the glitches in the waltz, The foxtrot, and the tango. Since I have a lot of residual from the stroke, it takes a fraction of a second for my right side to respond to any of my thoughts of moving. We will keep the quickstep and VW on the back burner until I recover all of my balance and speed.
I have basically left all of the doctors at Johns Hopkins except for a neuro-ophthalmologist Who actually listened to my symptoms and discovered that both of my eyes are tracking at different times, hence, all of those strange symptoms I have had since day one. Amazing that it took neurologist number seven (from a different hospital) to discover my problem! Try crossing your eyes and living that way…do you focus well? Do you feel drunk? Do you teeter totter around? I do! Some days are better than others; but the more skills I acquire and the more I do, the worse I feel. Yet if I don't push, I do not gain ground! Damned if you do, and damned if you don't.
Dr. Brown, finally the man who can answer my questions at Sinai Hospital, did say that any challenge to the brain is going to create a lot of noise, meaning a lot of misfiring which results in spasticity. Lovely...
I have read two books by Norman Doidge and I have watched dozens of programs on remapping the brain, plasticity. I have learned that there is a Doctor Who is conducting a study at Madison Wisconsin in terms of quieting the brain so that it might re-organize itself – heal itself. He has had great success in his trials for 30 years. He is an ex Russian. So far, I have asked three doctors to recommend me to his lab to be part of the study. Wonder what my chances are!
And meanwhile, I entertain a little –usually for lunch and afternoon. I will occasionally go out to a friends house for dinner, a very early dinner. But unfortunately, I still cannot travel very far as I get carsick from dizziness.
I looked normal on the outside but man oh man do I feel weird inside. And I have to work so hard to look normal especially as this rigidity is progressing. well let's keep our fingers crossed that I will be accepted into the studies at the University of Wisconsin.
Thursday, January 8, 2015
Ups and Downs, excitement
Well Thanksgiving and the holidays have come and gone with all the
preparations and excitement. Thank goodness, I was able to carry on our
tradition of hosting the feasts. Perhaps I cut a few corners, such as serve
Thanksgiving at the kitchen table. I have a large kitchen. For
Christmas we actually ate in the dining room but the menu was curtailed of some its
many courses and the guest list was much shorter. Still, it was decent. No one complained.
This is not to say that they were not difficulties for me. I still had to
force my sluggish and painful right side into submission in order to carry out
my tasks. Then, there was the issue of tiredness and the usual blood pressure
control. But I carry it all out.
As far as the blood pressure is concerned, I believe I finally have it all
controlled without pharmaceuticals! I do not recommend this to people who do not
understand herbs and supplements and meditation. It takes a fair amount of
experimentation and research. Most doctors are totally opposed. But now, I am
free of those nasty side effects that caused so much loopiness and so much
discomfort that it actually made my blood pressure rise!
I still have a fair amount of vertigo and lots of pain on my right side due
to spasticity. It remains to be seen how much repairwork the brain can do.
Things are getting better, but man it's not a piece a cake.
Slava continues to come to my studio to instruct me in dancing. I am very
pleased with the progress but still unable to practice by myself due to lack of
contrabalance. I do go downstairs every day to run, or let's say attempt to
run. At times, I feel like my whole right leg weighs a ton. Is a great effort
to push a little more each time, but I am up to four times around without
stopping. In the old days, it would've been comical to think I could only run
four times around. Believe me it's quite an achievement these days.
Our son Darren has a new friend. This relationship is working very well. We
are extremely happy about it and we love Kendra who is kind and patient.
Another bit of news is that we had to put our little Cleo to sleep. She was
17 years old, very arthritic. It turns out she also had a mass around her heart.
She walked into her life one day as I was working in the garden. Someone had
dropped her off, as many other animals had been since we had a barn and horses.
Peter and I were about to go to a competition and figured she would be gone upon
our return. No, she was waiting at the door for us. We open the door and she
walked right in as she had always lived there. Our other cat and our Jack
Russell accepted her immediately.She was so
thin, shaved under the belly to the neck, revealing some recent surgery. She was
very clean. No parasites whatsoever. So she became ours for the next 13 or 14
years. We will miss her.
