Had a bad day, ongoing :(

Posted: Fri Aug 27, 2021 12:25 am

Last month, Wed 21 July, while driving my wagon homewards from Switzerland to Scotland, I had a stroke.

I'd parked at a truckstop for the night a couple of hours North of Switzerland.
When I woke up in the morning, I'd slept on my arm. Not a problem, I thought, it'll be fine soon. Nope, in fact it got worse as the day went on. I realised I'd got a serious problem when I stopped for a break. After washing my hands, while shaking the water off, my right hand was lagging behind my left and it had no flip.
So my situation is, I'm in a foreign country where I don't really speak the language. I'm driving a 65 foot long big rig, loaded with around £500,000 in value of someones goods. I don't know where the hospital is (Google would know). Where can I park this thing up where it'll be safe? How will my boss get it and the load back home? How will I get back home when they release me, because if it's a stroke they won't let me drive? I don't actually feel ill at all, I'll just keep going. So I did, to the overnight ferry from Holland to North England. My arm was getting worse as the day progressed, by mid afternoon I would lift my hand out of my lap and hook my fingers in the steering wheel spoke, but 5 minutes later it would have just slid off the wheel back into my lap.
Thursday I drove off the ferry, did a delivery and collection of 6 pallets, at the same place, through the back doors. Then drove up to our yard in Scotland. From there I drove another hour in my car, to the A&E (E.R.) of my local hospital. They put me through some tests, a CT scan, an ultrasound of my neck and a chest x-ray. Everything was clear and in decent enough condition for a 62 year old smoker, drinker, biker, trucker who's in fairly good shape. But they confirmed I'd had a stroke. They kept me in hospital for a week, then sent me home.

I'm on a physio exercise programme, and 4 pills a day for life now. A blood thinner, a statin, a high blood pressure reducer and one to protect my stomach.
I don't have high blood pressure or high cholesterol, but a stroke magnifies the effects of these, so to be on the safe side they're insisting on medication.
The stroke has affected my right arm and hand mainly, but I also have slight weakness on the right side of my face and right leg. The physio seems to be working, the worst of it now is the poor dexterity, control and strength in my hand, I'm right handed but do ok with my left. Now I've got the time, I'm going to restart playing my flute (musical instrument). It will hopefully help with the dexterity and control.
In the UK they take your truck licence (CDL) away for a year when you have a stroke. Then the Dept of Transport make you jump through many hoops before they'll let you have it back. I'll be 63 before I can ask for it back. Probably 64 by the time I get it. I was thinking of retiring at 66 before this, that's now a definite. So I'm thinking, is it worth all the grief of getting my licence back, for 2 and a bit more years of driving? I'm going to have to find an alternative job for most of this year in limbo, I can't afford to live on benefits. So I might just stay there until I retire. But, my boss has said my job will still be open in a years time, I've been with him for 15 years and I enjoy the job, sooo. See what I feel like in a years time.
I can't ride my bike just yet either, I don't have the strength in my right hand to operate the front brake, I'm struggling to type this in using my right hand on the right side of my keyboard. However, I still intend to do my Route 66 holiday ride next fall, so I'm not off the bikes just yet, this is hopefully only a blip.

Catch yas later, and hopefully I'll get to catch some of you when I come over to the U.S. next year.

Posted: Fri Aug 27, 2021 1:15 am

That's rough, Simon. So sorry to hear.
Nice that your employer is willing to hold your job for a while. Seems loyalty in the workforce is rare these days.
I would certainly start the process of getting your license back. Any sense of returning to normalcy would be a positive.
Guess relearning the flute is better than the drums. Laughing

Steve.

Posted: Fri Aug 27, 2021 1:35 am

Hoping your recovery of your hand goes quickly.
Get back to riding as soon as it is safe

Posted: Fri Aug 27, 2021 2:46 pm

Best wishes to you Simon.

Posted: Fri Aug 27, 2021 3:16 pm

Hope you get better soon Simon. Prayers sent.....

Posted: Fri Aug 27, 2021 5:32 pm

Wishing you good luck with your treatment and recovery. I hope your Route 66 trip works out!

