any experience of strokes ?

beccam

Glad all sounds good and he seems to be doing well Daisy, just be sure to remember about you in it all too!!

Remember to check all your policies too for mortgage cover, life insurance/critical illness things aswell as the carers/attendance allowance. If there is a social worker in the hospital they should be able to help you with knowing what you are entitled to claim and also give you forms for things like DLA/Blue badge for parking etc.

The memory/word recall can last for awhile and can often be one of the longer lasting complications, my FIL was recovered with virtually no physical effects but could not get the right words for things and we had to learn that "the Queen" was actually the cat and "the wee girl" was me! There were a few he just couldn't get but it was all worked out with time and patience.

Hopefully the BUPA will be OK, it's not your fault the company are changing after all and I'd say they are probably getting enough from your husbands work to cover his payouts!! Check if you need to get the claim forms stamped or signed when he's in hospital, I know I've had to do a few for people and sometimes they have a time limit on getting them done.

take care and get a good rest.x

~daisy~_2

because my hub is going t be getting paid as normal - thankfully - i suspect i wont be entitled to anything - he earns around 50k ??

will they issue blue badges for stuff that may only be temporary ?

~daisy~_2

ps i should really have clicked my thanks as i went through this thread but never remember and tbh i now cba to go back but please rest assured you do all have my thanks xx

beccam

~daisy~ wrote: »

because my hub is going t be getting paid as normal - thankfully - i suspect i wont be entitled to anything - he earns around 50k ??

will they issue blue badges for stuff that may only be temporary ?

The blue badge can be issued on a temporary basis but do get the paperwork going as it can take awhile and even if he is back walking soon he might not be able to do longer distances for a longer time so worth getting.

No harm in asking social worker about benefits, you are probably right that his wage will rule you out of things but sometimes it works that you are entitled to a benefit but don't receive due to income, however being entitled to that benefit will help with other things either financially or by bumping you up the list (eg if adjustments needed to be made at home for shower/bath/steps/doors etc).


P.s don't think any of us will hold the no "thanks" against you!;)

Savvy_Sue

the other place to borrow equipment from short to medium term is the Red Cross, see if there is a branch near you where you can borrow things, we've helped a client at work borrow a wheelchair and they were great.

calleyw

beccam wrote: »

The blue badge can be issued on a temporary basis but do get the paperwork going as it can take awhile and even if he is back walking soon he might not be able to do longer distances for a longer time so worth getting.

In my local council area they don't issue temp ones and to get one in the first place you need to be getting DLA mobility higher rate with a back up from a GP. You can ask but I doubt it at the moment.

beccam wrote: »

No harm in asking social worker about benefits, you are probably right that his wage will rule you out of things but sometimes it works that you are entitled to a benefit but don't receive due to income, however being entitled to that benefit will help with other things either financially or by bumping you up the list (eg if adjustments needed to be made at home for shower/bath/steps/doors etc).

If the OP's husband is still getting paid then at the moment he will not be entitled to any government benefits. IB is a income replacement. And DLA can not be claimed until after you had care/mobility needs for 3 months and expect to have those needs for another 6 months. And you can't claim if you in hospital as you are having your care needs met.

If the OP have savings that often excludes from things as you are expected to pay things for yourself.

If he needs a wheel chair when he leaves hospital then NHS wheel chair services should provide one.

Also don't forget to ask the ward clerk for a sick note. As they would never just give you had to ask like you don't have enough to worry about. You will need these for work and any claim against insurances.

Yours

Calley

carlislelass

when mum had a stroke, family visiting was betweem 10am and 8pm... could stay as long as needed. was given a pass to eat cheaper in the restaurant. in time her speech was nearly normal though she learnt to do everything with her left hand.

~daisy~_2

hi all - well hub came home last wednesday and we were pretty stressed at thought but quite quickly developed a new routine and asked the enablement team to stop coming in - we didnt want a stranger washing and dressing cliff when i could give him the little bit of help he did need
had a new bannister fitted ready for physio and OT's to get working on that but when they arrived on monday thwy werent happy with his breathing - quite short of breath and severe pain in left side ( which was all there before discharge but xray looked clear )
long story short - phsyio and team not happy to progress like this so GP called and packed him back to hospital
today a CT scan confirmed a pulmonary embolism so cliff is now on heparin and warferin
so heres the thing - 2 clots in 3 weeks ? 1 causing a stroke 1 potenitally on its way ho his heart ? something more to this IMO but what ?
i think the stroke was a symptom of something thats causing cliffs blood to change but im no doctor
however doc did say its now going to be hard to find out why his blood has started clotting because of the medication to stop it clotting !!!

my mind is wandering to luekemia/cancer but i pray to god im just being alarmist.......

so 2 misses down - how many more to come ?

beccam

~daisy~ wrote: »

hi all - well hub came home last wednesday and we were pretty stressed at thought but quite quickly developed a new routine and asked the enablement team to stop coming in - we didnt want a stranger washing and dressing cliff when i could give him the little bit of help he did need
had a new bannister fitted ready for physio and OT's to get working on that but when they arrived on monday thwy werent happy with his breathing - quite short of breath and severe pain in left side ( which was all there before discharge but xray looked clear )
long story short - phsyio and team not happy to progress like this so GP called and packed him back to hospital
today a CT scan confirmed a pulmonary embolism so cliff is now on heparin and warferin
so heres the thing - 2 clots in 3 weeks ? 1 causing a stroke 1 potenitally on its way ho his heart ? something more to this IMO but what ?
i think the stroke was a symptom of something thats causing cliffs blood to change but im no doctor
however doc did say its now going to be hard to find out why his blood has started clotting because of the medication to stop it clotting !!!

my mind is wandering to luekemia/cancer but i pray to god im just being alarmist.......

so 2 misses down - how many more to come ?

Daisy, I'm no specialist and it's been a long time since I worked in Stroke care or haematology BUT it is not uncommon to get 2 clots like this.....basically one could have been an off shoot of the other...i.e the clot on the brain had a bit break off and make its way to the lung OR there was a clot on the lung that a bit broke off and caused the stroke (less likely). Also the fact that his normal active, healthy routine has been stopped while he basically lay in bed for a couple of days and didn't walk much means he is more likely to develop a clot which could be on the lung (like he has) or could have been like a DVT (clot in leg, common on long haul flights etc)

Did they do a whole body scan or just the chest CT? If he's still in I'm sure they will observe for signs of other clots, if he's home I hope they gave some advice re circulation and avoiding clots in legs??

Normally things like cancer/leukemia have the opposite effect in that the blood count drops making clotting harder and the blood thinner (bruising would be common for example)
Try not to worry, for a previously very healthy man a high blood count (haemoglobin) would be normal but when his normal routine has been disrupted this high haemoglobin will mean a thicker blood more likely to clot.

I'm glad he has made good progress and is able to do things for himself, there will be set backs along the way but you will all get through it.

~daisy~_2

thx beccam - trouble is hes still on a horrendous asessement unit / halfway house type thing - that is so busy that patients arent getting the proper care they need
sort of place where you read about ppl being left on trolleys in a corridor for 6 hours
whilst i understand about ppl in bed developing clots i thought because they were so aggressive on the stroke unit and having him up and around so quickly this wouldnt be the case but yes i guess its a consideration
im certainly no doctor just want to try and arm myself with enough laymans knowledge so i can ask the questions i need to to make sure cliff is getting ALL the tests and treatment that can and will help him

all opinions welcome xx