Fatigue – A Stroke of Poetry

Know the FAST signs of stroke

August 28, 2019August 28, 2019 Shelagh

As I was laid in my cubicle, with the most horrendous frontal lobe headache, burning hot, throbbing ears, pins and needles in both arms, feeling nauseous and a little worried that I had suffered a minor stroke or a T.I.A. (Transient ischaemic attack), it got me thinking about the F.A.S.T acronym for recognising the signs of stroke, and how important it is to seek medical treatment as soon as possible.

This is not a memory of events of my stroke 6 years ago, but a weird, health event that occurred just 10 days ago! (Please don’t worry as I haven’t suffered a stroke but read on….)

I was suffering a little fatigue (well, a LOT of fatigue) since by City2Surf run in Sydney, six days previously, when I joined ‘Team Stroke’ and a group from The Little Stroke Warriors, to raise money and raise awareness for childhood stroke. Check out my smiling face as happy to have completed the 14km run and raised almost $1300! Shaking off my fatigue I was finding more difficult than usual, despite the rest I had taken. After presenting to a local community group in my role as Stroke Safe Ambassador, earlier that Saturday morning, I was sat outside on my patio at home having some lunch and I began to choke on a small piece of food. I started to cough, cough and cough some more but could not dislodge this food that had become trapped in my airways. I was struggling to breath and although I tried calling for my husband who was inside, I could not shout his name through lack of breath! Then suddenly, I felt a sharp, painful ‘snap’ in the back of my neck.

Instantaneously, I felt a harsh, throbbing headache at my frontal lobe and a rush of heat to my ears, which began to throb. Then I felt a sudden ache in my shoulders and pins and needles in my arms which went all the way to my fingers. Then an overwhelming feeling of nausea began and all I wanted to do was just lie down and go to sleep. Scared? You bet! I seriously thought I had suffered a stroke. My husband came outside as he had heard me coughing and saw my face. He knew there was something wrong and immediately offered to take me to the Hospital. Advice I offer at all my Stroke safe presentations is to NOT put anyone in your own vehicle, if you believe they have suffered a stroke, you MUST use the FAST guidelines, ALWAYS think of timeliness and ring 000. The earliest medical intervention is the most important part of treating a stroke.

I assessed myself for the FAST signs of stroke.

F – FACE – Is there any facial drooping? No.

A – ARMS – Can I raise both arms? Yes.

S – SPEECH – Is my speech affected/slurred/can I talk. Yes. It was slurred but that was due to my fatigue

T – Time – Ring 000 if any of the above or in doubt. YES!

It is important to note that only 80% of stroke survivors present with the F, A or S (or a combination of all three) so therefore 20% present differently. Due to the fact I had felt a sharp pain in the back of my neck (and my stroke had been a basilar artery dissection), AND I had a 9/10 frontal lobe headache, I advised David to ring 000.There is only a 4.5 hour window for stroke survivors to receive thrombolysis treatment (the clot busting drug) which could save your life so you MUST always ring 000, even if you are in doubt. Paramedics are trained to check for the signs of stroke and can deliver medical help immediately. Please check out this great video from MICA Paramedic Andrea, where she explains the reasons behind early medical intervention.

Moving on from my hospital visit, I underwent a CT scan, as my symptoms were treated as though I had suffered a stroke and gladly that was clear. A further MRI scan revealed that there was no evidence of even a TIA. The diagnosis from my local GP was that I had suffered a ‘cough headache’ and due to the restrictions in my neck vertebrae (my own tight neck) then I must have pinched a nerve which caused the ‘snap’ feeling and extreme pain. A cough headache can present similar symptoms to a stroke but generally goes within a few hours. Due to the fact my headache lasted several days was because I was fatigued, so my symptoms were rather exacerbated.

The good news is that as I type this blog, I have had a full week of rest and feeling lots better.

Stroke Week commences on 2 September and it is always the first week in September that the Stroke Foundation promote everything about stroke. This year, we are sharing the FAST message and the signs of stroke, specifically childhood stroke and encouraging everyone to become a FAST HERO, by learning the signs of stroke.

