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Thursday, 8 February 2001 - breaking the news Although Ross is the fittest man I know, he had a stroke two weeks ago.
We were training on our tandem Zippy2 in Parramatta Park. We had no idea it was coming because Ross was so fit he never went to a doctor or had a blood pressure check. He cannot move down his right side, but he is young and strong so I'm sure he can recover if he works hard. Whatever happens, the most important thing is that he is still himself. He's really motivated to get better so we can still cycle across Australia, next year perhaps. Maybe I'll need to learn to steer so I can be in the front! Although I prefer just pedalling and indicating.
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Sunday, 11 February 2001 - talking in sentences
We live in hope with changes in the future. Because of stroke. It knocked me for a six. Hopefully I'll get good and become Zippy.
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20 February 2001 - learning to steer
Rehab's started. This is day 1 of the rest of my life.
My OT (Occupational Therapist) brought me a left-hand drive three-speed wheelchair.
"I'll be a P-Plater in 20 minutes". In ten minutes I was doing U turns and three point turns and occasionally crashing into the walls.
I really miss riding the tandem with Ann. I know I'll be back at some stage but I have to be slow and steady.
Today for the first time I wiggled my toe.
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 21 February 2001 - making progress in rehab
Ross started rehab on Tuesday. It's incredible how much progress he's made in just a few days. Every day when I come to see him he has some new miracle to show me. Yesterday he showed me that he can almost lift his knee, and he's been able to move it from side to side for a couple of days now. He can also move the first finger on his right hand slightly up. Yesterday one of the patients - Chris - walked. It was a very emotional moment for everyone, and Ross felt really privileged to share it. Chris also had a stroke, and is pretty young - he looks like he is only in his thirties.
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 7PM, 1 March - standing
Great news today. At 2.20 this afternoon I stood. I was standing normally locking my legs together for 8 seconds with some new muscle work. Donna my physiotherapist burst into song "we've done it" and we both high 5'd. We're going to try to take a step next week. They think I'll be ready to walk in five weeks. Big things are starting to happen. I'm feeling good. I'm bursting with information, my whole nervous system is regenerating, everything is coming very quickly. I realise how my future needs to be.
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10PM
Ross wants to design a 10-speed conversion for his wheelchair. Today Ross is officially tube free. I am so excited and so very very proud of him. His roommate John says he is an inspiration to the other patients and I can see that it is true.
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Mon, 5 Mar 2001
It makes Ross so happy that even people he hasn't met are out there helping him get well again. It makes him even more determined "to win". We will both get back on our tandem, we know it.
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Tuesday, 6 March
It has been really hard but I am just so glad that Ross didn't die. He is incredibly motivated to get back to even better than he was before and he keeps astonishing all his therapists and the other patients with his amazing progress. He is working so hard, like a super athlete training for the Olympics, except magnified a million times and repeated 24 hours a day. I am very very proud of him, he is the strongest, bravest person I have ever met and I love him very much.
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Wednesday 7 March - first steps
This is a great day of sheer inspiration. I've done it. This is such an incredible buzz. While focussing completely on standing I was able to make normal steps left and right by myself. Once again it was high 5's - every day for the last three days. I'm getting better fast.
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Thursday, 8 March 2001
As of today I can stand every time I go to stand up. It's the most amazing thing and it looks like my future's going ahead nicely at the moment. I can move my arm to almost grasp a cup and I'll be walking and leaving soon.
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 Monday,
13 March - Stop Press: Ross walks
20m!!!
Today at 2.25 I walked up the centre of the gym, pivoted, then with Donna's guidance walked up the other. "Awesome" said Donna. "I'm rapt" I said. I sat down, we hugged, high 5'd, and smiled and laughed.
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Wednesday, 14 March
I was physically exhausted today. Apparently the leg after six weeks decided "I am a leg again". Sometimes it takes a while to get going. My leg twitched a bit through the night so after a hard day with lots of weights I was pretty exhausted. Looking forward to tomorrow.
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Friday, 23 March - talking to the nerve centres
I'm beginning to understand the idea of walking. I have to physically do the walking as we do day to day, but transmit it through my paralysis. In some ways, I have to talk to the nerve centres of the brain. I believe in the future I will walk like a man, it is just a small matter of time.
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Monday, 26 March - walking every day
I'm walking every day, gradually refining each step. It is quite different, trying to think of the nervous system reconnecting piece by piece as you actually join muscle to muscle. It usually takes a few goes mentally before you can dial them in. But when you have succeeded you have achieved a small victory that sets you up for the next one, hour by hour, day by.
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Tuesday & Wednesday 27 & 28 March - Arnold Rossanegger
I am definitely getting stronger. In two hours I'm trying to do at least 600 squats on my right hand or stroke side. It certainly makes you sweat! Over the week, we will try to increase the calf muscle on the stroke side. Roll on Arnie Swarzenegger!
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Friday, 30 March - left means right is wrong
The neuro-psychologist, Luke, said despite the right hand side of my brain being sound and perfect, the left hand side has major problems. Basically, these areas include language, memory, concentration, physical movement and peripheral vision! Nothing to concern us about!
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Monday, 2 April
Monday is always hard bombing the leg muscles straight after a relaxing weekend. I miss Ann when this happens as well. Tomorrow I walk to the gym and will go down the stairs with Donna. I am nervous but sometimes you have to be totally trusting.
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Tuesday, 3 April - stairs
I walked down the stairs like a normal person using my own muscles. It gave me another sense of accomplishment. Donna and I did about 120m of walking, trying to perfect the front foot - it needs more practice.
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9-12 April - walk, walk, walk
Three weeks to go! I'm looking forward to going home after so many weeks. It's coming up to eleven weeks this weekend. My walking this week changed quite significantly. When I slowed the walking down I sometimes walked completely naturally. I was very excited and spent hours each night walking along the handrails of the bedrooms - I was there probably for two hours a night until completely exhausted.
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Fortnight to 29/4/01 - in the swim
I've got one week to go - fantastic - May 4. My walking has changed again - more calf strength and the heel striking a little earlier than present. I'm feeling much more confident with my walking now, but I've added a new dimension - a personal trainer! It's Andrew's job to whip me into shape, or at least to aid me in this fairly long recovery. It was the last week for me with the wheelie but Andrew decided the best thing to do was to get stuck in so we went to the swimming pool. It was great being able to try all different types of movements under the heated water - as well as doing laps running and kicking up and down the pool wearing a flotation belt.
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Friday, 4 May 2001 - back home
I'm back home at 4.15 this arvo. It's so great to be a normal person at home again and now it's time to get into the hard work at home.
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Mid June 2001 - Ross pedals 1km
We had some great break-throughs in
the last few days. Ross finally managed
to climb on my bicycle which we've
rigged up on rollers (my bike is better
than his because it has no cross bar).
Ross pedalled 1km last night. Needless
to say Ross is pretty fit! On Saturday
we walked the 2.5km to Parramatta
to catch the train to a friend's place.
I had to walk pretty fast to keep
up with him. Although he still has
a significant limp, his gait is much
smoother now and getting better all
the time.
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Later
Too
busy exercising to keep a diary
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National Stroke Foundation