Third Anniversary

It's now just over three years since I had my stroke so it seems like a good opportunity to put an update here as to where I am. On the plus side I'm busy with work - I got a big order just after Christmas plus I've finally put to bed a web site I started over a year ago and I've got another web site nearing completion too.

On the down side I continue to have good days and bad. Migraines are the principle problem now. The marvellous Maxalt Melt normally knocks the headache down in twenty minutes or so but the rest of the day is then largely written off work wise as it leaves the "thinking" part of my brain knocked out.

I still feel dizzy and spaced out unexpectedly on occasion, but that continues to decline slowly.

To give you one tiny example of how things have changed I no longer plan the crossing of foot bridges in the Country Park when walking Jake - which I used to do as I worried about what would happen if I had a seizure part way across.

I think the most frustrating part is having so little capacity to do things I want to do. I have bursts of mental energy when I turn out brilliant code (if I say so myself ;-)) and then days will go by before I can do the same. I wake up in the night full of ideas of things I would like to do, but in truth it's hard enough doing what I am doing.

I've also cut back on the breadth of my life. Resigning as chairman of parish council was something I hated having to do, but having said that it was entirely the right decision healthwise, as was choosing not to stand as a district councillor.

But it could be a lot worse. I'm still here, I had what was really a very trivial stroke, I'm still living with the woman I love (which many people aren't after a stroke) and, thanks to Swiss Life, I've still got a dependable income stream even though I can't work as hard as I would like.