Here are just a few scary statistics…(check out more facts on the Stroke Foundation website)

Stroke is one of Australia’s biggest killers and a leading cause of disability
Stroke kills more women than breast cancer and more men that prostate cancer
In 2017, there were almost 56,000 new and recurrent strokes – one every 9 minutes
30% of stroke survivors are of working age (under 65) so this is NOT just an older persons illness

So, let’s talk about what is happening in Stroke Week. You will find events happening all over Australia, by checking the Stroke Foundation website but here on the Sunshine Coast of Australia, you will find me on Monday 2 September, on Bulcock Beach Esplanade with some of the Living Life After Stroke – Caloundra Young Stroke Survivors Support Group; and a few friends. We shall be wearing our FAST HERO capes (yes, you have heard it here) and some FAST Hero masks. The capes have been made by my friend Kristine who is a constant supporter of the Stroke Foundation and everything I do. Stroke has touched her own friends’ network and she has seen the damage it causes to survivors and their families, and I am eternally grateful for her support once again this year.

We shall be conducting blood pressure checks, finding out your own risk of stroke, distributing FAST literature, giving away FREE yoga vouchers, healthy snacks and drinks vouchers to be redeemed at THE FARM, Meridan Plains, 4551, where I practise yoga, mindfulness and simply relax in this calm space, to rest, reenergise and restore. Rashida, yoga and mindfulness teacher and approved pharmacist will be conducting the BP checks. I shall also be giving away three FREE ebooks of A Stroke of Poetry, my Stroke Foundation recognised resource of my poems of healing and hope after stroke. You have to be at the event to have a chance of winning any of these great prizes. (non winners will still receive a healthy protein ball made by Rashi as a consolation prize.)

The event is on Facebook so please click this link to RSVP.

There is still time to register for your own stroke week activity and order your stroke week pack today, with literature, hero face masks and much more. You can have one at home, in your workplace or anywhere during Stroke Week (ends 8 September). You can even download some information directly from the website.

PLEASE be stroke aware and learn the FAST signs of stroke today.

Until next time, stay stroke safe.

Shelagh

Still running after stroke

August 2, 2019 Shelagh

Have you always wanted to run? Do you have doubts about running after stroke? Please do NOT let your stroke stop you from running, or learning to run. If I did it, then anyone can do it!

My running story

Prior to my stroke in 2013, I would say that I was a reasonably fit person, although I never ran or took part in any basic fitness training. I would walk a lot and think that kept me fit. Around 10 months’ post stroke, following my post stroke depression, I met my personal trainer (and now great friend Melinda), and my positivity and zest for life began to return. I threw myself into fitness (sometimes to my own detriment as I would spend days in bed following a short mountain climb!). However I loved it. I loved the feeling of climbing to the top of a mountain or kayaking across the Pumicestone Passage where we live and just being with nature. Melinda taught me to focus on what I COULD do and not what I could not. I had limbs that worked so why not use them to their best advantage!

It was only during the early part of 2015 that I took up running and trained for a 10K. I started with a simple Couch to 5K running app and it gave me the basics for running. Subsequently joining a running group and watching others who had begun to run following their own strokes, gave me that much-needed passion for being able to complete that first 10K run. Hard work and determination to succeed paid off. That same year, I completed my first 10K run and in a time of 69 minutes so I was very pleased with that. I ran the first 8.5K and only walked up a very steep hill near our local Shelly Beach. I completed the same run again in 2016 (in the howling wind and rain) and it took me two minutes longer. Here is a photo of my husband David and I in 2016, just before we ran the 10K fun run and I have been running ever since (sometimes on and off, when my health hasn’t been too good)

Goal setting

I thrive on setting goals, not only in my running life, but generally. I know that goal setting is not for everyone but it gives me focus and motivation. Roll on four years from my very first 10K run and with over 50 community park runs under my belt, I am currently training for the City2Surf 14km run in Sydney on 11 August. (Check out my very red face of me and my run buddy Lisa on our evening 10K training run earlier this week!) Having a run buddy is essential and Lisa and I keep other accountable.

I am very much looking forward to the City2Surf and hope to run the whole 14k, whilst sharing awareness of stroke, supporting the Stroke Foundation and specifically the Little Stroke Warriors Group. The LSW was set up by two amazing mums, after their children were diagnosed with stroke. We are fundraising for this amazing cause and together, we have already raised over $2500. Thank you to those that have generously donated to my run and here is the link should you wish to donate a $1 or two! Every little helps share awareness and resources for parents who need to cope with their little ones going through a difficult stroke recovery.

