A Life Changing Moment

There!  that's a pretty impressive opening but true.

Last Monday B, from around the corner, and I had just walked our dogs and I decided to put out the wheely bins.  As I wheeled the recyclables bin to the back gate I became disoriented and very unstable.  I hung onto the bin for a while and then slowly slid to the ground.  I don't think that I was unconscious at any time but my arms and legs had  minds of their own and I just sat on the back step for some time.

Finally I crawled back indoors and managed to pull myself up onto my feet using the washing machine as a support.  I was very confused and staggered into the kitchen to get myself a drink for some reason.  I had considerable trouble just opening the fridge door but finally  poured myself a glass of orange juice.  After few sips I felt that I had to have pee.  In the loo I found that I could not undo my fly so I tried to undo my belt to drop my trousers but that was too difficult.

I decided that I needed help but found that I could not open the front door which was just on a simple latch not the dead lock.  In the end I made it back out through the laundry, passed the wheely bins and manged to lift the D latch on the back gate.  I was still able to remember to pull the gate shut after me to prevent Louis getting out.

My immediate neigbour was not available to I managed to stagger to B at No 2.  She just opened her door and helped me into the first chair and phoned for an ambulance.  While we waited B talked to me and I tried to  reply.  Later B told me that I just talked gibberish but I though that I was being quite normal.

The ambulance arrived in a very brief time as it was flagged as a life threatening emergency.  The Paramedic checked my pulse, did an ECG and inserted a cannula  in my arm.  I learned later that my pulse was 180 over 130 and that my heart was in Afibrillation.  It was quickly decided that I had had a stroke and as taken to Nambour Hospital.

The Resident Stroke specialist was called in and I was admitted in a very quick time.  I don't remember much of Monday night except for CT scans,  injections and a very noisy ICU.  I know that Helen spoke to the specialist and made arrangements to fly up from Adelaide - more later.

I was taken to ward about 2.00am and told that I had had a stroke and would need several days in hospital.  It was also likely that I would have to be on the blood thinner, Warfarin  and other drugs for the rest on life.  I would need regular blood tests and I felt that I  had changed from a fit, if somewhat deaf, elderly man to an invalid overnight.

To be continued.