As I said yesterday, Friday 13th July was the day Pete suffered a major stroke. He had none of the classic symptoms, all that alerted me that he was ill was the fact that rather than walk back from the bathroom, he lurched, and then when I spoke to him he seemed totally 'out of it'. I rang the doctor who immediately sent an ambulance but even the paramedics seemed puzzled, they took him to the
local A&E  where again heads were scratched. Eventually, after a process of elimination, he was admitted to the Stroke Unit. After a good weekend when movement wasn't too bad, although very little speech, on the Monday it all went downhill and he got very bad. On Wednesday he was transferred to Bideford Stroke Rehabilitation Unit with all the effects of a major stroke.  Right side paralysis, aphasia, dyspraxia and incontinence.  These were bad times trying to come to terms with it, but there are four major steps forward he has taken.  Firstly, we heard his voice (amazing) just making noises but at least it was still there, secondly , the day his catheter was removed was a big relief to us all (and he hasn't looked back), thirdly, the day I saw him walk, with the aid of a four pronged stick, very very slowly but at least up on his feet, and fourthly, the day he came home.
Bideford provided intense therapy and I cannot praise them enough for all the help and care they gave him. We had Goal Setting meetings every two weeks and I attended some physio sessions with him.  He also used an iPad a lot which was a great help. The speech therapist listed some apps which helped enormously and, as light relief, he played Angry Birds a lot. One app, Oral Motor, gives lots of mouth exercises and is of great benefit, we still go through them now.
My next post will talk about preparations for him coming home.