As a stroke survivor, I do not believe the words ‘I CAN’T’ exist, so if you are physically able, don’t make any more excuses and start now!

Here are five tips worth knowing that have helped me run:

Manage your running with your fatigue and you will do OK (i.e. take rest before if needed and balance physical and mental fatigue pre and post runs)
Drink plenty of water before your run so you don’t become dehydrated
Try and find a running buddy to keep you motivated.
Find your local Parkrun. It’s free and it doesn’t matter how slow you go at first. Just keeping trying and there are plenty of people there to cheer you on.
NEVER give up trying. Always believe in yourself and you CAN do it if you really want to.

Here is a poem, entitled ‘I Did it!’ which is in my book A Stroke of Poetry and I wrote this, following my first 10K run. I share it often and know it inspires people to get out and run. It would be great if you could comment on this post and share your running tips and your achievements, however small they may be and let’s keep each other motivated.

I Did It!

When we first came to Australia, seven years ago, this year.
Our Lady of Rosary was Patrick’s school. Many memories we still hold dear.
Each year they organise a fundraiser, held here on the Coast.

The Caloundra Foreshore Fun Run it is, and well attended by most.

There’s a 10K, 5K and so much more. It’s a beautiful family day.
You can even take a 3K walk and participate that way.
So, the first year I attended I did the 3K walk.

Run? No chance. You’re having a laugh. I’d much rather walk and talk.

As the years progressed, I saw those runners coming through.
I thought “Maybe, am I serious? Is that something I could do?”
I’d watched my good friends running and some had suffered a stroke like me.
They’d trained and got so fit again. That’s where I aspired to be.

Even after my stroke recovery and getting fitter by the day.
Without the correct training a 10K run? There was no way.
So my friend suggested a personal trainer based here on the Coast.

If I joined their runners’ eight-week plan maybe a 10K I could then boast.

So, with my personal trainer, and boot camps through the week.

I added on the running course. I tell you it was no mean feat.
Many mornings up at 5am. Is that really a time to rise?
Some training sessions were really tough. The trainers I grew to despise!

I hurt my knee on a training run. That really set me back.
Physiotherapy sorted that out, and the day came around real fast.
I was feeling very nervous but my mind set got me through.
If I was going to achieve this goal of mine. I knew what I had to do.

As I ran downhill to Moffat Beach, the finish line in my view.
I saw my son waiting to run with me. Tears welled and then I knew.
I’ve really gone and done it! I’ve actually run 10K.
A goal I thought I would never reach I well achieved that day.

Happy running and until next time, please stay stroke safe.

Shelagh

Losing your identity after stroke

July 5, 2019July 5, 2019 Shelagh

Welcome back to my blog and even though it has been some time since I last wrote, I plan to be blogging more frequently, and I very much hope you enjoy what I have to say; so please feel free to share with others who may benefit from my words and perhaps leave me a comment as to what you would like to read.

In this blog, I would love to talk about the issue of losing your identity after stroke and specifically, the emotional side of stroke recovery. I was stirred to write this blog after receiving and reading a wonderful, insightful book about stroke identity (but I will come to that soon). Like many, I felt in the early days that my brain had been taken and replaced with one I did not want or even liked very much. I lost ‘me’ and so many parts of ‘me’ that I resented the person I was. My brain was slow and I had difficulty forming words and sentences. Bring on the depression and this made a great recipe for not being able to move forward with any form of positivity or focus. Does this resonate with my stroke survivor friends out there?

My brain worked in rhyme shortly after my stroke and this helped me enormously to deal with the emotions I was feeling; such as the frustrations, forgetfulness and often sad times I was going through. For those who have read some of my poetry from my book A Stroke of Poetry, one poem entitled: Who stole my brain? is a perfect example of some of the emotions I felt following my stroke and I know these feelings are experienced by many stroke survivors all over the world.

Perhaps this poem explains the seriousness of losing ‘me’ but a light-hearted touch upon the fact it is actually still OK to feel like this. As a Stroke Safe Ambassador, Motivational Speaker and passionate stroke advocate, I still campaign to have the voices heard of those who are struggling emotionally – what I refer to as one of the many invisible disabilities of stroke.

