Leaving the forum for a while.

[Neverenoughwatches]

Hi everyone, I've been here two years now almost to the day and have loved every minute of it. During this time I've connected with folk that have suddenly disappeared leaving me sad and wondering why they left and what happened to them, its now my time to leave for a while. But first i want to thank everyone for all the help, advice and banter over the last two years I've met some incredibly kind and amazing guys. My time has become limited and precious, so watchrepair and visiting the forum is taking a backseat for the moment, although i may pop in occasionally when i have time. This is due to a personal life change regarding my 87 yr old mum who had a stroke on Sunday. My learning here is on hold while i do some teaching of my own, helping my mum to talk and communicate again . Thanks again for making my time here so enjoyable and i hope to join you all again soon. Take care and look after yourselves, make every minute of the day count, time is so precious x.

[RichardHarris123]

Sorry to hear about your mum and it's sad to see you go but you have other priorities.  

[Delgetti]

All the best for you and your mum. 

[rehajm]

Best of luck to your family…

[oldhippy]

How very sorry Neverenoughwatches to hear about your mum. I have always enjoyed your posts and knowledge and I will miss you. Please keep in touch and let us know how your Mum is recovering. Take very good care and I wish you both good luck.  

[ManSkirtBrew]

So sorry to hear about your mum, but glad she has you ready to step up and help her recover.

All the best, and we'll see you when you're back.

[watchweasol]

Hi @Neverenoughwatches sorry to hear about your Mum, only 7 older than me. Enjoyed the chats and look forward to your return when things get better. I might give you a blast now an then so keep the channel open.

[HectorLooi]

Hi @Neverenoughwatches, I will keep you and your Mum in my prayers.

A caregiver's job is a tough one. I have known nice little old ladies to undergo drastic changes in their demeanor after suffering a stroke. Patience and understanding is essential in all circumstances. 

Never lose your cool or be condescending. 

Try and enroll in a caregivers training course. It really helps.

You cannot take on the role of a caregiver 24/7. You need to get a relief caregiver. You need to take care of yourself before you can take care of others. Do not be afraid to ask for help.

Hope to hear from you soon.

[GuyMontag]

That's really sad news. Wishing you strength and peace as you navigate through this difficult time.

[nevenbekriev]

So sorry to hear it. Take care of Youself and You fammily, this the most important. Good luck and hope to hear from You soon with good news. I have this expirrience and I can say that recovering from stroke depends not only by the severity of the stroke and age, but very much on the care that is thaken for the person.

[Timeless]

Take care of both of you mate. May good fortune be with you wherever you go and whatever you do.

[Klassiker]

That's very sad news and the forum will be poorer without you. We will keep your seat warm and look forward to welcoming you back when time allows. As others have said, look after yourself and get help sooner rather than later.

[tomh207]

@Neverenoughwatches Rich I am so saddened to hear this bad news. Mum comes first and I hope to see you back here sometime. I am around if you ever need someone to talk to, I’ll DM my number mate.

 

Tom

[Nucejoe]

Saddened and pray for your Mum's fast natural recovery. 

Best wishes

 

[steve855]

Best of luck and we hope to see you back here soon.

[rossjackson01]

I wish you and your family well. Thank you for taking the time to part of our community. You have personally been very helpful to me in my own particular travel forward. 

Thank you Neverenoughwatches. See you again.

Regards

Ross

[Jon]

Take care @NeverenoughwatchesIt's fortunate your Mum has you to help!

[Neverenoughwatches]

Thank you all so much, i can't begin to express my emotion for your kind words. Finding just a lttle time to do other things besides thinking about my mum is difficult. Today has given me a slight break for some distraction and i will get around to thanking you all individually. Today my mum is leaving the hosiptal to stay in a rehab facility after making good progress with her communication, from being unable to speak at all to nearly stringing a sentence together in less than a week. Not everthing makes sense to us and she struggles to find certain words often substituting one with another that can be relevant but not always. Its a blessing she is still Physically good, the part of her brain affected is communication, so that is words through all aspects, speech, reading and writing.  She knows in her head what she wants to say but doesn't fully know how to retrieve or form them in the correct order but she's a fighter and tough as old boots even at 87. Thank you so much again for the support, you are all so very kind. I will be back again to cause trouble so watch out . Bye for now x

[mikepilk]

We will miss you. Hoping things work out well for your family.  Take care

[Neverenoughwatches]

