For those who missed me, I had a stroke.

[malthaussen]

18 days in the hospital and therapy. A small bomb went off in my head and blew out my right-side coordination and balance. Typing is a bit of a chore since it is mostly left-handed. Since I can tend to my basic needs and get around with a walker, they sent me home today. Naturally I wanted my pals in the Lounge to know why I haven't been around.

I also have a newly-diagnosed case of diabetes (which seems to have caused the stroke), and I seriously think that's more of a pain than the stroke. Diabetes is expensive, man.

-- Mal

[uppityperson]

1. Oh no, glad you are better and hope you heal more.

[PoliticAverse]

2. Best wishes to you! n/t

[cyberswede]

3. Oh dear! So sorry to hear this.

Will you need PT to recover your mobility?

Very glad to see you back here!

[malthaussen]

6. Yeah, some outpatient stuff needs to be scheduled.

Unassisted, I walk like Frankenstein's monster right now.

-- Mal

[LiberalEsto]

4. Wishing you a speedy and complete recovery!

[elleng]

5. We're with you, Mal.

[Cleita]

7. Sorry to hear that.

Make sure you get all the physical therapy your insurance or other health care provider gives you. It's was saved me from permanent stumbling around and paralysis after I had some strokes. It will help you with the diabetes too.

[malthaussen]

8. My favorite time was therapy...

... when I could actually do something. Hours lying in a hospital bed (no getting up unless a nurse is there!) are not a lot of fun. I spent a lot of time sleeping.

-- Mal

[femmocrat]

9. Wishing you a complete recovery!

So sorry to hear that you have been ill. Please take care and get better!!

[CurtEastPoint]

10. All the best to you, my DU friend. Speedy recovery and maintenance.

[handmade34]

11. ...

[In_The_Wind]

12. I missed you.

[malthaussen]

13. Thanks, I missed you, too.

Hopefully, my typing will improve to the point where I can use noth hands again! One-handed typing is for the birds!

Wait, birds don't have hands...


-- Mal

[In_The_Wind]

14. Yes, diabetes is expensive.

Last month my prescription coverage went into the gap of what is covered. Medicare picked up around half the cost of my Lantus SoloStar insulin pens. I'm still going to have to shell out more money for December's meds.

Just a bit of information about birds ... their hands/talons are very strong. So I hope you regain as much strength as my birds have (relatively speaking that's a good thing).

[progressoid]

15. Dang malthaussen.

Keep up the therapy. It helped a friend of mine quite a bit.

[UglyGreed]

16. Wish you the best

with your therapy and making a strong comeback.

[Kaleva]

17. Glad to see you back!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

18. I did wonder what happened to you...

I also missed you on facebook.

I'm so glad to see you! Please take care of yourself, and get those typing fingers back, OK?

[Joe Shlabotnik]

19. because of you,

I think I made my first post ever in the HOF forum tonight. lol. But glad you are still with us, and please continue to improve. I've been through a stroke, and so has my dad, and in both cases with some physio we both recovered fully.

[fizzgig]

20. my wishes for a quick and full recovery

[roguevalley]

21. I wish you everything. the brain will rewire as long as

You live so hang in there, friend

[riderinthestorm]

22. Hope you're 100% asap! Do everything the physical therapists tell you to do.

They're genius at rehabilitating folks, even if they make you cry sometimes....

So glad you're back!

[Kali]

23. wow!

so glad you are recovering! good to see you back

[HeiressofBickworth]

24. So glad to see you again.

From my own experience last year, I found that being impatient to be fully recovered made me depressed at times. Just take your time, do as the therapists tell you -- and practice, practice, practice. It may take a while, but you WILL get back to where you want to be. Be of good cheer!!!

[bluesbassman]

25. Dang! Glad you're doing better!

Best wishes for your recovery and dealing with the diabetes.

[Crewleader]

26. Dear Mal

So sorry to hear this, you are in my thoughts and prayers.

[My Good Babushka]

27. Hope you mend soon

and get your conditions well managed. Keep at that PT, no matter how much it sucks.

[bigwillq]

28. Wishing you the best in your recovery.

[davidpdx]

29. I'm not familiar with you

But I send my best wishes for a speedy recovery. Do you mind sharing how old you are? How are your motor skills in terms of your speech and movement?

I wonder because my dad had his first stroke at 43 and his last one at 54 (he died just after his 55th birthday). The stroke he had was pretty bad.

[malthaussen]

31. No, I don't mind

I'm 58, and basically in good health (except for the minor problems, lol). My stroke was pretty mild as these things go, IMO. After two weeks of intensive therapy (three hours a day) I can walk unassisted, but it ain't pretty and a walker is safer at present. When I wake up I am at my most unstable, but after I've been up a while I am almost normal in balance. My finer motor skills have also improved, but much more slowly. I can write legibly, but it takes some time to form the letters. Considerable improvement over when I was admitted and my signature was a straight line! When I type, the right hand misses most of the letters when I use it, so typing is mostly one-handed at present. I rarely overshoot the grosser movements (reaching for a water glass, e.g.) and am normally on-target when buckling a belt, putting on shoes, etc. Mostly I'm practicing finer motor skills and walking.

Hope this helps. Your Dad should be okay in time, he just needs to keep repeating things until the brain gets re-wired. The grosser movement should come back first, but some of the finer movements will be more frustrating. So long as you keep this in mind, recover should be steady.

-- Mal

[steve2470]

30. so sorry to hear, best wishes on your recovery ! nt

[antiquie]

32. Quick recovery wishes

[magical thyme]

33. welcome back and wishing you a full and quick recovery!

