At 11am, the Neuropsychologist arrived to see Karen. Karen had put her visit in the diary for the right time, but for a different week, so she was still fast asleep, completely oblivious to her arrival.

The NP and I had a chat first about kp, before I went to wake the dead.

kp:- I need a shower before I see her and I need to do my hair.
dp:- You haven’t got time to have a shower first, it’s not fair on X

So, Karen entered the room looking like “Tintin” with bouffante to match.

It was a good visit, and Karen and I both got a lot from it. One of the things that came up was how Karen felt she wasn’t the person she used to be. She feels she is slower and not as much fun. Well, she is slower, but she is just as much fun as always. The NP suggested the stroke might have also changed Karen for the better. She wanted Karen to ask key people in her life what is better about her since the stroke.

I was first.

kp (looking at me) :- What is better about me since the stroke ?
dp : Erm……………………………………………….

I felt like a deer stunned by a car’s headlights. I emerged from the stupor before it got embarassing and then I couldn’t be shut up.

The love and I karen share has got so much more intense than pre-accident, and we would have said then, that it couldn’t GET any more intense.

When Marie arrived, no sooner had she got through the door than she got the question. Marie couldn’t have been more spontaneous and told Karen how much more affectionate she is now. Karen never liked to be cuddled by family pre-accident, but now she does.

So, it was a good visit.

With the NP gone, we had a nice chat with Marie about her trip to Prague before going to the doctors for drugs and a sicknote.

Karen then wanted to go shopping to get some food in. Another one of her challenges she has set herself. I carried the basket (no change there !!!) and she shopped. I kept offering to get things that were tricky to reach, but she insisted she got them. She did really well.

When we got home, she packed the stuff away while I knitted with Marie in the front room. It all went well, until we heard an ALMIGHTY CRASH from the kitchen. Marie was up out of her seat before the noise finished, while all I could do was shout “ARE YOU OK ?”. (I was mid-line in my knitting and counting stitches too, so there was no way I was moving).

kp had dropped the 2 Litre milk carton. It didn’t burst so we’re ok. OH…and Karen is ok also

That’s it for today.