vivdunstan: Part of own photo taken in local university botanic gardens. Tree trunks rise atmospherically, throwing shadows from the sun on the ground. (Default)
2022-11-07 07:21 pm

Undoubtedly flaring

I’m undoubtedly neurologically flaring again, for the 6th time after a Covid vaccine. Fortunately no terrifying headaches yet, and my limb control is still pretty good. But I’m having an enormous problem battling sedation - it feels constantly as though the shutters are closing down on me. And my bladder control is appalling. Not a good combination to be dealing with. But comfortable as can be. This will probably get worse before it gets better - it’s very likely, for example, that I’ll start getting horrific headaches. And it’s all likely to last for 3 months.
vivdunstan: Photo of my 72 bass accordion (accordion)
2022-06-13 11:20 pm

More accordion musings

One really lovely thing about my accordion practice this afternoon is my right hand - and specifically my fingers - was cooperating really well. This is the hand that plays the melody on the piano keyboard side of my accordion. When I had a huge cerebral vasculitis relapse in 2004 (effectively a stroke) I was suddenly a lot weaker down my right side, and falling over a lot to that side. I regained a lot of hand/finger control by teaching myself an enormously difficult piano tune over the next 12 months. But many years on I'm still weaker down that side than I'd like. And especially during disease flares/relapses. A year or so ago I was very sad about it, fearing I was losing the ability to play completely. Well things are looking a bit better at the moment! I still have other neurological things to contend with accordion wise, like light headedness, falling asleep mid play (!) and losing my usually automatic bellows control. But honestly it's so much better than it might have been. So I expect I should be able to enjoy playing my accordions for some years to come. Which is just lovely.
vivdunstan: Photo of me from Melrose Grammar School plus NHS thanks (nhs)
2022-05-08 09:31 pm

Impending 5th Covid vaccine

I’ve my 5th Covid vaccine coming up on Wednesday. It is very likely - well almost certain - I will flare neurologically again after it. I have after the previous 4 Covid vaccines. If so that will probably wipe me out almost totally for another 3 months, starting about a week after my vaccine on Wednesday. So this is probably my last week of a bit of respite - a bit cos I’m often waking up late afternoon even in this brief respite phase I’ve been in since the start of April. I may seem bonkers putting myself through this repeatedly with the vaccines. But they could save my life. My neurological flares I can recover from, even if it takes 3 months each time. It is also very likely I will get a 6th Covid vaccine in the autumn ...