Yes, these past few weeks certainly contained a lot of excitement for us. and on top of that, one of our greatest friends suffered a heart attack in the
middle of her showcase with her instructor! Thank goodness three physicians were
present. With hard work they kept her alive until the paramedic came to revive
her with the paddles. Yes, she had flatlined. Unbelievably so, she has come
through gloriously, even after quadruple bypass. The problem is that she is
already going to be dismissed from rehab after only two weeks! I would have
liked to be able to help her more but I'm not strong enough yet. Peter and I
have visited her and seen her progress. I asked several of our friends and hers for a contribution to buy her an air
iPad. Peter's has helped me so much in my recovery that I was certain it would be useful to hers. Most people came through. A couple however, showed their true colors by
completely ignoring my request for a small donation. Amazingly, it was ignored by those who should be at the forefront. No more said. Yes, all this excitement did
not suit my blood pressure too well, but I managed.
Then there's the issue of my dress maker who has owed me money for a dress
she sold nearly a year ago. Tune in later for the latest news.
Monday, November 24, 2014
Some slow improvement
Time they say, it takes time. I am reminded of this every day now. I am goal oriented and like to measure my progress. Well, this is a time in my life where I cannot honestly say that I can observe daily progress. Yet, I looked for it every evening when I am in doubt.
You remember that new computer? Well it went back because Peter could not work out Windows 8. I figured if he had trouble, I was left out in the cold. I will keep working with this old computer. At least, I know its idiosyncrasies! We replaced that present with a 4 X 4 painting of horses that now are hung on the gable end of the living room.
While the weather had been nice, we were able to add another set of beds to the garden. Then the cold and the rain kept us indoors for a couple of weeks. I much rather be outside as I am still struggling with the vertigo and the blood pressure medications. I must have tried 5 or 6! I even tried the natural way of controlling the pressure. The natural way was the easiest one on my brain but it required diligence in taking supplements and eating this or that. And add a little excitement to the day such as a friend's visit and it no longer worked. I am now on Lozartan. It seems to keep the BP down most of the time. We just need to tweak it some. Now remains to see if I will be able to tolerate it much longer. I am very loopy.
Today was my dance lesson day. We are starting to think forward to a showcase. That is like a recital for those of you who do not understand the terminology. Who knows how many months we will work at it. Soon after, my friend Karin arrived to help me lay down some more mulch on the perennial bed on the upper level of the back patio. This bed is very steep so it was a struggle for me. As a matter of fact, I had to pack it in after lunch. I was too tired and dizzy. Peter and Karin finished by themselves. Now hopefully we will have one more good day in the future to finish the last bed.
After a rest, I was able to return outdoors and work on the vegetable garden remodeling. It apparently rained a good bit last night as it was slick out there on top of the clay isles! The level we are working on is not level so it was another tiring challenge but we made a little progress in digging it out to level it. Yesterday, I had gone to the garden for the first time in two weeks and I pleasantly surprised how easy it was for me to get around. I had actually made some progress! Perhaps, I need to try to see daily improvement and trust that something is improving.
You remember that new computer? Well it went back because Peter could not work out Windows 8. I figured if he had trouble, I was left out in the cold. I will keep working with this old computer. At least, I know its idiosyncrasies! We replaced that present with a 4 X 4 painting of horses that now are hung on the gable end of the living room.
While the weather had been nice, we were able to add another set of beds to the garden. Then the cold and the rain kept us indoors for a couple of weeks. I much rather be outside as I am still struggling with the vertigo and the blood pressure medications. I must have tried 5 or 6! I even tried the natural way of controlling the pressure. The natural way was the easiest one on my brain but it required diligence in taking supplements and eating this or that. And add a little excitement to the day such as a friend's visit and it no longer worked. I am now on Lozartan. It seems to keep the BP down most of the time. We just need to tweak it some. Now remains to see if I will be able to tolerate it much longer. I am very loopy.
