AZ Leah

I think that's a song "Well Here We Go Again" by Dolly Pardon!!! We go to California again Sept 7 for 8 days. This time we are going to fly - nonstop from Tucson to San Diego is only 1 hour and the Tucson airport is small and hassle-free. I've asked for a wheelchair to and from gate. Then we have a shuttle to the rental car. I got great prices on both the airfare and car rental and it sure will make everything easier. Our destination is Carlsbad again, just an hour north of San Diego. Another timeshare exchange (had it on hold since last year). This one is where we would have preferred to stay in July but it's impossible to get in during the middle of the summer so we jumped at this opening. It's right in the village across from the beach and it will be very convenient for Jerry to walk the beach and me to go to the pool or just sit out in the shade. It's close enough for me to take my walker to a sandwich/yogart place or gift store or full lunch restaurant. More places I can people watch than the last place we were. Even packing will be simplified and I won't be tempted to throw another bag or book or food or whatever in the car. Last trip we had 3 visits with 3 different couples. This time will be more relaxed because the time will be all ours except we will spend the last night with friends before leaving for the airport on Sept. 15. I always have a tendency to over-pack (a girl thing?). This time I'm limiting myself to a smaller suitcase. A few books, minimal make-up and we're out of here!! Other than that, I'm status quo. I have a round of dr. appts starting end of Sept. All routine except I'm switching my urologist to see if she can help my incontinence (I hate that word and what it represents). I have never wanted an operation but in this case I would go for it if it would work. I know stroke survivors have problems with this and I had a brain stem stroke. I've done a lot of reading recently about stroke and also some autobiographies written by survivors. It is helping me put some words to what happened the day of and during the first few months of my stroke. They never could give me the reason for my stroke which I understand is pretty common. My neurologist said it might have been my smoking :oohlala: which I quit 10 years pre-stroke. I also read alcohol can hurt the arteries :cocktail: and I haven't had any alcohol in 10 years either sooooo it is a really big ?? :uhm: The more I know the more confused I get because there is so much to learn but, then again, the more I am grateful and blessed that I have come this far. It's only been 2 years 2 weeks since I returned home and I had to have almost everything done for me. My endurance is a lot better (I nap about an hour/day) but I need to remind myself of the glass half-full on a daily basis. Going to my work-out this morning, I repeated over and over again all the things I was grateful for to get me out of a self-imposed funk. I am okay now. I used to say I was "lucky". I don't use that word any more; I feel that I am "blessed". Big difference in my eyes. Jerry and I get along good most of the time but once in a while I feel like giving him a knock on the nogin :bop: especially when he gets impatient when I can't get the words out of my mouth fast enough. All in all, we're together almost 25 years and I'm pretty sure that won't change :hug: Well enough out of me...it was fun using some of these emotions in my blog. Now it's time for a nap :Zzzz: Hope everyone has a fun and safe labor day. We're staying on home ground where it's nice and safe. Adios for now. Leah **hi**

My philosphy is like Donna's especially after stroke. I live a day at a time, try not to have high expectations, and don't worry about tomorrow. Today is a gift, that is why it is called the present. Do you know the serentiy prayer; it is one of my daily "meditations" : God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference. Relax, breathe, and know that you are okay as you are. It is the insides that count. We may not be what we were physically, but we can still help others. Leah :giggle:

Great post, Kathy. Sounds like you have everything in order - both with your garden and your doctors. Great news. I have a round a dr. appts starting in late Sept. Jerry planted tomatos this year, also, but they burned up from our AZ summer sun after just a few good ones. We get homegrown ones when we visit California. A few years ago Jer and I took a round trip specifically for the fall follage, mainly concentrated on New Hampshire and Maine and we really lucked out with our timing. I'm from Michigan but I had never seen the array of colors we saw in NH. Good Luck with Barry gone - sometimes I think thats a good thing - makes both of you appreciate the other more. I'm sure you will do fine; I can tell from your posts that you are a woman who will make it work, whatever it is. Just don't fall!! I envy your planting. too hard for me to get down to do any work - actually it's the getting Up that's hard LOL Take care and enjoy the fall on the Cape - Leah

Thank you Asha for the positive feedback. As you know, we all need this on the journey we are taking. I'll be adding another short blog entry, as we are returning to Carlsbad for a week 9/7 - flying this time!!! You are an angel doing such wonderful work for this stroke site. I know it takes a lot of time. God bless you. :cloud9: Leah