Steve

Twinstar Joined: Oct 03, 2012 Posts: 95 Location: texas

Hang in there Simon, never give up riding and work you love. It is amazing you got all that done under the circumstances.

Posted: Fri Aug 27, 2021 6:19 pm

Best to you Simon.

Hawk Joined: Jul 14, 2012 Posts: 407 Location: New Zealand

Keep up the exercise and physio , don't sit around at home and keep InTouch .
We are all getting older and need help and stimulation to keep going.
Good luck with the license as NZ has the same rules for heavy vehicles and I drive one .

Cheers 🥂

Posted: Fri Aug 27, 2021 9:24 pm

It's good to hear you are back home and recovering recovering in familiar surroundings.
I hope you can ride again soon.

Posted: Fri Aug 27, 2021 9:48 pm

Simon, glad to hear you are in recovery mode, sir. The offer still stands to ride together next year on you Rt66 ride, in the Albuquerque area, please keep us posted on your progress!

Posted: Sat Aug 28, 2021 7:50 am

this is where the re-assessment starts, power on Simon

Posted: Sun Aug 29, 2021 9:45 am

All the best to you Simon , wish you good recovery and hope you can do your route 66.

Posted: Sun Aug 29, 2021 3:08 pm

WOW! Your obviously old school and not prone to complaining.
Keep on that physio! Your goal is to get your life back.
Riding Route 66 is the bonus 'living the life' reward.

Wishing you all the best on your journey there!

Posted: Sun Sep 05, 2021 10:11 pm

Thanks guys.
Yeah, I'm old school. First priority, if you ain't dead, finish the job Very Happy

Complaining is pretty pointless usually, not that I never complain, but I don't make a habit of it.

The physio is coming on, my face and leg are almost completely back to normal, my arm isn't too bad but I shake hands like a limp lettuce. Grip is slightly better than it was a month ago, but not by much which is kinda disappointing. So I reckon I still can't operate a bikes front brake well enough to ride safely. Something I'll have to work on more, obviously.
I've restarted playing my flute. So far I can only manage about 30 minutes, then the fingers of my right hand start to slowly droop back onto the keys when they should be off. I expect that'll improve over time as well.
I drove my car for the first time on Friday, a friend and I went to see a blues band playing at a small music venue about 20 miles away. The Frank O'Hagan band. He played the opening night there about 15 years ago and this was the post Covid Reopening night. It was a great evening, good music and good people Smile

Nothing much else to report, life goes on. On the bright side, I have plenty of time to do all the small stuff Smile

Posted: Mon Sep 06, 2021 4:05 pm

Sometimes the small stuff is more important than you know.

Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2021 10:22 pm

bobcat7 wrote:

Sometimes the small stuff is more important than you know.

I can't figure out how I managed to find time to work for a living now Shocked

Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2021 3:17 am

Keep up physio and daily hand exercises Simon, sounds like you are battler...they breed em tough up North right!!!

Maybe you could get one of them fancy Honda's where the foot brake pedal operates the front and back brake?

Posted: Mon Sep 20, 2021 8:32 pm

X7eater wrote:

Keep up physio and daily hand exercises Simon, sounds like you are battler...they breed em tough up North right!!!

Maybe you could get one of them fancy Honda's where the foot brake pedal operates the front and back brake?

Old soldier, long distance trucker and before those a farm labourer from when I was 12 years old (part time at that age obviously). I've had to work for everything I've got, so this is just one more battle. I have considered a dual braking system for my bike, BUT, I want to ride US Route 66 next year. That'll be on a hire bike, so I need to be able to ride that safely, which means operating a front brake reasonably well. I'll just keep on with the physio then Smile

Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2023 8:59 pm

Well, I've been back at work for a year now.
I'm on the ferry in Rotterdam waiting to drive off, heading to Switzerland.
Route 66 starts next week.
Life is pretty good.

