Some people have been asking about me lately, so I thought I would write a brief post letting you know a couple things that have been going on with me. Thanks for asking.
Over the past two months, I have had two minor strokes. The first one wasn’t that bad. Eight doctors confirmed it was a stroke. I had numerous tests. I was told once you have one of these, you’ll have more and more frequently, and they’ll get worse until you have a major one. I was also told they cause brain damage and that this one had caused brain damage. Two neurologists and three other doctors also showed me and convinced me that my right side had lost considerable strength, as well as speed and reaction times.
Last month I had another and it was worse. I wrote a diary entry about it because I had a bad feeling about it, and indeed, when I saw my neurologist that afternoon and he asked me about it, I couldn’t remember any details and simply asked him to read my diary. In fact, it took me days to recover and I couldn’t remember about four days during that week. I think I suffered real memory loss and I’m willing to believe some actual brain damage.
So, now I’m on medication and wondering when the next one’s going to hit. And how much worse it will be. I’ve redone my will and my living will. And I’m still having other major health problems. Right now, my ongoing head and back pain problems are taking a back seat to my 18 month old severe stomach problems. I’ve been to many doctors and have had many tests, but no one can help me. In fact, two weeks ago, I was sent to a major hospital out of state for consultation, medication, and tests, because no one here can help me.
I’m still reading a lot, but I’m obviously not writing book reviews. I don’t have the energy or stamina to do so. I have 71 books sitting here to review and I just can’t bring myself to do it. 71. I spend every afternoon and evening exhausted and fatigued to the point of falling asleep at all hours, no matter what I’m doing, whether it’s lying down, sitting in a chair, sitting at the dining room table, even standing up. We think I may have narcolepsy. I average between two and four doctor’s appointments a week, all in the mornings, and spend the rest of the day exhausted and usually in pain. Also, I can no longer drive. I’ve been banned for several reasons, one of which is I pose a danger to myself and others. I now ride the local bus company’s vans for the disabled and take Uber. I also have to use a cane when I walk. My life has changed a lot just in the last year.
I guess that’s it. I could write a lot more, but I’m already tired out and have to stop. I hope any of you reading this are doing well. Sorry about the reviews. I’d like to resume doing them. I’ll do them when I can. Cheers!
