Tag: stroke
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gang trigly
The easiest of Edinburgh’s hills (and therefore the first of my seven walks) is Castle Hill – the volcanic plug sitting at the highest point of the street that runs through the heart of the city’s old town and which is known as the Royal Mile. Our ascent (which, incidentally, covers a Scots not an…
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scripts
(taking a break by Blackpool tower last weekend) edited to add: if this is being read by Colin, the piping cabbie with a penchant for fairisle, the remarks that follow do not apply to you! It has been a tough few days. After the windmill walk, I really was totally whacked and spent several days…
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to the windmill
A few days after the stroke, the physio who came to work with me on Ward 31 discussed setting some goals. She suggested that it would help my focus and motivation if I gave myself mobility targets to aim for. I decided that, by mid April, my goal would be to walk the four miles…
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sunday
Did I mention just how good it is to be home? Outdoors, the blossom is finally starting to appear on Jesus’ plum tree Inside, I am stitching up my own leaves and blossoms . . . Not the neatest tent stitch you ever saw, but it requires little thought, is incredibly relaxing, and I really…
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sleep is an activity
(York in 1994. I lived in the wee house with the white door to the left of the picture.) In the summer of 1994 I was living in York. I was twenty one; had finished my honours degree; and was looking forward to beginning my masters. I had a job in a pub that paid…
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on foot
I’m enjoying a lovely weekend at home after quite a tough week in rehab. We’ve been trying to get my foot to move of its own accord. I’ve spent hours thinking about moving the foot muscles; attempting (in vain) to move the foot; watching the foot hang there like a dead clawed-up thing; and trying…
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I got rhythm
My relationship to music and rhythm has altered over the past few weeks. One of the bizarre and unaccountable effects of the stroke was that I appeared to lose my musical ear. My Dad is a musician; I grew up playing several instruments, and, in one way or another, music has always played a significant…
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hares and tortoises
This is the design that I was working on five weeks ago, and that I was actually carrying with me in my bag when I had the stroke: a wee sweater in shades of natural Shetland, inspired by Aesop’s fable of the Tortoise and the Hare. I’ve been thinking a lot about this project, and…
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in praise of tools
I am at home for the weekend. This is very exciting. I’ve done some lovely everyday things: I put my left hand through it’s kneading paces, and baked a loaf of bread. I sat with Tom and Jesus (cat) on the sofa, listened to JRR, and knitted a little. I pottered about. Just like usual,…