I worked hard at the physio, including 500 miles power walking,finishing that during the Edinburgh Kiltwalk. The Kiltwalk is a charity fund raising walk of 24 miles, which I did in 6hrs 6mins.
For my hand and arm I had an exercise program from the hospital. I bought a rock climbers hand strengthening kit from flyaway, it included an elastic band with loops to put your fingertips in which you stretch outwards. Also all the usual grip strkengthening kit. I also bought strap on wrist/ankle weights.
Now my arm is good, my legs are good, my face is back to normal, my hand is at about 95%. Grip strength is OK, it's fine control and dexterity which is lacking. My writing is a bit worse than it used to be. The annoying things are, I'll drop small things. They'll just slip out of my fingers. I can't hold a coffee mug with a smooth curved D shaped handle level, it just slips round. And my short term memory is diabolical.

So, all in all, I've recovered pretty well, especially considering the length of time I waited. They reckon if you get to hospital and start treatment within 2 hours, you stand a very good chance of a full recovery. 2 Days doesn't come into the equation.

Posted: Thu Oct 12, 2023 9:54 am

Glad to hear you made it through recovery, keep up your rehab to try and avoid any set backs. Congratulation's
Rick

Posted: Fri Oct 20, 2023 12:02 am

Wow, you got lucky you're not in worse shape Simon. That sounds like a hell trip. Last year I was on my way to deliver Jon Litseys race bike and halfway to the meeting place I was thinking I was having a stroke. So I pulled into a clinic in a small town. They got me an ambulance ride to Eugene the closest hospital. After CAT scan and an MRI they said I was ok. Scary stuff. I can't imagine how high my anxiety would have been with your ordeal?

Keep your head up and keep on going. Peace, Jim

Hawk Joined: Jun 27, 2003 Posts: 329 Location: nevada

i feel your pain! in June of 2021, out of the blue, i had a stroke while at work. after going to the hospital and waiting for HOURS in the emergency room, had a 2nd MASSIVE stroke. seems there MRI tech had went home for the day, and after i became un-responsive (as stopped breathing), they called her back, to determine where the stroke in my brain was. turns out it was a brain stem stroke, blocking the blood flow to the right side of my brain. to make matters worse, the had nobody on staff to remove the blood clots. i was transferred to another hospital, where they used a catheter (up my groin area) to remove the 2 clots. i was in the ICU for a week, then 2 more in a regular room, before being transferred to a re-hab center, where i spent the next 2 and 1/2 months, re-learning how to walk, eat, drink, and go to the bathroom. it wasn't until December that i could drive a car again, the following June when i could ride a bike, and late July before i could ride a (small)
motorcycle. to this day, my balance is poor, i have about 80% strength and diminished feeling on my left side. the good news is that at 62, i was old enough to retire--with a pension, and social-security. i got MOST of my health back, and can work on my bikes, cars, and do MOST of the things i did before the stroke. lots of stroke victims, that's not the case. the two things i have learned is 1: it's going to take time, 2: it could have been worse. no cause of my stroke has ever been found, had no previous warning signs. the only thing i can say is i has COVID about 6 months before my stroke, and no vaccinations were available yet. take care.

Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2024 3:11 am

Adrian, it's great to hear all your hard work in rehab/recovery was successful in getting you back close to normal.

Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2024 1:20 pm

adrian wrote:

i feel your pain! in June of 2021, out of the blue, i had a stroke while at work. after going to the hospital and waiting for HOURS in the emergency room, had a 2nd MASSIVE stroke. seems there MRI tech had went home for the day, and after i became un-responsive (as stopped breathing), they called her back, to determine where the stroke in my brain was. turns out it was a brain stem stroke, blocking the blood flow to the right side of my brain. to make matters worse, the had nobody on staff to remove the blood clots. i was transferred to another hospital, where they used a catheter (up my groin area) to remove the 2 clots. i was in the ICU for a week, then 2 more in a regular room, before being transferred to a re-hab center, where i spent the next 2 and 1/2 months, re-learning how to walk, eat, drink, and go to the bathroom. it wasn't until December that i could drive a car again, the following June when i could ride a bike, and late July before i could ride a (small)
motorcycle. to this day, my balance is poor, i have about 80% strength and diminished feeling on my left side. the good news is that at 62, i was old enough to retire--with a pension, and social-security. i got MOST of my health back, and can work on my bikes, cars, and do MOST of the things i did before the stroke. lots of stroke victims, that's not the case. the two things i have learned is 1: it's going to take time, 2: it could have been worse. no cause of my stroke has ever been found, had no previous warning signs. the only thing i can say is i has COVID about 6 months before my stroke, and no vaccinations were available yet. take care.

