First off may I thank all my friends in the hobby plus the many people I've never met who have sent me messages of support this last few days while Iv'e been out of action after having a mild stroke.
God willing I will still be going to the w/w Rally and will definately be at Corfe (its my second home anyways) I have nearly a month to get over things and hopefully by then I will be back driving anyways but maybe not digging too many holes for a bit, we'll see,. The family say I wont, a months a while
If this post helps to make other people aware of what to look out for in case it happens to them then its done a bit of good all round.
Most of you in the UK have noticed the advertisements on the Television in recent months regarding what to look out for when having a possible stroke so Im going to pass on my little account also.
Most people know Iv'e been carrying a bit too much weight around the tummy ( well more than a bit) for some time but its never affected my ability to do a days manual work on the nursery or 3-4 hours digging while out detecting, in fact I was out as recently as last sunday with my mate dave digging up a new little hotspot.
Last week for a few days I suddenly started feeling very bloated which also led to a lack of breath when walking around, it worried me a bit but I didnt then associate it with what eventually happened to me.
We went detecting sunday with not too much discomfort, monday things felt better, tuesday I had a lot of watering to do with a hosepipe, boring, but not hard work but just as I was finishing I felt a little quiver in my chest but no more. I shouted to the lad who works for me that I was going to drive home for lunch and it was then I got the first inkling that my voice didnt quite sound right but I didnt think too much more of it at the time.
I drove the three miles home from the other nursery we rent and stopped at the shop to get a paper which while waiting to pay I promptly dropped three times which I never do and felt a little embarassed because it drew attention.
Arriving home I had lunch and didnt say a lot because gwen was watching one of her soaps so I still didnt realise that my voice had changed until I went out in the office and tried to ring my Insurance agent only to be met with my voice suddenly turning into a lot of Gobbledegook which he obviously couldnt remotely understand.
I stood in the office and tried to repeat a few words to myself which even I couldnt understand. By now Gwen had gone shopping but luckily my daughter was still home and hadnt gone to work because she had a bad back. By now Im thinking Iv'e got some of the classic symptons so I'd better tell her and in double quick time because she was once a Policewoman she had an Ambulance ordered and got me carted off to the Royal Bournemouth where a huge team of stroke doctors and nurses were waiting for me.
It turned out they had a brand new Clot busting drug to offer me and were anxiously working out if I was still within the 4 hours criteria from first symptons to be able to use it. They explained that it was my choice between that or conventional drugs, that the new treatment could cause bleeding in some people and that they were one of the few Hospitals in our area that were able to offer the new treatment. They were clearly excited about it and that it was leading to people making pretty remarkable recoveries from what can sometimes be a nasty experience with lasting side effects and even death.
I told them what the hell, and to get on with it and here I am after three days with little or no side effects other than a slight slurred speech which is nearly gone and no other side effects whatsoever and certainly no pain throughout the whole experience.
To say I feel Iv'e had a very lucky escape is an understatement.
Through me waffling on and relaying my experiences, and having always been exceptionally healthy in the past with no illnesses or accidents to put me in hospital in my lifetime, If it helps just one of you to act that bit quicker and seek help when it might happen to you then Ive done good.
Since Dave and I have been friends I have always banged onto him about the need to carry a mobile phone, charged and ready to use in cases of emergency when out detecting, specially with guys of 50+. I carry two on two different sims just in case ones out of range. He always took the view that he didnt need one and always managed without.
He sent a message through my wife while I was in Hospital saying that he's suddenly changed his mind,
Lecture over guys.
Once again I never realised I had so many friends in the detecting world both here and overseas, Im back and hopefully still going to be obscenely healthy and fit once I get over this little Hiccup.
Thanks to you all.
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Originally Posted by Slow_n_low
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