Pausing life

Me exactly one year since I had a stroke, looking a lot better than this time last year :) 

Yay, I have celebrated my one year since my stroke anniversary. I can now say I had a stroke over a year ago which makes it almost sound like a thing of the past. Obviously it is still something that I have to deal with daily but it gives me a glimmer of hope that one day it will be a small part if my life that happened once upon a time. I have been reading lots about strokes and in particular hemorrhagic strokes, the risk of having another stroke is higher during the first year after the stroke, something which scared me when I first came out of hospital but I will not go through that or put my family through that again if I can help it so I have been taking good care of myself and have luckily only encountered one incident where I had a bit of a scare. I think it was because I got a bit carried away enjoying myself to the point that I forget I can not just be that person anymore without remembering to take extra care. I had not drunk enough water throughout the day, probably not forced myself to take enough little rests (even though a lot of the time I don't feel like I need them at the time),I had a few glasses of wine to celebrate my birthday and felt like I had eaten too much in one go. All of those things combined were not a healthy mix and I ended up feeling faint. I was staying at a lovely hotel which my sister had booked for me as a birthday present. My current life consists of goals whether it be stroke related or not. One of my goals was to to stay in a country hotel. Tick. 

Me, my mum and sister at Court Coleman Manor hotel in Bridgend, Wales 

This is more of a true reflection of myself over the past year. Me in my pjs 

with my mum and both sisters celebrating my birthday in April. 

I celebrated my stroke anniversary with my mum, sister and my friend Bridie. I tried to book a meal in The Harbourmaster in the town where I live as I remember my mum saying a while back that she would know I was feeling better if I was asking to go there. It is upstairs, something that I have struggled with this past year. They were fully booked that particular evening so I will attempt to book again to celebrate when I can actually go downwards on a escalator. 

Me recently going upwards on a escalator. Partly achieved goal. 

Anyway I had a meal in a restaurant called Martha's Vineyard instead which was lovely. 

And I did get up the steps to the Harbourmaster after the meal where I enjoyed a small bottle of prosecco. 

I managed to also get down the steps after a stroke and a bottle of prosecco. Not bad going ;) 

I enjoyed a very nice evening of celebration. Tick.

My niece eventually got to see One Direction, one year later than planned (because of me ending up in hospital) 

And my sister Ceri got to celebrate her boyfriends birthday with no phone calls to inform her of bad news. Tick. 

I am so pleased to get over the one year mark and delighted that Rebecca had a lovely time watching One Direction and a little jealous that she got to see Mcbusted. ;) 

I was recently messaging one of my very best friends and she was saying how positive I am. I am not sure where this came from but I just want to write down here what I said incase I forget. 

"when you are forced to pause your life for a while, amazing things can happen"