Hi I'm rickie1965

[rickie1965]

I had a major stroke back in 2009, I've recovered fairly well except permanent virtigo/balance issues, after 7 years I'm finding ME if that make sense and feeling good about myself. I've got back into walking as something I've always enjoyed but since the stroke was restricted on distance etc that's obviously after I started to walk again, I'm now averaging 3 miles a day and yesterday managed a 4.3 mile walk I'm also on a calorie controlled diet as got a few pound to shed before the better weather is upon us so yea I'm starting to feel good about myself at last

[cat3]

Hi Rickie ; another upbeat post ! It's lovely to see the sunshine today and to read such positive posts from yourself and Elenor.

I'm also getting better at walking distances, whereas 4 years ago it was a hobble to the top of the road & back ! It's so liberating isn't it. I usually drive to a local beauty spot and lose myself in the beauty of nature.............that might sound soppy but the river, the trees, woodland creatures etc have all taken on an extra charm since I nearly lost the chance of appreciating it.

I've also changed my diet quite radically after seeing the 'Sugar Free Farm' series on tv !

Keep it up Rickie & you'll soon lose those extra pounds. xx

[rickie1965 in reply to cat3]

Totally agree just makes you feel so positive about things when walking about in natural surroundings and living here I have it all within 10 miles woodlands, river, the coast now I'm in control of myself can appreciate these things again, driving licence would be handy but can't get that back again but don't miss it really only at times like these but not the end of the world there's alternatives x

[cat3 in reply to rickie1965]

To be honest Rickie I'm happy walking along the canal towpath or the local park, and it's better being free of driving constraints anyway.

It must be a joy living near the coast. Keep putting one foot ahead of the other !! xx

[rickie1965 in reply to cat3]

Pity the coast weren't walking distance away be there every day but I do have the river within 5 mins from me and that's we're most of my walking is done x

[steve55 in reply to cat3]

it is cat. before my stroke there was nothing my wife and I enjoyed more than walking along the prom from Bognor Regis to Felpham and back again, stopping for a coffee on the way back.

happy days

[CindyBurton10]

Hi Ricki

I had my brain haemorrhage 9 years ago. I loved walking then (would walk a daily 5 miles from home to office) but, due to problems I now have, I can't go out alone.

I am able bodied but noise, sudden movement, the unexpected can have a detrimental affect if I'm on my own, hence I can only go out with another person.

Well done on the 4.3 miles....I'm jealous. And like Cat after watching Sugar free farm

I'm watching my food intake.

[rickie1965 in reply to CindyBurton10]

Hi Cindy, that must be really hard for you as like me I was a regular walker doing anything between 5-10 miles in a day, I'll be happy if I can get to doing the 5 mile again and feel comfortable from doing it but any distance is beneficial really

[steve55 in reply to CindyBurton10]

can empathise with you there cindy.....me too

[steve55]

hey rickie im steve , had my stroke 4yrs ago this week. iwas left with weakness down my left side but I can walk and things look normal.....mines mental health issues.

what I found really interesting was when you mentioned vertigo, describe what happens to you please how you feel and what are the after effects.

Its just to compare mine to yours.

thanks

steve

[rickie1965 in reply to steve55]

Hi Steve, as my stroke was a clot in the cerebellum it has left me off balance and constantly Vear to the left when walking, and quite uncordinated occasional motion nausea and with the concentration of walking as putting a lot more energy in to ie trips etc being unsteady can easily fall and unable to stop the trip if I make sense, all this do bring on mental and physical fatigue which I say Is my bad days so don't tend to over do it, my body telling me to take it easy but have could control on that so a doctor told me last year on a medical, it is a job to explain apart from its a uncomfortable feeling that don't disappear it's with you 24/7

[steve55 in reply to rickie1965]

hey rickie ok the reason I asked is because mine has gone behind the spinning...its more intense.

before this if I had a spinning ( sounds like an exercise class at the gym ) !!! I needed a toilet now.

with the episodes now, are, as ive said , more intense and as a result , unless its really necessary I only go out at the weekend, when my wifes about.

my gp referred me to the cardiac unit , where they put me on a portable heart monitor for 7 days.....that came back normal , so he s referred me to a neurologist.

people know jack, rickie, because they haven't had a bi. ive got a good gp now, the one I had before just kept telling it was normal, but I knew it wasn't normal for me.

you tell your gp you now your body and whats happening to you isn't normal and you are becoming a different you.....they don't know about that !!!!

speak again soon , hopefully

[rickie1965 in reply to steve55]

That really do sound awful to live with, there must be some help out there surely, I got told last year that if get to bad take travel sickness pills and wear travel bands as they can help but that's all there is to help it

[steve55 in reply to rickie1965]

hey rickie my gp s referred me to a neurologist as he seems to think its something .....I cant remember what he said

[ladyhawke234 in reply to rickie1965]

Hi All , i also suffer terribly from vertigo and inbalence , and other problems after my haemorage, I bought a product from the USA via Ebay called Divertigo, after a lot of online research, its cheap, natural, you apply it just behind your ears and it works in minuites and for me it really helped, BUT it also bought me out in a terrible rash, I spoke to the supplier and was told that some people are alergic, i put it down to the frankincense or myrr as most of the other ingreadiants i have had before, I now only use it when i really have to, but its the only thing that worked for me, and for me, id rather suffer the rash than be without the divertigo. It was designed for people with meniers or labrynthitis, i was very sceptical, but with the warning of an alergic reaction, which i got after about 2 weeks using it, I would have to say, research it and try it. You can always consult you GP or stop using it, I cant tell you how wonderfull it felt to be able to walk across a room with people in it, or across the garden or sit on the loo without that terrible fear of falling and everything spinning and unworldly , It may not help everyone, but it may help some of you, but be warned about the possible neck rash, and if you do get a reaction, keep it clean with a good antibacterial soap like Cidal and consult your GP if you are worried, My GP was useless thats why i had to help myself, hope this helps someone, love to you all, karen

[RogerCMerriman in reply to steve55]

One of the women at my local group says she has a underlying feeling of nausea nero physo are trying to solve it.