Now about this amazing book I mentioned and think we need a short drum role for the truly amazing Debra Meyerson and her recently published book Identity Theft – Rediscovering Ourselves After Stroke. I first connected with Debra, a former Stanford Professor, on Twitter some years ago, following her own severe stroke, as she was keen to conduct research with other stroke survivors. Many examples of those she has interviewed are featured in her book. Some, sadly, have not been able to accept their life changing stroke and thereby unable to move forward positively, but there are other examples of hope, inspiration and those who feel their stroke was meant to happen.

Debras story and her own stroke recovery is inspirational and this book was written to help others cope with the emotional part of any stroke recovery. It follows her severe stroke that left her physically incapacitated and unable to speak and covers in detail, the emotional journey of her recovery, including the fabulous, selfless support provided by her husband and children.

I had many tears reading this book as although I am lucky to have been left with no physical disability, my early stroke recovery identified so much with Debras words, emotions and ‘day to day’ feeling of being lost in a person you once were and is the first book where I truly felt connected to what I suffered. Debra was kind enough to send me additional books so if you feel this is something you would like to read, drop me a message and let’s share the love and inspiration from the amazing Debra E. Myerson PhD.

Thanks for reading and always be ‘stroke safe’

Shelagh

My FIVE Stroke Survivor tips

November 21, 2017 Shelagh

Hi everyone.

I was recently invited by the Stroke Foundation, to be the guest opening presenter at a Young Stroke Survivors Positive Recovery Think Tank, held here on the Sunshine Coast, near to where I live (lucky for me not having to travel!). I love to take part in these events and get joy in sharing my story about stroke and how I recovered from my post stroke depression though poetry, exercise and positive thinking.

I was asked by the Stroke Foundation to list FIVE tips that I would share with the audience. This was not difficult to do as I live by them daily. Please let me share them with you here…

TIP NO. ONE – Awaken each day and pull on those positive pants!

Sometimes we awaken tired, grumpy, or with our head full of the huge list of ‘jobs’ we have to do that day. Maybe the weather outside is a little miserable, cold, and the sun isn’t shining. I have to say that sometimes I awaken like that but then I clear my mind of the negative things and work out how I will get things done with a smile on my face and not a scowl. However you decide to start the day usually means it will end like that, so pull on those positive pants and meet the day with focus and determination.

TIP NO. TWO – Focus on what you CAN do, not what you cannot.

After my stroke, over four and a half years ago now, I failed to focus on what I COULD do. I wanted my ‘old’ life back and was sad and frustrated that I could no longer do the things I once did, or that my brain would not work the same way. My personal trainer and my lovely friend Melinda taught me this tip. I know that it seems easy me sharing this with you all, but it does work! Once I stopped looking back to what I could no longer do and focus upon sharing my poetry with everyone, and using my able limbs to walk, climb and run, I soon realised there were so many things I could do. It doesn’t have to be poetry or exercise, but find something that gives you joy and focus on that. Go on..give it a go!

TIP NO. THREE – Be grateful

Once again, this sounds like a very simple tip. It actually is. Even though we may have had the worst day in our week, or feel we’ve had a terrible day for a variety of reasons, there is always something to be grateful for. Your gratefulness could be simply for the gift of life, grateful that the sun shone and dried your washing, or that the bus arrived on time to take you to work. You may be grateful that you had movement in your limbs, that had not previously moved. Having a grateful heart makes us a better person. Go on, close your eyes and see what you are grateful for today. I bet you find something.

TIP NO. FOUR – Celebrate your successes, however small they may be

I feel we should all celebrate our achievements and focus upon the positive and the smallest of ‘wins’ can change our mood and make us feel happy. I have a stroke friend who was recently able to tie his shoe laces. This task has taken months and we all celebrated this huge achievement with him. Can you remember when your child first walked or talked, or even tied their own laces? How excited were you for them?

Many stroke survivors have the smallest of goals to work towards so its important to celebrate these when they reach them. What’s your goal or something you have achieved recently?

TIP NO. FIVE – Love and live your life every single day

For those of you that follow my blogs, either on my website, on my Facebook page or on Enableme, then you will know how passionate I am about living my life to the full. Yes, I often do too much and my post stroke fatigue kicks in, but it doesn’t stop me. I love being outdoors, I love exercising by the ocean and in nature and spending time with family and friends just having fun. This year, I have added some slower, more mindfulness sessions to my life such as Tai Chi/Qi Gong and Yoga. Here on the Sunshine Coast I practice these in a beautiful environment at The Farm or with Dani. Perhaps find these slower forms of exercise that give time for just ‘you’ and share them with us.