Today was my dance lesson day. We are starting to think forward to a showcase. That is like a recital for those of you who do not understand the terminology. Who knows how many months we will work at it. Soon after, my friend Karin arrived to help me lay down some more mulch on the perennial bed on the upper level of the back patio. This bed is very steep so it was a struggle for me. As a matter of fact, I had to pack it in after lunch. I was too tired and dizzy. Peter and Karin finished by themselves. Now hopefully we will have one more good day in the future to finish the last bed.
After a rest, I was able to return outdoors and work on the vegetable garden remodeling. It apparently rained a good bit last night as it was slick out there on top of the clay isles! The level we are working on is not level so it was another tiring challenge but we made a little progress in digging it out to level it. Yesterday, I had gone to the garden for the first time in two weeks and I pleasantly surprised how easy it was for me to get around. I had actually made some progress! Perhaps, I need to try to see daily improvement and trust that something is improving.
Sunday, November 9, 2014
Happy birthday to me!
Yes, today is my birthday. It was a good day, a good weekend.
My friend Diane did her showcase in Bethesda at Igor's new studio. We had decided that we would pick her up after lunch in order to arrive early enough for me to rest prior to her dancing. I was excited as this was my first trip overnight away from home. I know the ride is only an hour away but I don't do well in the car. The continuous bouncing is very challenging to my equilibrium. So, we decided to break up the trip by staying over night at the hotel next door to the studio. It was OK. It was what they called a four-star hotel. There was no restaurant and the rooms were small. But, we had parking and could walk to the studio and to restaurants.
We arrived shortly after 1:00 PM. Unfortunately only one room was ready, so Diane came with us until it was time to go to the studio at 2:45PM. I did not get a chance to lie down, but did rest as best I could while easing her nerves for her performance. The performance went well and I saw a few old dancing friends. By 4:00 PM, I was ready to leave. I had had fun but I was LOOPY and tired. I had to return to the hotel to rest before going out to dinner. Diane was treating us for my birthday and we had reservations for 7:00 PM.
The previous two weeks, I had tried several new blood pressure medications (all disasters); so just before the week end I decided to go back on the least offensive one. At least I knew what to expect: extreme loopiness. Have you ever tried to function after having a few too many? I only did once. Well now it is 24 hours a day. I manage to walk straight. I can handle things with my hands with a little more time. But man, there is an electrical storm in my head. I can hear the static. So after a few hours of this, I need to be by myself and regroup, as Heather's riding coach would say when things did not go well. In other words: Stop, rethink, rest, try again.
Dinner was lovely. Peter had picked a nice Italian restaurant full of ambiance. The salmon with a lemon sauce was excellent. Thank you, Diane.
Peter slept OK. Diane says she was up and down all night. I was in a twilight. My senses had been over challenged - sensory overload.
Once home, I recharged. After lunch, we went computer shopping for me! I settled for one of those new fandangled touch-screen lap top can can change into a tablet. Peter is now setting up all of my accounts and hooking up to the wifi. It will take some getting used to this new gadget. I never like my present one, a Toshiba that gave me tons of trouble with the cursor running away wildly and re-positioning itself who knows where. I must say, I have always carried a lot of magnetism that disrupts electronics. Yes, and now that I am buzzing... hopefully the new machine will not be so sensitive to me. I have had a Dell that liked me once, but not the last one! Darren usually inherits my cast offs just in time as his dies.
So, I had a happy birthday and many good messages from friends. Tomorrow is another day. To other friends are coming to help me mulch two more perennial beds. I started a large pot of soup for lunch. Actually one of them left stuffed peppers on my stairs today. That was dinner!
And after a few more days of loopiness-peace, I will dare to try some new medication again.
My friend Diane did her showcase in Bethesda at Igor's new studio. We had decided that we would pick her up after lunch in order to arrive early enough for me to rest prior to her dancing. I was excited as this was my first trip overnight away from home. I know the ride is only an hour away but I don't do well in the car. The continuous bouncing is very challenging to my equilibrium. So, we decided to break up the trip by staying over night at the hotel next door to the studio. It was OK. It was what they called a four-star hotel. There was no restaurant and the rooms were small. But, we had parking and could walk to the studio and to restaurants.