I'm lucky as though the world does still spin or move i never feel nausea.

[angelite in reply to steve55]

Hi Steve,

Is this positional dependant and can you prevent it by keeping your head level ?

I had a couple of rounds of Positional Vertigo last year - never bothered with GP. The vertigo at its worst lasted around a minute with accompanying nausea and the jiggy eye movements. Mine came on with sinus probs and fluid feeling in the ears ( allergy triggered rather than viral ) Harsh at first then mellowing out , about 2 months each time. It is restrictive - I avoided uneccessary trips to the shops because of the random imbalance during these times. Remembering to keep my head level in public to avoid triggering it was half the battle ! x

[steve55 in reply to angelite]

angelite no I can be sat in a chair then all of a sudden wham......I can have a couple of little or medium ones a day then I can go a couple of days or a week maybe.

the doc prescribed me epilim for my behaviour because I told him what he could do with his anti depressants , I take 400mg bd

[angelite in reply to steve55]

Hi Steve,

Just plonking a link to balance disorders here - thought it might help :

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balan...

What is your general balance like ( when stood ) ?

Can you maintain balance with eyes open, feet together, is there a change in this with eyes shut for a full minute ( Romberg test - do make sure you have handholds either side to grab if you lose it when doing this ) such as more marked swaying/ loss of balance? Can you walk heel to toe and keep your balance/ maintain a straight line ?

During the episodes, is the room spinning and can you feel your eyes shifting rapidly side to side or up and down ( nystagmus ) ? - You could maybe ask your wife to observe your eye movements if you are not sure.

Has this come on since starting Epilim ?

Sorry, lots of questions, no one expects the Spanish Inquisition, lol !

[rickie1965 in reply to angelite]

I had this Romberg test last July again for a private medical, failed it miserably, can't stand eyes open feet together with out losing balance, when I done it with eyes shut he grabbed me to stop me falling and walking heal to toe is impossible unless I've got some kind of support I.e a wall

[angelite in reply to rickie1965]

Ditto ! : )

[steve55 in reply to angelite]

no that's great, thankyou, when I started taking epilim thankyou thankyou thankyou, ive just realised the denomitor, its light.

light bouncing around , flickering, if I scroll the screen down too quickly to name a few .

thankyou ive got something to give the neurologist when I get my appointment

steve x

[BaronC]

Hi,

Good for you! Walking is an absolute boon to me, helps me no end! Good to read someone is doing something positive, it's always good to know

Baron/Andy

[rickie1965]

And another 4.07 miles this morning and was lovely in the winter sunshine had to have my wits about me rather icy in places

[angelite]

Hi Ricky,

Welcome to our little corner : )

I currently go off to the right, so if we set off together, side dependant, we would either clash or never the twain shall meet lol !

My nausea is not as bad now, thankfully.

I still love my walking with my dog, just need a stick as I tire quickly without now and can't manage as far.

I am very lucky that I am surrounded by woods and local greenspaces : )

Angela x

[cat3]

I too go off to he right Angela, so we could walk around in circles, in tandem !

I launched accidentally today into a shopper after a tiring couple of hours in town. Would you believe when I started to apologise, saying 'Sorry I have a balance problem' she said not to worry...................... she'd had a stroke and had also been left with precarious balance !!

We both agreed we'd never have recognised any issue with one another had we not collided, and to never again assume that everyone else around was in a state of blissful ignorance. xx

[Elenor3]

Hi Rickie, good to hear you're getting out. The most important thing for me after my accident was 'getting out' . Les such a busy life before, with several part time jobs - I found being trapped indoors totally depressing. Once I was allowed out, I started doing the same as you, building up slowly from a walk to the end of the road and back to 5k every day. Just waiting for better weather to increase that. I use an app on my phone to measure how dr I've walked - sad I know - but it keeps me happy to see some sort of progress in one part of my no longer busy life. Keep it up and roll on summer

[rickie1965 in reply to Elenor3]

I do exactly the same, I've got Endomondo handy for monitoring progress on distance speed track my route and calories burnt find it very handy, I've decided to incorporate a hobby in to my walking so going to get myself a half decent camera as so much wildlife round the river plus when better weather get here be a bit more adventurous where I go

[RogerCMerriman in reply to Elenor3]

My walking speed and balance is still significantly slower than it used to be.

Before I saw the Nero physo my walking speed was very slow, 1 mile in a hour, and a high risk of falls.

I no longer get overtaken by little old women carrying their shopping but I'm no longer a fast walker and can and do trip/fall if I'm not careful.

It was bikes for me using strava and getting back my independence. For some reason my balance isn't impaired on the bike, no idea why!

Looking at the health tracker in iPhone I normally walk about 4miles at work and so on.

But I should walk more, since it's still a bit slow and occasionally unsteady.