Hello forum, i have some things i would like to say today if thats ok. Being here is something of a sanctuary for me, talking about something that i love doing with folk that i have become fond of ( yes quite surprisingly under all that craziness and verbal brawn lays a soft heart of gold ). I imagine that the same can be said by many of you , a certain number of us are here daily both learning and offering any advice that we are able to. Quoting our experiences both successful and failures for others to learn from. For me at the moment just making this post is a distraction from my current bubble but also from the world around me for various reasons.  Its a place not just for teaching and learning but to make others laugh and smile and be part of a community. I would even go so far as to say we are a team, supporting and encouraging each other when needed and when we are down, my own situation with my mum being a perfect example of everyone's kindness. Thats the soppy bit out of the way . So my mum has been moved to a brand new facility after making amazing progress with her speech and word recognition in hospital ( poor mum has had to suffer my company and my teaching to the full extent of her visiting hours barring one day off for me that my sister insisted upon ) her consultant calls my mum his medical miracle , and will be starting her intensive speech rehab today after her initial assessment. Things I've learned about having a stroke, and I'd really like everyone to take note of the causes and outcomes of having one. Please do your own research I am a joiner and not a doctor , i just want to make everyone aware and just get checked out if you notice anything in yourself that you are unsure about, any risk of having one can be reduced with either medical intervention or/and a change of lifestyle ( which would be my own preference in an attempt to limit my risk, something i have now noticed in myself ). I do know a few of you here have experience but this is what i have become aware of and how it has affected my mum and me. First i want to touch on the effects of a stroke, not only to the sufferer but to the whole family, we all know how dementia affects lives. A stroke effecting language is almost instant non aggressive dementia. Like being in a foreign country where you can no longer read, write or speak to someone without some form of very basic sign language gesturing ( when annoyed i think everyone understands the middle finger ). But a stroke can affect movement ( fortunately my mum is virtually unaffected with her mobility, the nurses can't believe she is 87 and just had a stroke, she's like bloody Supergran, in fact she is a great great grandmother to 2 toddlers ) . Improvement after a stroke carries on for years afterwards, but from what i understand and now believe after being with my mum almost every day since it happened for 7 hours a day, language rehab should be started as soon as possible when the patient is out of danger and physically able. The brain is ready and set to go and rewire itself soon after injury, in a similar ready state to young children ( when we say kids brains absorb information like a sponge, thats pretty much true in early stroke patients) After the first few weeks maybe a couple of months things start to slow down and lesser progression carries on for the years following . After a day she could manage only one word, which was my cue to get on her back and start pushing her progress. Day two i wanted to see how capable she was so i had her writing on a whiteboard ( it wasn't great tbh ) . Day 3 and until she left the hospital most time with her was spent on picture/word recognition on my laptop, picture books, some writing and teaching her to play cards again ( i refrained from gambling for real money, though i was tempted, as I'm  pretty good at poker , she has a few bob and i have space for another watchmakers lathe in my watchroom ) Now i suppose i have to back off as the rehab place is fairly intense focused and visiting times are crap as they interfere with all the physio and rehab going on . So i only have 2 hours max a day with her sometimes only 1 if her grandkids want to visit, but she is in good hands and i know she will get as much help as she needs , and as difficult as it is to admit i probably need a bit of a break and distract myself. I'll end this post for now but i want to come back and talk about what caused this and hopefully remind some of you to think about how we live , what to do in the event of a stroke and how we can lower our risk. I'm not a pussy by any means and very little frightens me, but seeing this first hand has put the fear of god into me if i ever had to suffer the outcome of a stroke. My mum is a tough old cookie and i imagine i will be just as tough, but watching the frustration on her face when trying to communicate completely tore my heart into pieces.  Please dont let this happen to you, do everything you can to avoid it, I'll come back soon to talk more about as long as everyone is ok with it, take care for now x

[RichardHarris123]

I was going to say, but texting can be difficult due to a lack of nuance, that maybe staying on here could be a good thing.  You do need a  distraction, yes mum comes first but you need some time for yourself. 

I hope this has come across as intended. 