We arrived shortly after 1:00 PM. Unfortunately only one room was ready, so Diane came with us until it was time to go to the studio at 2:45PM. I did not get a chance to lie down, but did rest as best I could while easing her nerves for her performance. The performance went well and I saw a few old dancing friends. By 4:00 PM, I was ready to leave. I had had fun but I was LOOPY and tired. I had to return to the hotel to rest before going out to dinner. Diane was treating us for my birthday and we had reservations for 7:00 PM.
The previous two weeks, I had tried several new blood pressure medications (all disasters); so just before the week end I decided to go back on the least offensive one. At least I knew what to expect: extreme loopiness. Have you ever tried to function after having a few too many? I only did once. Well now it is 24 hours a day. I manage to walk straight. I can handle things with my hands with a little more time. But man, there is an electrical storm in my head. I can hear the static. So after a few hours of this, I need to be by myself and regroup, as Heather's riding coach would say when things did not go well. In other words: Stop, rethink, rest, try again.
Dinner was lovely. Peter had picked a nice Italian restaurant full of ambiance. The salmon with a lemon sauce was excellent. Thank you, Diane.
Peter slept OK. Diane says she was up and down all night. I was in a twilight. My senses had been over challenged - sensory overload.
Once home, I recharged. After lunch, we went computer shopping for me! I settled for one of those new fandangled touch-screen lap top can can change into a tablet. Peter is now setting up all of my accounts and hooking up to the wifi. It will take some getting used to this new gadget. I never like my present one, a Toshiba that gave me tons of trouble with the cursor running away wildly and re-positioning itself who knows where. I must say, I have always carried a lot of magnetism that disrupts electronics. Yes, and now that I am buzzing... hopefully the new machine will not be so sensitive to me. I have had a Dell that liked me once, but not the last one! Darren usually inherits my cast offs just in time as his dies.
So, I had a happy birthday and many good messages from friends. Tomorrow is another day. To other friends are coming to help me mulch two more perennial beds. I started a large pot of soup for lunch. Actually one of them left stuffed peppers on my stairs today. That was dinner!
And after a few more days of loopiness-peace, I will dare to try some new medication again.
Saturday, October 25, 2014
An Invigorating morning
Well it has been quite a while since I posted a blog. I had such a rough time this past month, that it was best for me to keep quiet or else I would whine. First, it was the cold; then, the sessions with the electric needles; and once more, the regulation of the blood pressure. I believe we are starting back on track with the pressure, but the loopiness resulting from the cold and needles definitely set me back.
I have not retreated to my bed! No matter how tough things were, I continued my routine of two lessons a week. Slava has bene terrific. We are still making progress. If only I were not so loopy. Half way through the lesson, I begin to tire. Perhaps we are pushing a bit. I may decide to shorten the lessons to 45 minutes now that we are upping the energy and the technique. I have also done more and more in the gardens.
The weather has been iffy for outside work. We have had a lot of rain. But... every time it is not raining, I do a little more in the perennial beds or the vegetable garden. This morning, I actually enjoyed myself. I raked out the dirt in the latest bed creation and leveled the first completed isle. No pictures yet as the job is not completed. I lost total track of time and ignored my tight, electric side. I should say that I barely felt any pain, just weakness and some teeter-toddling as the ground is still very uneven since we are reconstructing it. The air was crisp and the sun was blue.
Yesterday, my dear friend Karin helped me with mulching one of the nine flower beds. That was quite a job. I really was not of much help as getting up and down makes me even loopier! It looks great. One down, eight to go. If the weather cooperates, we should be done by Thanksgiving as we only spread mulch once a week. There is much to do to prepare the beds.
This coming week, three more doctors are checking me out. Time to get a new prescription for my eyes. Seems like some of my loopiness could be resulting from a visual focus problem created by the stroke.
So far, it has been a good day.
I have not retreated to my bed! No matter how tough things were, I continued my routine of two lessons a week. Slava has bene terrific. We are still making progress. If only I were not so loopy. Half way through the lesson, I begin to tire. Perhaps we are pushing a bit. I may decide to shorten the lessons to 45 minutes now that we are upping the energy and the technique. I have also done more and more in the gardens.
