20190603 – Monday – QEH Physio, Grange Jetty cafe

20190603 – Monday – QEH physio then Grange Jetty cafe and walk along jetty

This morning was interesting. 

I had an appointment at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital with a physio.

In that one appointment with the physio I learned more than I have with all the doctors at Flinders and the Hampstead facility.

Graeme, my physio went onto his computer and showed me the results from the MRI I had at Flinders, and the Pet scan I had at the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

He read me the notes that were attached to each photo from the MRI and the Pet Scan, and I was able to photograph the MRI and the Pet Scan from the screen onto my iPhone.

Graeme was also able to tell me that my stroke had affected the right side of my body, because of the symptoms I had described to him. 

I had complained of a tingling sensation in my right big toe and a couple of other toes on my right foot.

Of a tingling down the inner side of my right arm.

Of a patch on my right lip that has no sensation in it. 

A “feeling” in my right eye that is unpleasant.

These are the external evidences of my stroke, and who knows what are the internal effects of the stroke within my brain.

This too answered for me the question of what are the residuals that  relate to the first stroke in 2008 and what are the effects of this 2019 stroke.

The information from the MRI and the Pet scan, does not give the doctors any clues as to what caused my stroke. 

So the doctors are no wiser now than they were before I had the MRI and the Pet scan about the cause of the stoke.

It is only my reporting that I “feel” different and my description of those differences that is evidence of my having had a stroke.

This of course means that it is entirely possible that if I should need to have (as I do) another knee replacement, then the same thing could happen again, and I could have another stroke as a result of another knee replacement operation.

If they could have identified the cause of the stroke, then maybe they could give me specific medication for that “thing,” like increase the dosage of my blood pressure tablets, or blood thinner tablets or such.

So will I /won’t I have another knee replacement operation?

Will I, won’t I???

For me, the possibility of another stroke is not a pleasant thought!

However, if I should lose another 5-10 kg of weight in the next year before such an operation, and if I should manage to keep my sugar levels within 7-8 over the next year, and keep my blood pressure in check, then that could provide an environment in which I would be less likely to have another stroke.

Well, we shall see how I go in the next year, God Willing.

My left knee, the un-operated on knee, has rapidly become my “bad” knee, and so, unfortunately, such an operation is definitely “on the cards.”

So I am going to have to become very disciplined in this coming year.

Time alone will tell whether my brain will regenerate itself and the effects of the stroke will diminish over time.