Days 164, 165 & 166 - Life Goes On

We have been busy this last few days sorting some arrangements for the handfasting in june, as well as sorting monthly bills and all that horrible stuff that goes on regardless.

Cleo and I talked at some length about the way forward and the fact that we are becoming more "comfortable" with her inability to do certain things. Nothing is insurmountable and the simplest of achievements promotes huge smiles: like getting a cup of tea up and down stairs. Because she is till relatively unsteady on her feet cleo has been unable to get a cup of tea up the stairs unless it was made in a flask, but this week she suddenly discovered that by moving the cup one step at a time as she goes up each stair she can actually do this. Coming down is the same and once at the bottom of the stairs on the "flat" she can manage to carry the tea without spilling it. We take comfort in the fact that she is still alive, and her mental ability is unimpaired save the odd emotional glitch. We are still a family and life has returned to a normaility not unlike that which we had before 21st November. Of course some things are different and they probably always will be, but overall I believe we have adjusted well to the changes forced upon us all.

James too, in physio, has remarked about cleo's overall progress and is pleased with the results. He told us this week that when she left hospital she was beginning to develop what is known as "high muscle tone" in her arm. High tone is caused by a shortening of the muscle groups, effectively causing the arm and hand to appear "clawlike" as is the case with many stroke sufferers. Recently cleo has managed to overcome much of that, and while her arm is not functioning well yet it is far more relaxed than it was and the result of the relaxation is the arm looks far more "normal" than was the case two months ago.

James also told us that he has agreed with the CART team (remember them, abducted by aliens and all that?) that cleo should be discharged from their care (such as it was) and that he will continue to see her over the next few months. Once the time is right he will then refer her to Emma from the DART team again and as he supervises Emma hinself in the long term he can oversee the management of her rehabilitation.

For us this is probably the best thing. James is by far the most effective healthcare professional we have met since the stroke, and his enthusiasm, knowledge, experience and attitude has promoted much of the recovery that cleo has made. I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank james for all his hard work because without him we wouldn't be where we are right now.