I am not saying that you should follow these five tips, BUT they work for me and even if you haven’t had a stroke or a life changing illness, perhaps being more mindful about how you live your life isn’t such a bad thing. is it?

As always,

Stay healthy and happy.

Much love

Shelagh

Post stroke fatigue – it’s still what it is!

November 1, 2017November 1, 2017 Shelagh

POST STROKE FATIGUE

It just hits me like a freight train! Little warning and BAM! I bet many of my stroke followers feel the same.

I wrote a blog a few months ago about Post Stroke Fatigue but have rehashed it due to the fatigue I have felt this week. Nothing much has changed this year with my fatigue, but I am still glad to say that as time goes on, although the stroke fatigue comes ‘a calling’….I do seem to recover better than I did at first. Always keep positive and hope that this little video puts your stroke fatigue into perspective and helps others understand that there is little you can do about it other than deal with it when its there.

Please let me know how you cope (or not) as may be the case.

Take care.

Shelagh

Procrastinators – read this NOW!

August 7, 2017August 7, 2017 Shelagh

How many procrastinators do we have among us? I am standing tall with my hand firmly raised in the air, shouting “YES!” I am one of them. Not all the time, but certainly enough on some days where it greatly affects what I get done.

It’s Monday morning and I write my list of goals/actions/intentions to get me through the week. Up until a few weeks ago, my list used to be so long, I would have never got through it in a month, let alone a week. The list seemed daunting and I chopped and changed from one task to the next. Sometimes it became so overwhelming that I found other ‘useful’ things to do. By not getting through the dreaded list meant what I had to do was even more overwhelming..and so on. This attitude also reminds me of my son’s homework schedule!

I saw a post from another network site this morning about her procrastination and although this blog isn’t stroke related, it made me realise that perhaps I was blaming my lack of focus and procrastination about blogging on my stroke fatigue, and confusing brain. I seem to have deliberated so long about what to ‘blog’ that it has been almost three months since I posted a new blog. Time to make amends!

There is a famous saying: “Procrastination is the thief of time” (Edward Young), as my younger sister Patricia quoted to me not many weeks back. This got me thinking that so many of my Facebook posts and information could easily be turned into blogs, so, from now on, I will certainly try and procrastinate less, and just get on with it! My lists are starting to feature only 3-5 major tasks in the week and I am at last getting things done.

Here are 9 tips courtesy of www.unstuck.com). Have a read and let me know how you go.

Remind yourself that there’s always more to be done than can be done. Then ask yourself if you’re getting the right things done.
Make a smart to-do list by including only the items that you’re avoiding, not the ones you know you’ll do anyway. Then set deadlines.
Break the task down to lessen the sense of being overwhelmed. Once you start to enjoy an accomplishment or two, you’re more likely to keep going and finish.
Eliminate temptation to do something else. (Facebook being a HUGE distraction for many
Bargain with yourself. If you finish the business plan now, you can go to the movies later.
Focus on the success you will achieve and the joy you will feel.
Come up with a consequence that will deter you from avoiding the task. If you don’t make dinner at home twice a week, you can’t go out on the weekend.
Ask someone to help you complete the task.
Make your intentions public. This will add pressure, but for some of us, avoiding embarrassment is the mightiest motivator.

Until the next time…have a wonderful week and procrastinate no more!

Stay healthy and happy

Shelagh

Stroke fatigue – it is what it is!

May 18, 2017 Shelagh

I decided to publish this blog about post stroke fatigue because even though I am four years’ post stroke, I still get that feeling, quite unexpectedly, that I have been hit by a very fast freight train! For those who do not fully understand the fatigue suffered by stroke survivors, it is not like “Oh, I must close my eyes for a few minutes as I feel tired,” sort of feeling but it is an all-consuming fatigue that takes over your body and mind. Your limbs ache and throb, your migraine starts and you just cannot function and need quiet and rest. This fatigue can last for hours, days and sometimes weeks, dependent upon the person and their fatigue. To fully understand this fatigue, please watch this video prepared by the Stroke Foundation as it helps put things into perspective. Many of my close friends and family did not fully understand the fatigue I suffer until they watched this video.