[Neverenoughwatches]

19 minutes ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

Hello forum, i have some things i would like to say today if thats ok. Being here is something of a sanctuary for me, talking about something that i love doing with folk that i have become fond of ( yes quite surprisingly under all that craziness and verbal brawn lays a soft heart of gold ). I imagine that the same can be said by many of you , a certain number of us are here daily both learning and offering any advice that we are able to. Quoting our experiences both successful and failures for others to learn from. For me at the moment just making this post is a distraction from my current bubble but also from the world around me for various reasons.  Its a place not just for teaching and learning but to make others laugh and smile and be part of a community. I would even go so far as to say we are a team, supporting and encouraging each other when needed and when we are down, my own situation with my mum being a perfect example of everyone's kindness. Thats the soppy bit out of the way . So my mum has been moved to a brand new facility after making amazing progress with her speech and word recognition in hospital ( poor mum has had to suffer my company and my teaching to the full extent of her visiting hours barring one day off for me that my sister insisted upon ) her consultant calls my mum his medical miracle , and will be starting her intensive speech rehab today after her initial assessment. Things I've learned about having a stroke, and I'd really like everyone to take note of the causes and outcomes of having one. Please do your own research I am a joiner and not a doctor , i just want to make everyone aware and just get checked out if you notice anything in yourself that you are unsure about, any risk of having one can be reduced with either medical intervention or/and a change of lifestyle ( which would be my own preference in an attempt to limit my risk, something i have now noticed in myself ). I do know a few of you here have experience but this is what i have become aware of and how it has affected my mum and me. First i want to touch on the effects of a stroke, not only to the sufferer but to the whole family, we all know how dementia affects lives. A stroke effecting language is almost instant non aggressive dementia. Like being in a foreign country where you can no longer read, write or speak to someone without some form of very basic sign language gesturing ( when annoyed i think everyone understands the middle finger ). But a stroke can affect movement ( fortunately my mum is virtually unaffected with her mobility, the nurses can't believe she is 87 and just had a stroke, she's like bloody Supergran, in fact she is a great great grandmother to 2 toddlers ) . Improvement after a stroke carries on for years afterwards, but from what i understand and now believe after being with my mum almost every day since it happened for 7 hours a day, language rehab should be started as soon as possible when the patient is out of danger and physically able. The brain is ready and set to go and rewire itself soon after injury, in a similar ready state to young children ( when we say kids brains absorb information like a sponge, thats pretty much true in early stroke patients) After the first few weeks maybe a couple of months things start to slow down and lesser progression carries on for the years following . After a day she could manage only one word, which was my cue to get on her back and start pushing her progress. Day two i wanted to see how capable she was so i had her writing on a whiteboard ( it wasn't great tbh ) . Day 3 and until she left the hospital most time with her was spent on picture/word recognition on my laptop, picture books, some writing and teaching her to play cards again ( i refrained from gambling for real money, though i was tempted, as I'm  pretty good at poker , she has a few bob and i have space for another watchmakers lathe in my watchroom ) Now i suppose i have to back off as the rehab place is fairly intense focused and visiting times are crap as they interfere with all the physio and rehab going on . So i only have 2 hours max a day with her sometimes only 1 if her grandkids want to visit, but she is in good hands and i know she will get as much help as she needs , and as difficult as it is to admit i probably need a bit of a break and distract myself. I'll end this post for now but i want to come back and talk about what caused this and hopefully remind some of you to think about how we live , what to do in the event of a stroke and how we can lower our risk. I'm not a pussy by any means and very little frightens me, but seeing this first hand has put the fear of god into me if i ever had to suffer the outcome of a stroke. My mum is a tough old cookie and i imagine i will be just as tough, but watching the frustration on her face when trying to communicate completely tore my heart into pieces.  Please dont let this happen to you, do everything you can to avoid it, I'll come back soon to talk more about as long as everyone is ok with it, take care for now x

