Where we are now…
I realised that there are lots of people reading the blog who don’t know what has happened to us. So now it’s time to update you.
Well, we came back from the Galapagos on the 24th March and the next day I went to an Acute Medical Unit at East Surrey Hospital. They were very good and I underwent two days of tests. Unfortunately they could find nothing wrong with me! All looks good (but obviously isn’t).
I was given new medication as the doctors in Ecuador thought that I must have had some kind of fit, they said the damage was too great to my brain and if I had had a stoke I would be paralysed. That wasn’t the view of the consultant here who said it is definitely a stroke (we agree) and took me off the anti convulsive medicines. It was lucky my brain is healthy and I’m “relatively” young so that I recovered incredibly quickly. In fact it only took a few minutes for one part of my brain to take over the role of moving hands, arms, speech etc that was being done by a part now damaged so that it will not regenerate.
Next test is on the 14th April to see if there is some kind of hole in my heart through which blood clots could pass. The other likely alternative is that I have sticky blood which clots easily. That is a better result as it can be treated with blood thinning drugs and not surgery…
Anyway, we are spending our time visiting family and friends who are being incredibly supportive and helpful as we are homeless at the moment. We are mainly staying at Joanna’s parents house, David and Sheila, who have been superb in putting us up (and putting up with us)!
The consultant at the hospital has advised that we do not go back to join the Rally. He suggests that we need a period of 6 months to do all the tests and settle on a medicine program which works. That leaves lots of questions to answer, but the last thing I want is to leave Joanna in control of a boat on her own with two little kiddies and a paralysed husband rolling around…
So we are unsure what we are going to do although we shall have to make decisions fairly quickly as children’s schooling for next term needs to be decided.
I am one of those that has been looking every day to see what you are going to do. I’m following your blog because I am also planning on buying a Discovery 55 to complete the BWR in. Stories like yours and Miss Tippy will make our planning that bit more thorough but will not put us off. I wish you and your family well and hope you retrieve ‘Roundabout’ without too much difficulty.
David, we join the rally in Fiji with 2-4 kids in a similar set up to you – we have been following your progress and very much looking forward to meeting the gang. (and sharig the babysitting so we could both enjoy some ‘grown ups’ functions!) So sorry that this has happened to you. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.
Guy & Simonne & kids
SV Laroobaa
David, thank you for the health ‘update’; I may need Dr.Sally to ‘translate’ some of it for me! What an awful lot of decisions you need to make in the near future, the mind boggles.
Much love to you all, Auntie Enid
Best wishes for a long term recovery and a return to sailing
John & Nicola(“Twizzle”)