Well going from my own personal experience, the best thing to do is just 'get on with living'. Physio is good, but just as important is working on fine motor control and your brain.
What happens is the neurons in the part of your brain affected by the stroke no longer function properly. You have to force your brain to make new neural pathways. So the major muscle physio exercises get your arms and legs etc working as well as possible. But you also have to do other things for your fine motor control.
I discovered when I got back to work that my hand writing had deteriorated from 'not very good', to 'what the hell is that???'. Now I wish I'd got myself a reporters notebook, and written a page a day. Just listening to the radio and writing down what I was hearing for eg. Also my short term memory is shot to hell. So doing quizzes that test your memory might have helped, like word puzzles, I've never been good at crosswords, but those letter circles where you find all the words available from that set of letters. I play conputer games with a controller mostly, but keyboard and mouse would work just as well. And playing the flute is also fine motor control. I also hand roll cigarettes, then smoke them Rolling Eyes

. It takes some dexterity to roll them, my nurse was not happy that I smoked them though Laughing

.

At this stage I've got about 99% of my right hand and arm back. Not as strong as it was, but pretty close. I have to keep an eye on it when carrying my pint from the bar to my table, and anything similar. If I don't, my arm slowly droops and I can't tell it has, so I end up pouring half my beer on the floor. The main thing is, it's unreliable. It'll be fine one moment, then my fingers will just relax slightly and I'll probably drop what I'm holding, or have to intentionally tighten my grip if there's time. Also, if I stumble, I automatically use my right arm to steady myself, 60+ years of habit I expect. But my co-ordination isn't quite as precise as it used to be, so instead of catching hold with my hand I might catch myself with my arm. As I'm now on a blood thinner, I've almost always got at least one livid bruise on my right arm or hand.

My face had returned to normal fairly soon after I came out of hospital. My leg also recovered well, walking 500 miles will have been a big help with that. But I don't think I use my leg, arm and hand muscles quite the way I used to. I definitely grip things in my right hand in a different way, using my muscles slightly differently, and I can not make a good fist.
But these are minor things. I can now carry on with my life in very much the same way as before. A lot of luck, and hard work on the physio to thank I believe.

Hawk Joined: Jun 27, 2003 Posts: 329 Location: nevada

in the months after my stroke i also lost the ability to write, i scribbled like a 6 year old child. (even though my stroke was on my left, and i write with my right hand). it also affected my vision, and hearing. the ability to write slowly returned (after 6 months), hearing back to normal, but my vision requires me to wear eye glasses all the time (i used to only need readers, or when driving at night). i too have been put on blood thinners, cholesterol reducers (statins), and blood pressure pills (even though i don't have hi blood pressure). seems this is standard for ALL strokes except the brain bleed type. have been told i will be on them for life. i now bruise like a Georgia peach, and bleed with the slightest scratch.

Posted: Fri Jan 03, 2025 1:20 pm

adrian wrote:

in the months after my stroke i also lost the ability to write, i scribbled like a 6 year old child. (even though my stroke was on my left, and i write with my right hand). it also affected my vision, and hearing. the ability to write slowly returned (after 6 months), hearing back to normal, but my vision requires me to wear eye glasses all the time (i used to only need readers, or when driving at night). i too have been put on blood thinners, cholesterol reducers (statins), and blood pressure pills (even though i don't have hi blood pressure). seems this is standard for ALL strokes except the brain bleed type. have been told i will be on them for life. i now bruise like a Georgia peach, and bleed with the slightest scratch.

Same here, on the bruising and bleeding. Especially on my right hand and arm, no idea why that might be.
The left side of your brain controls the right side of your body, if that was what you meant.
My writing has improved, but still takes more concentration than it should. And the more often I write, the better it gets. But if I don't write for a while, it deteriorates again.