Good Morning from a very wet Norfolk Bank Holiday Monday after a glorious warm and sunny Easter Sunday. We had a great day with friends yesterday doing nothing more than chatting eating and sitting. Slept 10 hours last night and have woken up still tired and feeling wiped out. So annoying.
I am almost 6 months post stroke and still hobbling around the house using a stick. I cannot imagine ever being able to walk without using a stick which is very depressing. How on earth do people graduate to managing to walk without help?
Coffee has just arrived courtesy of my wonderful husband - how I wish I could do such simple jobs.
Sorry for the moans - its one of those days.
Hope everyone has a good day - Janet
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Hi Janet the sun is trying to get out here today, I had high hopes for the weather over the weekend but it wasn’t to be though Friday was lovely, warm and sunny. Still British weather, always gives us something to talk about 
It’s annoying when fatigue hits, we have to roll with the punches now, conversations and get togethers can be tiring, more than we realise, you’ll get more resilient as time progresses 
just be a little patient with yourself.
Hopefully your balance and strength will improve, keep up with the physio it all helps.
Enjoy that coffee, best wishes
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Sun??!!! It’s dreadful here. Raining non stop. Thanks Mahoney for your help. Just feel that Im stuck at the moment getting no further on. It doesn’t help that my wrist is in plaster either but hoping that willbe off in about 10 days. Janet
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Fingers crossed for you getting the plaster off 
Oh dear sorry about the rain 
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I have found that I can manage sometimes to get around without sticks in the safety of my own home. This is because my home is quite compact and I use everything around me for support, eg, furniture, door frames and work tops. Also living by myself I dont have to consider the movement of other people (my brain cannot coordinate movement I see in front of me).
Maybe you could try something similar if you think you would be safe enough in your own home?
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Hi Janet, I’m 6 years post stroke and use a walking stick outside but I try not to use my stick at home. I first tried walking without my stick when I was having private physiotherapy at home. I manage to get around our bungalow quite well using various things, ie furniture, worktops etc. to steady myself if I need it. I feel that I have improved my walking over time, although I’m sure a physiotherapist would probably say different 
. I’m sure you will feel more confident when your plaster has been removed. I do find that some days I walk quite well and then the next day not so good. Very strange and very annoying. As is everything stroke related.
Weather awful here in Kent today hasn’t stopped raining all morning.
Regards Sue
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Yes Sue the plaster has set me back many weeks and I know once the plaster is off I will need weeks of more physio to get the hand working again. That are is the side of my body that was affected by the stroke and I was just getting the hand working again when I fell. Grrrrrrrrt!
Think I could manage the kitchen walking without a stick but our lounge is too big I’m sure. However better not try yet as I couldn’t cope with another broken bone!
@Apple hopefully in time you will build up stamina and will suddenly feel able to give walking without a stick a try. You’ve had a set back which has knocked your confidence a bit i think.
I was very unsteady on my feet initially but i resisted a stick…much to the physios disgust. I moved around using the furniture for support. Then i progressed to a few steps without tye furniture but with it close enough so if I felt wobbly I could hold on. Then i started a walk along the hall…stairs were half way so i could take a seat if I needed too. It took me 12 months to build the confidence to try walking in the lane. I still stumble but manage to kerp upright mainly. I sometimes take a golf umbrella for support.
Try building your core strength as this will help you stay upright if you do stumble. Use Google to find some exercises.
Good luck & take care.
P.s. it’s horrid here today too.
Hi Mrs5K. Yes you are right about the fall and broken wrist knocking my confidence. It’s really got me terrified I will fall again and break a leg or hip. The trouble is my foot turns over even though I’ve had a splint on it. Nothing seems to help so I tend to creep around. Hope work is going well for you. Thank goodness I retired years ago!
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Sunnyday. I wish I knew how people graduated from a stick to walking on their own but I can’t ever imagine being able to walk without a stick. Like you the idea that this stick will be an essential part of the rest of my life fills me with horror! Janet
@Apple i wonder if you could think of your walking stick as your bid for freedom. If it means you can get out & about then that is better than being stuck inside ? Many people use them to improve their confidence but it is also a visual aid for others so they know you might need more space or more time. I know it shouldn’t matter but when i go out without my orthotic I find people get frustrated with me being in their way. When I wear my orthotic they can see i have a problem & they are more patient.
Just a thought xx
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3:35 and the sun is finally trying to break through, been pouring down all day today and I had plans for the garden 
By doing lot’s of cruising the furniture, walls and door frames that’s how 
How do you think babies do it. And you are sounding just like you’re itching to be off…just like a baby on the brink of crawling
If you want it badly enough you do it yourself not as and when you’re fatigue allows you to or feels like it. I have my whole family at home with me, hubby, son and daughter and all are well able to everything for themselves and me too if I aloud it.
So what you need to be asking yourself is, what would you do to fend for yourself if you were alone on a deserted island in your current state. And the first thing you’d want to do is get off that walking stick a.s.a.p. because 2 hands are better than one…unless one of those hands is your stroke hand, in which case you definitely need to get off the stick because 1 hand is better than no hands 
To me, one hand means twice the number of journeys, double the fatigue.
But while you’ve no hands, because of your broken wrist, this is all just food for thought, a bit of inspiration for the future when your broken wrist is free…which is not long now 
Though you would still need to be very cautious as the bones will still be very weak, just newly knitted together, you don’t want to risk putting too much pressure on too soon I’m afraid.
My Osteopath recommended one of these many years ago to help target the pressure points of muscle tension. I’d totally forgotten about it tucked away in the back of a cupboard 'til a few weeks ago. I’ve now used it a few times on my stroke leg, digging in and running down the sciatic nerve path from base of spine to knee, around knee, down outside to ankle and a few spot around there and sole of foot. Also some very tense spot on shoulders and down spine.
Anyway, that seems to have brought on some positive results for my drop foot the past few days, in that it’s not been dropping! There is some hint of it wanting to revert back so I will be having another go with it.
Using the hook as I do, does leave you feeling a little battered and bruised for a few days afterwards (just like after a sports physio session) so it’s not until that settles down before you start feeling the benefit.
Chin up and keep going, stay positive and focused on your upcoming freedom
That is how I felt 5 years ago when I was still employed and I was attempting to get back to work. Having a stick gave me the opportunity to try working again (the fatigue eventually beat me and I had to take early retirement).
Since then I usually use 2 sticks when going out and I also have a rollator that gives me even more flexibility to go a bit further from home. My walking aids are quite normal to me now and do give me some freedom to remain independant.
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Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to reply to my moans and give me such good advice. I am the eternal pessimist but will try to look on the bright side a bit more. Certainly the broken wrist hasn’t helped and also the fact that I have been told I need to see a specialist at the hospital regarding my foot that turns over and caused my fall but then said I am unlikely to get an appt before September. What else could I break in the next few months?! Have tried to go privately but with no luck. However onwards and upwards. Emerald Eyes that hook looks a lethal piece of equipment! Pleased it appears to be helping though and yes Mrs5K I will think of my stick as a passport to life outside as indeed it is. Hope everyone has had a good Easter weekend and seen some sunshine 
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@Apple great advice always look on the bright side of life( I feel a song coming on from Monty python) then whistle. hope you feeling a bit better and the others advice is great about the stick. Keep going onwards and upwards 
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