Hospital bed

When I first came out of hospital, I first went into a hospital bed which was downstairs, it was downstairs from when I came out of hospital December 14th 2012, until at least a year.
There was no way of me getting up the stairs not until my stair lift, which took along time.
When eventually I could get upstairs, I stayed in my hospital bed, as my own bed at the time was to flat and gave me such a back ache, I was waking Scott all the time to be moved, as the hospital bed had a control to either lift feet lift back and feet and can go up and down.
After about 8 months, the physio Louise said that maybe I can try a bed lift, which would go on my own bed, but would not interfere with Scott, I would be able to go up and down without Scott, which I agreed to and it was great, so I went into my own bed, at first it was strange and I had to have pad things under my heels, as they got sore and pillows under my knees.
I eventually got use to it and had nothing extra, it was great, I was next to my husband again.
I have had 3 bed lifts now, the first one stopped working, the second one got a whole and did not let me have any control, it went up and down on its own, I not had any problems getting them, I just text Louise and she passes on to my OT Katie an a few days later it arrives.
Since I been in my own bed, I use to have my hospital bed weekends, but I now I stay in my own bed.

2 weeks after accident.

After I had my accident, which left my face a mess, two weeks later my face looked like my old self, here is a photo to show you how quick you can heal.

I look so much better, did have a few stitches on my lip, but now the stitches are out they came on the Monday after my accident 7 days.
The stitches in my mouth are dissolvable , its nice now because I can brush my teeth now, I did do my mouth with warm salted water and mouth wash, I did this after a few days, my mouth was very painful, it took about a week and a half to actually brush my teeth.
I look  totally different now.

No contol

I think my mouth has nerve damage, as I cant cough and my mouth is always on the go, I don't seem to have any control of what my mouth does, like coughing getting rid of any flem.
My tongue feels different, its mostly stiff, even when in my mouth, it sometimes wont relax at all.
I find when I have been crying, it gets all gluppy and I cant get rid of if, my mouth fills up and I cant spit, just have to try with my tissue.
How to explain my mouth, is it feels like I been sucking a sweet for ages.
It has got a lot better though, my mouth can blow out now and suck a straw and I can puff my cheeks out now, say my S's.
All this is new, they are things I could not do and since I have had my carer, I have been able to put on my own lipstick, I have no control over my emotions though, I might laugh for no reason and cry for no reason, it just happens I cant help it, I have no control at all it just happens.

Speeh/Mouth picec

At first when I had my stroke, a few months after, I had speech therapy, and they use to come round to my home, to check my speech and my swallow, at the beginning  I could not eat or drink and when I did eat my diet had be a soft diet and I found I could not eat much, like a few teaspoons of yogurt, that would be enough, but gradually got more and more.
I had to do a lot of speech exercises, which they would leave for me to do to improve my speech.
When it came to the time when I could almost eat anything, I had to have my food cut up unless it small enough and soft, it was nice as I could eat and drink anything, although my drinks needed 2 thickener, it took a long time for  me to have normal drinks, which I now do.
It took me a long time to get a lot of my sounds, even now I have problems, sometimes you can understand me sometimes its very hard, you need to be a good lip reader and get use to me.
As time went on my speech therapist said that she thought a Pallet lift would help, but unfortunately it had to be made privately, so we went ahead and got in touch with Mulbury practise for Dental 
Health and they agreed to make it, I had to go there for a fitting, at the time it felt ok, but I went to use it, it made me gag and I did not like it, what a waste of £500, it did work for opening my air ways
, but it not good for me.

Carers

When I had my stroke at beginning, everyone kept on saying about having carers come in, but both my husband and I thought better of it, we would be restricted to time and I did not want just anyone looking after me, I was a carer and I know how hard that is for the family.
So my husband with help from the girls, decided to do it them selves, which was hard but that's another story.
One day about 6 and without warning, there was a carer at the door, after I had all my needs for the day, asking if she could come in and see me, well my husband said "she has had everything done" also I had not even had a care plan done by any company, which we found quite strange, this woman had not known anything about me or what my needs were, so scott sent her away.
The next day I had a manager and the woman knock on the door for an easement, so my husband let them in, what a mistake, from the manager I got spoken to like I was stupid, I was in my wheelchair and he bent down to talk to me, it was as if he was talking to a baby, my husband was disgusted and asked them to leave, that certainly made our minds at this point.
I asked my friend Carol to help, so she does 16 hours a week and we get on well and its someone I now and everyone else knows.
Having Scott and Carol has worked out well, she takes me on a Wednesday to either to see my mum or we go shopping, as she has a 5 hour slot.

Invisabe

I do sometimes feel like I am not here, as I do get people talking to my husband and ignoring me, a good way to explain this is, my husband has to always remind my son to say hello or goodbye and I have had a manager of Asda walk straight past me and talk to my husband," HELLO" I  am here, that's what I feel like saying, most family and friends are good, but it does so annoy me, I'm far from deaf and have got my own mind, I know its hard for me to communicate, but if people could just take the time, they would understand me.
If we have any sort of meeting, my husband normally says "don't forget Debi is here" and they do listen, it just worries me that if my husband did not say I would be ignored.
 I do feel very lonely if this happens, because I'm so here, but its as if  I am invisible, non existent, vanished.
Please take that extra time to either listen or to at least acknowledge me, I need just a bit longer.