I don’t know how many times I’ve heard the above words
spoken when something unexpected has happened but I heard it more often
recently because at the beginning of September I had a stroke. The charity The
Stroke Association have Four letters to
help people if they suspect someone is having a stroke FAST which not only
means fast action is necessary but F for facial weakness, A for arm weakness, S for speech problems and T
for time to call 999 or to get the victim to hospital right away. I was
fortunate in that I was at home with my
husband and two grown up sons and I had some signs- the lower right side of my
face was dragged down and my husband said I was talking gobble de kook. I just
thought I was talking slowly. So he and Son no 2 wasted no time driving me to
Fazakerley hospital straightaway. I saw a doctor immediately and then a stroke
specialist, I had a brain scan, as well as a deep scan on my neck, as well as a
chest x-ray and a heart monitor thingy, this after various tests to check the
strength in my arms and legs. During my
time in the hospital I had my pressure, temperature monitored regularly and had
blood tests. I was fortunate in that I
only had a slight weakness in my right arm and I was able to talk almost normal
by then but the stroke had affected my swallow muscles. I was admitted and in a
short while was taken up to Ward 33. I had a room to myself off the main ward
which surprised me, with a toilet and shower off it, as well as a television in
a straight line with the bed. Maybe this was because the main ward was full up.
Anyway, I can’t
fault the care and attention I received including the meals I was served, This
despite I could only eat food that could be mashed with a fork or served in
gravy, sauces or custard or yoghurt.
Much is written and said about the National Health and of course, no organisation is without its
faults but I consider we are so blessed in our country having such a health
service.
During my life as a writer I have not only had to research
certain illnesses but needed to know the names and situations of hospitals in
Liverpool and various other places. I also had to be certain that they existed
during the period the book was set. Fortunately I remember a little about life
before the Health Service although I was only a small child at the time. I also
have used stories my mother and mother-in-law told me. E.g. my eldest brother,
Ron, caught scarlet fever when he was only a toddler and was taken to the fever
hospital. My mother had to step in a bowl of disinfectant before she could
approach him but was not allowed to get really close to him to give him a hug
but could only talk to him from behind a curtain soaked in disinfectant. My
brother lost his hearing in one ear as a result of the scarlet fever.
Interestingly my son’s best friend since primary school lost
his hearing in one ear recently and was sent for a brain scan. IAvailat was
discovered that he had suffered a mini stroke and it was that which had caused
the deafness.
I was in hospital for five days and since being home I have
had visits from the speech therapist and an occupational therapist, as well as
a volunteer from the Stroke Association. I have kept up with facial exercises
for my swallow muscles and my son who has done acting but now has his heart set
on being a film director/ writer put links to voice training exercises on my
computer. My swallow muscles are now strong enough for me to eat a normal diet
but having discussing my writing with the occupational therapist, we came to
the conclusion that it would be sensible for me to take a break and not begin
work on the next novel for a couple of months. Fortunately I had finished the
novel I had been working on before my stroke. The thing is that my brain is
going to be busy repairing itself for a while and needs all the help it can get
from me, so I need also to rest and relax.
One of the ways I relax is by going to a couple of meetings
the Stroke Association organise in Crosby and Orrell. One is a music meeting
where we sing a mixture of songs which include a fair number from the fifties
and sixties, good for strengthening the voice and face muscles. The other
meeting we have quizzes, the kind where you have to recognise and name faces of
famous people and also tunes, good for the memory. Both meetings are fun and one
is meeting other members of what I call
the SS, STROKE SURVIVORS. A writer’s
working life is a solitary one, so it has proved good for me to get out and
meet people I wouldn’t meet normally and I’m finding it interesting as a
novelist because I’m spotting characteristics that I can use in my writing, not
that I put real people in my books, too risky, bit the odd interesting
characteristic can colour my writing.
Well, I think that’s all for now as I can’t type as quick as
I used to be able to.
Please check my new website: www.junefrancis.com for news of
my books being issued next year .
Available now: A
DAUGHER’S CHOICE pb EBURY PRESS
LOVE LETTERS IN THE
SAND hb
SEVERN HOUSE’
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