I've had a quick bite to eat and would like to crack on with this if thats ok, i know its not watchstuff but its important, if even just one of you can avoid this happening to either yourself or a family member then it's 100 % worth my time and getting it out of my system really helps me as well and hopefully spurs some of you to make sure you and your family are ok. And please anyone that can add some input from knowledge or experience then just jump on. The stroke mum had is known as an Ischemic stroke of which there are more than one kind , mum's was an embolic stroke , these are caused by blood clots  ( wandering clots or embolisms ) another type is a thrombotic clot that can block main arteries that may supply blood flow to the brain . From what i gather thrombotic clots are stationary,  these are the type that cause pain and restrict blood flow in the particular area where they form ie. leg , chest. Mum's embolism travelled to her brain , so she had no experience of pain and no warning until it was too late. Many things play a part of clot formation, we can't change our genetics but we can edge our bets by leading a healthy lifestyle. My mum is 87  5' 1"  and weighs around 55 kg, has always been extremely fit, goes out nearly every day into her village or the next town sometimes a town 40 miles away on the bus if she's buying presents. She eats healthy as far as mainstream guidance tells folk, fish chicken no red meat, fruit veg nuts etc, all the usual stuff thats considered healthy and no real crap like pastries sweets . Has never smoked and has never really drunk alcohol, but she is a stress head and worries about everybody and things she really does not need to. This is me to a tee, i worry about everyone and rarely myself.  Being in hospital we've discovered she has an irregular heartbeat ( caused by the stroke ? the doctors seem to think not ) . Atrial Fibrillation, doctors have attributed the stroke cause to her irregular heartbeat, apparently clots can form in the upper chambers of the heart were irregularity occurs, brake up and become mobile to cause damage. Those are just one type of stroke, hemorrhagic stroke (less common than an ischemic stroke )  caused by a bleed in the brain generally thought of as more serious as not only is the brain being starved the bleed itself can exert pressure on the brain. Its important to know the difference which cannot be ascertained until a scan is carried out, and the treatment is different. Common thinking was to give someone experiencing a heartattack an aspirin to improve blood flow, this can actually worsen the effects of a bleed on the brain. There are lots of causes for a stroke, genetics for sure like i said, but getting the most from your genetics and nursing the weak areas by living healthily will not only extend our time but give us more quality time that we have left ( change just one thing if thats all you can manage for now ). Regular visits to see the quack will pick up warning signs early , just one visit for an mot might save not only your life but wont destroy the lives of your loved ones. Anyone here in their 50s not had an mot medical check up yet ?   Er cough er maybe its time to make sure everything is working as it should, and not just your heart ( dont clench when the doc stretches on those latex gloves, and definitely dont have a smile on your face when you stand up straight again ) . A stroke can strike anyone of any age and of any lifestyle if there is something underlying going unnoticed, make that call and find out how you really are with your health. Love you people x

2 hours ago, RichardHarris123 said:

I was going to say, but texting can be difficult due to a lack of nuance, that maybe staying on here could be a good thing.  You do need a  distraction, yes mum comes first but you need some time for yourself. 

I hope this has come across as intended. 

Absolutely Richard, i cant help my mum if I'm not well myself. I have a habit of keeping going and draining my batteries too low ( maybe i need a wind up key in my back ). The Mrs cant figure out i get by with hardly any sleep or rest, calls me a robot with emotions. 

On 4/10/2024 at 12:23 PM, Delgetti said:

All the best for you and your mum. 

Thank you , very kind of you Del.

On 4/10/2024 at 12:53 PM, rehajm said:

Best of luck to your family…

Thank you rehajm

On 4/10/2024 at 12:56 PM, oldhippy said:

How very sorry Neverenoughwatches to hear about your mum. I have always enjoyed your posts and knowledge and I will miss you. Please keep in touch and let us know how your Mum is recovering. Take very good care and I wish you both good luck.  

Thanks OH, i know i can be a pain in the bum and have you watch over my antics but that means a lot. 

On 4/10/2024 at 2:13 PM, ManSkirtBrew said:

So sorry to hear about your mum, but glad she has you ready to step up and help her recover.

All the best, and we'll see you when you're back.

Thanks MSB , she'll keep kicking as long as I'm around , thank you.

On 4/10/2024 at 3:31 PM, watchweasol said:

Hi @Neverenoughwatches sorry to hear about your Mum, only 7 older than me. Enjoyed the chats and look forward to your return when things get better. I might give you a blast now an then so keep the channel open.

Thanks WW, i will make sure to do that, my time here is not done by a long chalk. 

On 4/10/2024 at 4:23 PM, HectorLooi said:

Hi @Neverenoughwatches, I will keep you and your Mum in my prayers.

A caregiver's job is a tough one. I have known nice little old ladies to undergo drastic changes in their demeanor after suffering a stroke. Patience and understanding is essential in all circumstances. 

Never lose your cool or be condescending. 

Try and enroll in a caregivers training course. It really helps.

You cannot take on the role of a caregiver 24/7. You need to get a relief caregiver. You need to take care of yourself before you can take care of others. Do not be afraid to ask for help.

Hope to hear from you soon.

Thanks Hector i take note of everything you say and completely agree,  i cant do it all myself and my mum wouldn't want me to. Bit difficult to let go of the reigns though.

On 4/10/2024 at 4:55 PM, GuyMontag said:

That's really sad news. Wishing you strength and peace as you navigate through this difficult time.

Thanks Guy, i appreciate those comments .