[malthaussen]

34. Thanks everyone for your good wishes.

If I haven't responded to each of you, it's because typing is tedious, not because I am not grateful!

-- Mal

[Tuesday Afternoon]

35. wow, I guess I am a double good, extra close pal. who knew. Mend quickly, maltie baby.

[Worried senior]

36. I hope

you have success in your therapy and are back to your old self soon.

[kairos12]

37. Sorry to hear this. Go at a steady pace and get better.

[UTUSN]

38. I miss you more now that I know. You sound great.

[KMOD]

39. Hey Mal,

Sorry you had a stroke, but I'm glad to hear it was minor.

Make sure you do your PT. It will make all the difference.

As far as diabetes, yes, it can be a pain. But a few easy lifestyle changes, can also help immensely. Glad you are feeling better. Now stay well, Mal.

[MADem]

40. Are you getting physical therapy?

Can you use that hand at all, and is that your writing hand? If you can use it, just keep practicing the alphabet, over and over and over again, each and every day. Your writing will come back. If your voice is a bit slurry, sing--often. Continuously. Concentrate on pronunciation. The best way to get the walking back is to walk.

I helped a relative (w/Type 2 diabetes) back from a similar stroke; he was two months in hospital-->rehab center-->step-down nursing home w/rehab, and it took a year before he was able to drive again. He's in a foot brace (that he sometimes eschews) with a four point cane but he's ambulating and living life.

Are you eligible for any medical programs? Do you have insurance? Diabetes can be expensive if you have to pay for the drugs--sometimes, though, the drug companies will give you a reduced rate if you can't afford them, if not ask your doctor for generics and explain that if you can't afford your meds you won't be taking them so he has to give you the old-school (i.e. cheaper) solutions. Synthroid costs a bundle, the generic is cheap.

[malthaussen]

42. Yep, and as the stroke was pretty minor, I can walk without assistance...

... though I'm using a walker for safety while I practice normally. Started working on writing the first day in ICU, and it's coming along. I at least have a legible signature, although it is nothing like it was pre-stroke. Typing is a bore, though, because I keep hitting the wrong letters. Grosser muscle movements are good, though, and I'm pretty much as strong on one side as the other, except in the morning when mu atregth and balance are a bit dodgy.

Applications are in for relevant financial aid, but the meds themslves are costly even if generic. I'm currently testing sugar 4 times daily, and even the cheap strips are a buck each. Which doesn't seem like much until you add it up for a month. Hopefully once I'm more-or-less stabilized I can test less often. They're prescribing atorvastatin for cholesterol, which is somewhat costly even in generic form. But as I need my HDL raised more than I need my LDL lowered, it's a reasonable precaution. Hopefully a better diet wll raise HDL over time. Isn't it funny how many things need to be treated by diet and exercise?

-- Mal

[MADem]

43. It WILL come back, just tell yourself that when or if you get frustrated.

I can relate to the price of those damn strips--I subsidized my relative until his ship came in, as it were. At the risk of raising the ire of those who don't have to stretch a buck, you might want to patronize the Dreaded Walmart or one of the other Big Box +RX that has a deal for their generic brand of 'em--might save you a few yen/rial/kroner, what? Ten bucks for fifty strips is way better than fifty bucks for fifty strips, certainly.

These are very affordable and you can test on your palm--you have to get the tester but that's not expensive either, really, and you'd save a small fortune for the number of times a day you're checking your numbers. A buck a strip is JUST too much. If you're worried about accuracy, you can do a compare and contrast to verify that the cheaper ones are doing the job, and only use the pricey ones once a day (if at all) if the results are close. I found that the cheap-os did the trick just fine. You might want to "ask your doctor" or do more research on the web, but that might be a short term solution to that particular expense.

I am pulling for you--it's a long, hard road and I have a bit of experience travelling it (in sympathy from the observation and assistance platforms). I know you can do it and come back full bore and better than ever--attitude is key. Don't forget to sing!!!

Please reach out if you ever need a pep talk--I've seen the highs and lows!

[malthaussen]

44. Geeze, surfing the 'Net, there are discount places to get supplies, too

MUCH cheper than the local pharm prices. That's a real relief!

-- Mal

[MADem]

46. As my great grandparents used to say when I was a kid

"They'll get ya coming and going!"

They should be ashamed of themselves for trying to gouge people in extremis.

[KMOD]

45. The best way to raise HDL is exercise.

Last edited Sun Nov 30, 2014, 03:07 AM - Edit history (1)

When you are feeling better, and stronger, get yourself a pedometer. Each day write down how many steps you took, and at the end of the week, total it up.

Let's say, and this is just for an example, you walk 4000 steps per week. The next week, try to walk 4500. If you fall short, try again the next week. Every time you accomplish your weekly goal, try for another 500 steps per week. If you can eventually get to 9,000-10,000 steps per week, you will be accomplishing so much for your health and your HDL.

Of course, check with your doctor first. But I have seen this work, and it is an easy way to get exercise.

Edit, because I misspoke. Try to get up to 4500 steps per day, and then 9,000 to 10,000 steps per day, not week.

[Odin2005]

41. Get well, soon!

[GreenPartyVoter]

47. Oh, man! *hugs*

[GoCubsGo]

48. Oh boy.

Glad to hear you are well enough to be at home, at least. Good to have you back. The Lounge is good for what ails you. Hope you'll come around more as you feel up to it.

[MrMickeysMom]

49. K&R for your health!

When you have that, you have so much, plus… your DU friends.

Continued wellness, malthaussen!