The weather has been iffy for outside work. We have had a lot of rain. But... every time it is not raining, I do a little more in the perennial beds or the vegetable garden. This morning, I actually enjoyed myself. I raked out the dirt in the latest bed creation and leveled the first completed isle. No pictures yet as the job is not completed. I lost total track of time and ignored my tight, electric side. I should say that I barely felt any pain, just weakness and some teeter-toddling as the ground is still very uneven since we are reconstructing it. The air was crisp and the sun was blue.
Yesterday, my dear friend Karin helped me with mulching one of the nine flower beds. That was quite a job. I really was not of much help as getting up and down makes me even loopier! It looks great. One down, eight to go. If the weather cooperates, we should be done by Thanksgiving as we only spread mulch once a week. There is much to do to prepare the beds.
This coming week, three more doctors are checking me out. Time to get a new prescription for my eyes. Seems like some of my loopiness could be resulting from a visual focus problem created by the stroke.
So far, it has been a good day.
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Tomorrow is another day
This has been quite a week or more since I wrote. My cold settled in my head of all places. I already have too much going on up there. So for a few days my dizziness, my weakness, and my endurance took a hit.
I saw Dr Nakazawa. We had a rather lengthy introduction. His children and grandchildren attended McDonogh School, as did Darren, and I taught French and Spanish there until Darren's accident. His daughter teaches French at another one of our elite private schools. He declared that I was a most interesting case, and he could help me. There was a procedure to be done on the scalp, but he zeroed in on my sciatica which had not yet resurfaced in the past year or so. Now, that wasn't so complicated! I endured the electrical impulses attached to the needles for 20 minutes-not fun, but tolerable. Shortly after I left his office, my whole right side was tighter than before, covered with pins and needles (a feeling). I recovered gradually over the next few days and would try one more session.
Between the cold and Dr Nakasawa I was drunk and feeling so bad that I cancelled my dance lessons twice, did not dance all week.
By Yesterday, Tuesday morning, I was feeling a bit better than I had since my stroke. I could focus more, the right side was less tight, the gait was smoother, and I had very little loopiness. I had decided to forgo the natural blood pressure lowering meds after concluding they were as powerful as the pharmaceuticals. My vascular doc wanted me to stop all BP meds but I was not comfortable with this notion. I would gradually decrease them and observe since I was going back to Hopkins for the three-months check up in a few days. So things were looking up.
I went to the ballroom to dance on my own. I managed to get through my open routines in waltz and foxtrot. I did some chacha and samba. NO DIZZINESS! Man did I feel uplifted!!!! So I went and weeded one of my perennial beds for an hour and a half. Then, I decided perhaps I should be careful and not overdo it.
That afternoon I had booked my second session with Dr N. He narrowed down the area of acupuncture and intensified the juice when I told him I saw no improvement. I must say, he could be getting hard of hearing or maybe he has that male-ego attitude of having to be right. Then he left me for one hour plus. I could feel the electricity along my entire right side into my head. I have never had such a violent reaction even though this type of acupuncture was performed several years ago for the sciatica. It did not work then. What was I thinking? I was not a happy camper. He assured me a warm bath would ease the discomfort. It got worse. This morning I was in pain but I was going back to the neurology department today.
I dared to call Dr N this morning. He denied that his treatment had any influence on the way I felt! OK, I am cancelling my future appointment with him
So we went to Hopkins. The Drs were an hour late. I was pleasantly surprised by Dr Bahouth. She had seemed like a naysayer when I saw her during my stay in the hospital. She was compassionate. After examining me and talking about all of the side effects I had from the meds, she agreed with Dr Hoke (Neuropathy doc) and with Dr Ratchford that I did not need the BP meds at all. Dizziness is an indication that something is too much. NO KIDDING. I had been reluctant to go cold turkey as I do not want another episode.