On 4/10/2024 at 5:38 PM, nevenbekriev said:

So sorry to hear it. Take care of Youself and You fammily, this the most important. Good luck and hope to hear from You soon with good news. I have this expirrience and I can say that recovering from stroke depends not only by the severity of the stroke and age, but very much on the care that is thaken for the person.

Thanks Nev, my mum makes it easy she is very resilient and very independent, she will get all the care she needs and wants thank you.

On 4/10/2024 at 8:05 PM, Timeless said:

Take care of both of you mate. May good fortune be with you wherever you go and whatever you do.

Thanks so much , my mum and me aren't going anywhere, the forum will have to manage with a diluted version of me for a while.

On 4/10/2024 at 8:32 PM, Klassiker said:

That's very sad news and the forum will be poorer without you. We will keep your seat warm and look forward to welcoming you back when time allows. As others have said, look after yourself and get help sooner rather than later.

Thanks Steven really kind of you to say that, thank you for the times you have kept me straight, i dont forget that.

On 4/10/2024 at 8:36 PM, tomh207 said:

@Neverenoughwatches Rich I am so saddened to hear this bad news. Mum comes first and I hope to see you back here sometime. I am around if you ever need someone to talk to, I’ll DM my number mate.

 

Tom

Thanks Tom yep i know where you are at , very much appreciated.

On 4/11/2024 at 1:24 AM, Nucejoe said:

Saddened and pray for your Mum's fast natural recovery. 

Best wishes

 

Thanks matey, at the rate my mum goes i won't be gone for very long.

On 4/11/2024 at 3:02 AM, steve855 said:

Best of luck and we hope to see you back here soon.

Thanks Steve i appreciate that.

On 4/12/2024 at 7:57 PM, rossjackson01 said:

I wish you and your family well. Thank you for taking the time to part of our community. You have personally been very helpful to me in my own particular travel forward. 

Thank you Neverenoughwatches. See you again.

Regards

Ross

Thanks  Ross i really appreciate that. If i helped you in any way then that makes me happy.  I know we are not supposed to have favourites among family friends etc. But i think you are one of mine so just dont tell anyone

On 4/12/2024 at 9:01 PM, Jon said:

Take care @NeverenoughwatchesIt's fortunate your Mum has you to help!

Thanks Jon , there are others in my family, but i have always been the doggedly determined one that likes to get things done.

On 4/13/2024 at 12:46 PM, mikepilk said:

We will miss you. Hoping things work out well for your family.  Take care

Thanks Mike, thats really nice of you to say so. 

[Michael1962]

Hi @Neverenoughwatches,

Sorry to hear that your mum had a stroke. In Australia, I believe, they are starting to call them brain attacks.

Very glad to hear that your mum is recovering her ability to communicate.

My communication was fine after my stroke just over 10 years ago. (If it had occurred just 10cm higher than where it occurred in the artery to me brain, that would have been it. I would have lasted thirty seconds.)  My vision was affected as well as my ability to walk. Writing was really ordinary as well. I have leftovers from my stroke which will be with me forever.

Anyway, if your mum is a fighter and has support from people around her, it is amazing what  that will do for her.

All the best and hope everything continues to improve.

Edited April 15, 2024 by Michael1962

[Neverenoughwatches]

51 minutes ago, Michael1962 said:

Hi @Neverenoughwatches,

Sorry to hear that your mum had a stroke. In Australia, I believe, they are starting to call them brain attacks.

Very glad to hear that your mum is recovering her ability to communicate.

My communication was fine after my stroke just over 10 years ago. (If it had occurred just 10cm higher than where it occurred in the artery to me brain, that would have been it. I would have lasted thirty seconds.)  My vision was affected as well as my ability to walk. Writing was really ordinary as well. I have leftovers from my stroke which will be with me forever.

Anyway, if your mum is a fighter and has support from people around her, it is amazing what  that will do for her.

All the best and hope everything continues to improve.

Thanks Michael, sorry you were affected by this terrible condition. It can happen to anyone, 50's is the starting territory for it. My mum has been telling me for decades, " if i lose my marbles then shoot me",  my standard reply for that has always been " dont worry mum i bought the shotgun years ago ".  The same goes for me, not being able to communicate or comprehend is a very lonely place, now known to me as Aphasia. My mum had no warning of arriving there, I've had my warning and it was my mum that gave it to me. 

[Waggy]

All the best, family always comes first, and I believe you have made the right call that you mother deserves your full attention. However, when you need a little outside distraction the guys here will always be available for some banter or a heated discussion on lubrication .