Dear LPG readers, 

So much has been learnt about the importance of including sufficient vitamins in our diets, and getting supplements from a bottle or jar is big business these days. We know that vitamins are essential, but the food we eat today often lacks them, and many Western nations are turning to pills and potions to get what we need.  

I read with interest a recent post which was written by the friend of a person who has had what sounds like a pretty severe stroke (►►►).    Perhaps it resonated with me because I, too, have a friend recovering from one.  The difference is that while my friend is also recovering slowly, I can see its negative effect on her morale.  LA mentioned that her friend has good and bad days, but my friend seems to have more worse than good ones. 

Reading between the lines of the article I mentioned, I noticed that they have quite a bit in common. My friend also lives alone and sees few people apart from her caregivers and the occasional visitor. Even with the PIP benefit she recently received, which supplements her income, I can see that her situation is getting her down. 

It occurred to me that she may be depressed and suffering from a very justified attack of SAD.  I have heard about it before, and the supplements are available to help.  There are those very bright lamps you can get, but a look online informed that there is no real substitute for a bit of time spent under the sun in the fresh air. 

One day, not so long ago, she mentioned how nice it would be to get out of her home for a bit, and it occurred to me that she had not been out for months.  

The answer had to be a wheelchair so that a few of her friends could, at least, push her to the local park now and then, but while buying a wheelchair was going to be more than she was going to be able to afford, I also thought that she might decide to depend on it too much rather than continue to let her leg get better if she felt that it was hers for life. I don’t think she appreciated just how well the function of her non-functioning leg is slowly returning.  

A look on the internet revealed an NHS wheelchair service, and we could have applied for one months ago if only we knew.  You have to start by getting your GP to make the application; we have now done that.   She will need to visit them for an assessment process, but they can provide transport, and even knowing we are making some progress has lifted her spirits a little.  

Unfortunately, the service is out there, but no one had the time to tell her.  Perhaps circumstances are to blame…

1.     My friend’s stroke has left her with limited sight (even if she got a letter or a text, it is more than likely that she would have missed it) 

2.    Everything takes time (she has tripped a couple of times trying to get to the phone and learnt the hard way not to hurry)

3.    She, too, has minimal movement in her other hand (this means that she often misses calls)

4.     Her memory is not what it used to be (she would have been likely to have forgotten to mention it even if she was told)

I am writing it all down because there might be other stroke victims who don’t know about something that would make so much difference to anyone who finds themselves in a similar position (friend, carer or sufferer).

The application process is quite long, but I can see the difference the anticipation of getting out of the house has given her.

It is a small step for some but can mean so much to others. We have even planned what will be in the sandwich we take on our first trip to the park up the road… 

VF, Deptford.

While one bit of internet evidence is far from conclusive, VF found and shares the following…

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