I never know how to start an entry so I'll just do it! In July we went to Carlsbad, Ca for 12 day (it's about 450 miles; we drove but stopped half-way). Our condo (a timeshare exchange) was VERY nice with many amenities, a full kitchen, separate bedroom and an ocean view from the balcony. The resort had a work-out room my husband Jerry used daily, a great pool and it was easy for me to get around. I took my walker which worked great when I wanted to go to the pool. I used my cane when we went out for dinner. We were able to visit 3 couples we know, including my best girlfriend and her 4 children, one of which is my godchild. Two are college grads now, and two are in college. The oldest girl is married and we saw her and her husband. We were planning to go to their wedding in June 2006 but I had my stroke and ended up in ICU. The visit with them was the highlight of the trip for me. Jerry wanted to drive home straight-thru so I foolishly agreed. Needless to say, it was awful to be couped in a car for 7 hours, even with stops. My body (and mind) won't do it anymore. At least on an airplane you can stand up and down. It took me a few days to recuperate after we got home. Since coming home I started working with a trainer with weights and machines twice a week. My left leg may not get better, but I say I will be the strongest lady in Tucson who has a bad left leg!! I am using my walker again at home; it helps with the gait. I use the cane when going in and out of stores, etc., which isn't all that frequently. I was going to group pool therapy but the hospital stopped it. There is another place I need to look into but it has been nice not having to drive into town 2x/week. Don't get me wrong, I am grateful I can drive, and Jerry is elated!! :happydance: I still get fatigued easy and need a nap every afternoon. But it is SO much better than 2 years ago when I needed to sleep the whole afternoon away. I have missed gardening (I cannot get up and down from the floor, cement, what have you without something or someone to hang onto) but I have done some planting in small pots which I have found very enjoyable. I put a piece of large plastic on my kitchen counter, get my small pots and plants out, Jerry gets me potting soil in a small bucket and voil

WOWEY...you have done a lot this summer. Congratulations on your earned accomplishments. The gardening is great and I love the fact that you have deer around (no deer in Tucson..but there are some in our mountains). I hope trips to ER are OVER. I know you will enjoy the visit with you sister and mom. My mother died at 91 the year before my stroke and I will always cherish the days and visits we had. Since she was in Tucson it was especially a lot the last few years as her health went downhill. God saw it that I didn't stroke until after she was gone. I do think God moves in mysterious ways. Three years - amazing - I'm a little over 2 so you give me a LOT of hope and courage with your experience. Thank you for all you do on this site. Now I have got to get with the program and update my blog too!! Happy Birthday :wish: and Hugs :mwah: Leah

We leave Saturday for a 12 day trip to Carlsbad, CA. Not a bad drive from Arizona and it will be wonderful to get out of the 100+ degree heat. For some reason I am "confused" with my packing this time, maybe because I have been doing too much and am tired - DUH. I will soon have a few days to do NOTHING except look at the ocean, read, do cross-stitch, listen to calm music when my husband isn't in the condo, etc. (he always has the TV on). Well, I was going to write more but we are ready to leave and we are an hour past our projected departure time. So what else is new. I can definitely see the advantage of having a laptop... then I could visit this site every day and get my fill of sane thinking. Maybe by next trip. Adios for now fellow strokers. Hugs, Leah

Ditto with the other posts for your bank catching your bank card use theft. Hope that never happens to me. I hope you have a good time on your trip, in spite of yoursel! I try not to do anything which I think will make me feel uncomfortable, even if it is a function in our home town, especially with crowds or in the evening. As for traveling, we are re-thinking a few things ourself - we've gone to the Caribbean for the last time...too long on planes, in the airports, etc. The Elmo cake you made is awesome...you are doing great in order to bake. I'm lucky to make an easy dinner. I try to focus on what I can do not what I can't.

Just checking in with ME and YOU all after a 2 week trip (only part of it was a real vacation!). We got back April 16 but it takes me a while to get back in my "routine" whatever that is! I keep learning things about this new stroke body of mine. I hope one of these days I can learn to to live within realistic expectations. Our trip to St. Lucia was what I call bitter-sweet. St. Lucia is a gorgeous island not too far north of Venezuela, close to Martinique. It takes a LONG time to get there from Arizona. This year we tried flying to Miami, spending a couple days to see friends, then flying nonstop to St. Lucia from Miami. Tucson to Miami was do-able (a word?) with only a change in Dallas. But Miami to SLU was a different story. What was a 3 hour non-stop flight ended up being 8 hours and there were no delays. Getting to the airport 3 hours ahead of time I think is stupid when you then just get suffled around and wait and wait. Wheelchairs aren't as convenient as they appear when you are hungry and they wheel you past the food court getting to the gate (they don't let you do it alone!). Therefore, we ended up spending 4 days of travel--and sometimes the wheelchair wasn't at the ramp like it was supposed to be which left us disgruntled, inpatient, and eventually tired (at least for me). Of course, the return trip of going through customs and immigration is time-consuming although I must admit it went pretty smooth. The Windjammer Resort was as beautiful as ever but this time (our 4th year in a row), reality set in. It just isn't disability-friendly and I'm not much better getting around than last year. Walking with a cane and managing steps wears me out just to get to the pool or beach area. I cannot walk in the water because of current; even with Jerry holding my hand. Sand isn't a joy either. I am too unsteady - balance and coordination. So I think that is it for St. Lucia. At least I have some fabulous pictures to look at from time to time. I faced reality this time (I still cannot swim, which is another topic). I have come to realize it is not good for me to spend time remembering the days gone by. I long to run on the sand again, run into the water and swim or snorkel. I am, however, VERY grateful for what I have done at this resort and many, many other things I have seen and done and places I have gone that some others will never be able to do. I am trying to develop new behaviors - such as gazing at the ocean I love so much and realize I do not need to be at the water's edge. I write this after returning from our trip. When there, I now know that I "stuffed my feelings" so I would not be sad and would not cry. I have lived through another chapter and came out okay. We have a pool at home and we just had railings installed so I can get in and out by myself. I tried it last weekend and it was great. Now I can do some pool therapy at home and float with a noodle. Upon our return I started my hospital pool therapy (1x/wk) and weight training with a trainer 2x/week so I cut one pool and added one weight training. I hope to get stronger which will help my balance. I am thankful for so many things to make this all possible...most of all to have survived my stroke and have the chance to continue living. I was happy to see you were all here when I signed on. :forgive_me?: Bye for now. Hugs from Leah