As most of you know, I no longer ‘work’, as in paid employment but I am involved in a number of projects. Over recent weeks, I have been busy organising a Pop-up Book Shop, marketing my book A Stroke of Poetry, sending email information for my Stroke Safe Ambassador presentations, and conducting the presentations. I’ve been interviewed for articles in local magazines, Sunshine Coast Daily and taken part in a local radio interview. Also, as Vice President of the Vintage Calendar Girls Inc., I have been working hard helping with the administration, strategic planning, photo shoots and recently flew to Sydney with the VCG team to photograph Kochie, the Sunrise presenter, with our two lovely VCG ladies. Wow! I think I’m tired reading that! I tried to keep up with my running schedule but sadly, that fell by the wayside as I could feel my fatigue creeping in!

Two weeks ago, that all familiar freight train decided to stop at my station and linger a little too long for my liking, so I made the decision to cancel some arrangements and take a few days rest and now, seem to have bounced back. My husband, David, commented that a couple of years ago, I could only keep going at a moderate pace for 3 to 4 days before I crashed, and it would take a week at least to get me back on my feet. When you put it into perspective, then clearly my fatigue is improving, it’s just perhaps poor management on my behalf.

Many stroke survivors ask me how to manage fatigue and will it ever leave me? Having read this blog, I don’t think I am the best role model and believe it is something I have to live with and limit the number of projects I become involved with. As someone who likes to be on the go constantly, this is very hard for me and learning to say ‘No’ I find difficult. As David succinctly put it…”We need you too so please take care of yourself” and self-management is utterly important to avoid crashing and having to rest for days after. I take the view “It is what it is” and although it provides such limitations, it is here to stay.

For further advice from the Stroke Foundation, hop onto Enableme, as they have a host of amazing tips, blogs from other stroke survivors and some podcast information.

Please let me know what your advice is and how you manage your own fatigue and maybe I can share it around. Perhaps I can learn a few things myself. So, if you see me in an exhausted heap, just give me a hug, buy me a coffee and that will be the start to feeling better.

As always, stay healthy and happy.

Much love

Shelagh

Happy New ‘Stroke’ Year

January 31, 2017January 31, 2017 Shelagh

2017 is here! Tomorrow will already be the month of February, so I thought it about time that I wished all my followers a Happy New ‘Stroke’ Year. My last blog was October 2016 and the lack of posting was due to being busy and illness and fatigue towards the latter part of last year. I had a very busy 2016 and I needed rest to regain my health and fitness.

Saying that, after a superb Christmas, we sailed on the ‘Ovation of the Seas’ to New Zealand where I had a wonderful relaxing time with my family and lots of friends. We enjoyed the New Year at sea and upon our return, I spent some valuable, quality time with my 15 year old son Patrick (photo taken on one of our stops in NZ). I can honestly say that I am now raring to go (perhaps at a slower pace than last year!) for what I am certain will be an interesting and successful 2017.

The last major event of last year was the Pop up Book Shop, co-organised with my good friend Mary Barber, Tamarind Book Club. It was held at Caloundra Power Boat Club, on 6 November 2016, and we hosted 32 self published author tables. There was excellent feedback from those that attended in addition to our wonderful local authors who had the opportunity to sell their books.

This photo is of myself at the Pop up Book shop and the delightful, sprightly author, Joan Benbow, who was our oldest author at the event. I have provisionally booked an ‘Author Talk’ at the residential complex where Joan resides and very much look forward to meeting her and her friends once again. Although the Pop up Book Shop was a tremendous success, not only for the authors, but for the local community, it was immensely time consuming and we have decided that we will not host another Pop up Book Shop this year. I have recently created a Facebook group; Self-Published Authors, Sunshine Coast which I hope will bring together current self-published authors who reside on the Sunshine Coast, and also welcome new authors, where we can share our successes, our events and other helpful advice to help us in our writing journeys. If you are a Sunshine Coast self-published author, please ask to join our group. I may be involved in other Pop up Book events on the Coast so please ‘Like’ my Facebook page to stay in touch with what’s happening this year.

During December last year, I visited Brisbane and undertook some ‘Stroke Safe’ training with the Stroke Foundation, but due to illness, I was unable to complete the course. In early February, I am delighted to say that I will be returning to Brisbane to complete the necessary training and then be a fully fledged Stroke Ambassador. This title will then qualify me to not only speak about my stroke, my book, A Stroke of Poetry but I will be delivering the ‘stroke safe’ message to community groups on the Sunshine Coast and further afield if required. This is a purely volunteer role and I am once again delighted to assist the Stroke Foundation in educating everyone about Stroke. If you would like me to visit your health organisation, stroke group, school or any association on the Sunshine Coast, please email me at shelagh@astrokeofpoetry.com.