She brought in another big Kahuna to meet me since I had recovered so well (in their words, not mine). He was shocked that I had stopped the Lipitor and gave me the lecture of my life. My GP has told me to when I developed terrible muscle pain. He suggested a much smaller dose of a different statins and suggested we could check my blood for the enzymes that degenerate muscles if the symptoms reoccurred. I agreed. And we are once more going to try Gabapentin in a syrup, designated for babies. This would ease my ever-present nerve pain.
I'll take one med at a time to see if I get a reaction. The statin is not going to help me feel better but it will increase my chances of not having another stroke over the next five years by 16%. If I do get a reaction, I will have to stop it. Now will the Gabapentin at a minute dose help?
So tomorrow is another day. I do hope my head is better for my lesson tomorrow morning as I am stopping the BP medication entirely.
I saw Dr Nakazawa. We had a rather lengthy introduction. His children and grandchildren attended McDonogh School, as did Darren, and I taught French and Spanish there until Darren's accident. His daughter teaches French at another one of our elite private schools. He declared that I was a most interesting case, and he could help me. There was a procedure to be done on the scalp, but he zeroed in on my sciatica which had not yet resurfaced in the past year or so. Now, that wasn't so complicated! I endured the electrical impulses attached to the needles for 20 minutes-not fun, but tolerable. Shortly after I left his office, my whole right side was tighter than before, covered with pins and needles (a feeling). I recovered gradually over the next few days and would try one more session.
Between the cold and Dr Nakasawa I was drunk and feeling so bad that I cancelled my dance lessons twice, did not dance all week.
By Yesterday, Tuesday morning, I was feeling a bit better than I had since my stroke. I could focus more, the right side was less tight, the gait was smoother, and I had very little loopiness. I had decided to forgo the natural blood pressure lowering meds after concluding they were as powerful as the pharmaceuticals. My vascular doc wanted me to stop all BP meds but I was not comfortable with this notion. I would gradually decrease them and observe since I was going back to Hopkins for the three-months check up in a few days. So things were looking up.
I went to the ballroom to dance on my own. I managed to get through my open routines in waltz and foxtrot. I did some chacha and samba. NO DIZZINESS! Man did I feel uplifted!!!! So I went and weeded one of my perennial beds for an hour and a half. Then, I decided perhaps I should be careful and not overdo it.
That afternoon I had booked my second session with Dr N. He narrowed down the area of acupuncture and intensified the juice when I told him I saw no improvement. I must say, he could be getting hard of hearing or maybe he has that male-ego attitude of having to be right. Then he left me for one hour plus. I could feel the electricity along my entire right side into my head. I have never had such a violent reaction even though this type of acupuncture was performed several years ago for the sciatica. It did not work then. What was I thinking? I was not a happy camper. He assured me a warm bath would ease the discomfort. It got worse. This morning I was in pain but I was going back to the neurology department today.
I dared to call Dr N this morning. He denied that his treatment had any influence on the way I felt! OK, I am cancelling my future appointment with him
So we went to Hopkins. The Drs were an hour late. I was pleasantly surprised by Dr Bahouth. She had seemed like a naysayer when I saw her during my stay in the hospital. She was compassionate. After examining me and talking about all of the side effects I had from the meds, she agreed with Dr Hoke (Neuropathy doc) and with Dr Ratchford that I did not need the BP meds at all. Dizziness is an indication that something is too much. NO KIDDING. I had been reluctant to go cold turkey as I do not want another episode.
She brought in another big Kahuna to meet me since I had recovered so well (in their words, not mine). He was shocked that I had stopped the Lipitor and gave me the lecture of my life. My GP has told me to when I developed terrible muscle pain. He suggested a much smaller dose of a different statins and suggested we could check my blood for the enzymes that degenerate muscles if the symptoms reoccurred. I agreed. And we are once more going to try Gabapentin in a syrup, designated for babies. This would ease my ever-present nerve pain.
I'll take one med at a time to see if I get a reaction. The statin is not going to help me feel better but it will increase my chances of not having another stroke over the next five years by 16%. If I do get a reaction, I will have to stop it. Now will the Gabapentin at a minute dose help?
So tomorrow is another day. I do hope my head is better for my lesson tomorrow morning as I am stopping the BP medication entirely.
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