Hi Kimmie: I haven't posted in quite a while. Yes it takes time to adjust and everytime their is a change it is not easy because we have to re-adjust AGAIN!! I have been doing more around the house also and it not only takes much more time than it used to but it is SO tiring. I give you so much credit for saying "JUST DO IT" but along with that I would say EASY DOES IT. Most of us have been type A personalities - we thought we were superwomen - handling a career and a home (and in many cases kids) too. Plus many of us had to make all the plans for other things many men do (in my case all the financials, vacations, appointments etc). Things have changed somewhat but the more improved I get the more I seem to take on. I know I could say NO but I probably don't because deep down I probably feel somewhat guilty for my stroke changing Jerry's life too. I think every day some adjustment needs to be made. We're going on vacation tomorrow and I am going "nuts". I am going to post another blog before we leave. My plans for 2008 were to blog at least once a month and I haven't done it once this year. So today I am going to start my year all over! Hope all is okay with you JUST FOR TODAY. Love, Leah, your Arizona stroke survivor buddy :happybday: :friends:

I've been meaning to do another blog entry since Christmas...I can't believe it is already April 1. My plans of visiting the strokeNet board more frequently have been in vain altho' I have looked around on occasion; I'm just not active. Since we are getting ready to leave on a vacation, what better time to get my "house" in order! Things have been busy but not really hectic as hectic goes. We have had something going every month, including relatives visiting from out of state 3 different times which usually upsets the apple cart. I have still been doing 3 days of some type of therapy a week and a face-to-face stroke group 1x/month. I don't see the improvements I used to and have gotten discouraged more often. I guess my endurance is better (I still nap more days than not) and I am able to do more around the house. Usually by the weekend I am exhausted and can't do much of anything. My left leg still isn't taking signals from my brain. But who am I to complain; I can hobble around with a cane or walker and I can drive which is really a biggy. Coming from a gal who not quite 2 years ago was in a coma, completely paralyzed and it was iffy if I would live, I know God has given me a miracle. It helps me to help others which I can with my pool therapy just being an example of working hard to improve and keeping as good of an attitude as I can muster up for that day. I silently pass that same message to my work-out club and to others who have know the "old" me and the "new" me. Of course, as we know, others who haven't stroked don't realize the emotional scars we carry. I'm trying to move slower after falling several times in the house (due to not taking my time), including a week ago when I ended up with a doozy of a black eye, now almost healed. I have been fortunate none of my falls ended up at the hospital...just scared the heck out of me. I can get up by myself now if there is something to hang on to. I am also now trying acupuncture. It has helped my back pain but not my leg "yet"? I've had 3 sessions and will keep trying. One thing I love is how serene it makes me feel lying there with calm Chinese music and I cannot feel the needles. Tomorrow (April 2) we leave on a much needed vacation. Last year we went to our favorite resort on St. Lucia (a small island in the west indies of the Caribbean) but the plane ride of 12 hours was way too much for me. So I didn't think we could return. A few months after being home, I pondered on the HOW we could go. So we are flying into Miami and spending a couple days (we can see friends there) and then flying NON-STOP and only 3 hours to St. Lucia. I mailed our income tax returns yesterday (YEH for me, as I am the number person in the family and I am always the one who gathers all the info for our accountant; I am amazed and grateful my brain still is able to do that). I finally am compleley packed. I seemed to have obsessed more over packing this year...don't know why except for last year I was on more pain medication and lorazapam than I am now. That's all folks for this blog. We have to get up early which I hate. No fretting; pretty soon I can sleep in every day if I want and not feel guilty!! No laptop, so no temptations to play games and such. Adios. :cheer:

Kimmie: You are fantastic taking the time to write all these wonderful things about you..well, maybe not ALL...LOL. And I can tell you tell the absolute truth, admitting that you are a Republican LOL (I am too, I think!) One of these days maybe I will attempt a few items about myself. And, yes, the Arizona thunderstorm are awesome. Blessing you,Leah I'll give you one...I used to live on a sailboat!

:wub2: Kimmie: You are amazing and I loved learning more about you. I haven't been on the boards as late; too busy and too busy in between. Hopefully, that too shall pass. Did you "pledge" to list 100 things people didn't know about you or something like that? Good idea. It takes a lot of thinking to go back the years you did. I think of you a lot, especially being that we are not far in bird's time ! But Phx and Tucson are a little too far for a leisurely drive. Maybe someday we can meet face to face. Take care. Hugs, Leah