I was thrilled with the results of the Christmas competition (and judging by the photos my recipients were thrilled too!) as two lovely, very worthy ladies, were the lucky winners of a signed copy of my book and a hand made Christmas card. Lovely Jo Male, who I recently got to know during 2016, whilst involved with the 2016 Vintage Calendar Girls Calendar and Christina Malfitana, one of my ‘on line’ stroke friends from Queensland were very happy when my book popped through their letterbox just before Christmas.

As always, I will continue with the marketing and sales of my book, which can be purchased on line, or at some local book stores on the Coast and I can still post out signed copies if required. Following the success of my Christmas Special last year, and as Easter eggs are already in the supermarkets, I am offering an Easter Special which includes a reduced price, signed and gift wrapped book and a hand made Easter card, so order early. Please hop onto my website for the various ways you can purchase a book.

As I sign off until next months blog, as always, please stay healthy and happy.

Much love

Shelagh

The Rotary Club support ‘A Stroke of Poetry’

August 26, 2016September 5, 2016 Shelagh

“Inspiring”

“Motivating”

“I was truly enthralled with your story”

“I love that you want to make a difference”

These were all wonderful comments made to me after my stroke presentation to The Rotary Club of Caloundra last week.

For those of you that have met me or heard me talk, you will know that I LOVE to talk. I love to talk about anything and everything. Since my stroke, I am still troubled with ‘sensory overload’ and talking for too long, in busy, noisy places, with too many people and other such factors, affect my brain and give me headaches and bring on my fatigue. However, talking about my stroke, my book and presenting to groups of people who are interested in listening to my story, I seem to do OK and it makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

When I presented to my son’s school, as part of the Womens International Breakfast event in March this year, one mum, the lovely Julianna was so inspired by my stroke story, that she wanted me to present to her local Rotary Club at one of their weekly breakfast meetings. I was extremely honoured to do so, to a gathering of around 35 people who greeted me with such warmth and positivity.

What a superb group of people who, themselves, inspire me with their motivation to do such good in our community. I sold ten books and although I donate $2 of all book sales to the Stroke Foundation, I matched that for the Rotary Club and they were certainly thrilled with that! This photo is of myself and Rotary Chairman for the day, Arnoldo Mendez, who gave me a very warm and kind introduction.

So…that takes me to this last week…following on from my presentation last week, I have been quite ill.

I do suffer with fatigue but having not been able to shift the horrid feeling of weakness, aching and lacking in energy, I decided to visit the Doctors who advised I may also have some sort of virus. Blood test results await! It made me seriously think about all the stroke survivors who suffer each and every day with chronic post stroke fatigue and are unable to function. I feel lucky enough to have only this temporary feeling but it was not until my friends watched a video that they truly understood how fatigue can be so disabling. The Stroke Foundation regularly publish literature and videos to assist those stroke survivors, carers, family and friends to help them understand about stroke. This video about fatigue hits the spot. Please take time to watch it and it may provide an insight into fatigue. As my ‘Dory’ featured image shows, we just have to keep ‘swimming’ when things just don;t go to plan.

What’s in store for the weeks ahead?….

Being nominated as a finalist in the Creative Stroke Category of the 2016 Stroke Foundation Awards means I have been invited to a gathering next week of the finalists from Queensland and hope to meet other such inspiring people who have made a difference to others. Also, as National Stroke Week beckons (12-18 September), I have my ‘Fight Stroke’ pack and I am planning book signings at local book stores, presentations and hope to raise awareness about stroke and health. October brings not only Breast Cancer month, but World Stroke Day is on 29 October and there may be a little something being planned for that. I shall keep you posted on events as they happen.

As always, please stay healthy and happy.

Shelagh

A Stroke of Poetry

Poems of healing and hope after stroke.

Category: Fatigue

Know the FAST signs of stroke

Still running after stroke

Losing your identity after stroke

My FIVE Stroke Survivor tips

Post stroke fatigue – it’s still what it is!

Procrastinators – read this NOW!

Stroke fatigue – it is what it is!

Happy New ‘Stroke’ Year

The Rotary Club support ‘A Stroke of Poetry’