My stroke.

Last Monday 17th October, at about 8:30am, I was sitting at home when I felt dizzy, and suddenly numb on the left side of my body. The dizziness, and the numbness came in waves and I hoped it would subside. After a few minutes of this, though, I started to worry. Although the symptoms were particularly strong in my arm and chest, I didn't think I was having a heart attack, because there was no pain. In fact, it felt quite pleasant. My father had had a stroke in his early sixties, and I knew that a generalised hemilateral effect was likely to to be something neurological. So, I called my wife and we decided to call NHS direct.

They took me through some questions, again ruling out heart attack, and sent an ambulance. By the time the ambulance arrived (only a few minutes later), my symptoms had subsided. As the paramedics went through similar questions, I began to feel a little fraudulent. They took me to the ambulance to check my blood pressure, and temperature, and wired me up to an ECG machine. The ECG and temperature were normal, but my blood pressure a bit high. The paramedics offered to take me in to the Royal Sussex County Hospital, for a check over.

On the way, my symptoms returned, and were much more intense. I felt dizzier, and the numbness was more widespread, and more intense. It seems likely now that this was a stroke, and that the earlier attack (about an hour had passed) was a TIA or "mini stroke". So, somewhat amazingly, I was already on the way to hospital when I had my stroke - if that's what it was.

On arrival at the hospital, I was assessed pretty quickly, and a stroke team assembled around me within about 15 minutes. I scored one out of twenty-five on some scale or other, according to all the prodding, poking and various other tests. Not high enough to justify administration of thrombolytic drugs, but had I required them we were still well within the three hour schedule. While being prodded and poked, blood samples were taken, and afterwards I was sent for a CT scan, and then taken to the stroke ward.

There, I was assessed again. I was told that I'd be in overnight, and then taken away for an MRI scan, and ultrasound scans. The ultrasound scans showed that my carotid arteries were nice and clean. I got to see them live, and that was quite cheering. I think they were particularly looking for build up of fats at the point where the common carotid artery branches into the internal and external carotid arteries.

Back on the ward, I was further cheered by being offered a choice of six different vegan meals! When the meals came, they were piping hot, and reasonably tasty. Not haute cuisine, but certainly way above my expectation. And, they had soya milk for my breakfast Weetabix. My bed had a sea view, and I was set to stop for the week. That is, until the night shift started!

I don't think anybody got much sleep that night. One patient seemed to think we were all police officers being subjected to some horrendous illegal experiments. He was threatening to throw furniture around, and ordering nurses to -variously- attend to his every whim, or leave him alone. Fortunately, he never made good on any of his threats. The nurses were amazingly patient throughout. The shouty man calmed down when the ward got busier in the morning; perhaps because he had more to think about than his own fantasies. Unfortunately for the nurses, another patient took great exception to being dressed, and whacked one of them pretty hard. She had to go to A&E with a suspected broken nose.

I had a load more bloods taken in the morning - about six vials. I learned that these vials come vacuum filled, so they literally suck the blood out of you. I was seen by a consultant, who was satisfied that I was fit to discharge. Still numb all down the left side, but with some sensation returning to my hand, foot and lower leg.

Yesterday, I returned to work. But, today I had more MRI scans - two head scans and two neck scans. They included MRAs, looking at blood vessels, and one used Gadolinium contrast agent. That was a total of an hour, inside a machine so noisy that it was a bit like being stuck inside a giant dial-up modem.

Now, I'm getting used to life, still trying to work out what this means. I feel like I'm carrying a stack of phone directories under my arm, and it's uncomfortable to lie on my previously preferred left side. I think I'm tiring more easily, and my arm seems to get painful when I am tired. I think I have a full range of movement, and haven't lost any strength. I may be a bit more grumpy than I was, but my speech seems normal, and Tories and John Humphrys still make me cross.

And, I love the NHS! The nurses, nursing assistants, porters, doctors, caterers and technicians, -and my wife- were all really professional, kind and attentive. One of the paramedics waved at me from his ambulance as I walked through Lewes at the weekend!

30 Oct - edited to correct spelling of John Humphrys' name.

Lewes District Tories paid to do nothing.

Lewes District Tories run the only council in Sussex to pay their own members for a cabinet role without portfolio. Actually, there are three of them.

Until May 2011, Lewes District Council had a cabinet with nine members, six from the majority group (Liberal Democrats) and three from the minority group (Conservatives). Apart from Hastings, Lewes was the only local authority in Sussex to have a mixed cabinet. When the Tories won control, they decided that the cabinet would be all Tory.

It's a bit hard to keep up with their reshuffles since then, but now they have a cabinet with nine members. Three of those members have no portfolio, but receive (or are entitled to receive) a full "special responsibility allowance" despite having no special responsibility. They do, of course, attend cabinet meetings, but there's already a much lower special responsibility allowance for members of committees that meet frequently.

I decided to take a look at what the other local authorities (District, Borough, City and Council) in Sussex do. I didn't include town and parish councils, since their members receive far lower allowances.

Hastings is the only one with a cabinet that includes opposition members. They have six Labour members, and four Tories. Five of the Labour members have a portfolio, and the sixth does not receive a special responsibility allowance. The four Tories have no portfolio, and receive an allowance of about half that of the other members.

All of the rest have cabinets of a leader, and five, six, or seven, other members members (nine in the case of Brighton and Hove), and every one of those members has a portfolio of responsibilities.

So, it seems that only the Lewes District Tories think it necessary to award a "Special Responsibility Allowance" to one (well, three actually) of their own members without a special responsibility.

Brighton and Hove - all ten cabinet members are Green party members, and have a portfolio.

East Sussex County Council - all eight cabinet members are Conservatives, and each has a portfolio.
Eastbourne - all six cabinet members are Liberal Democrats, and each has a portfolio.
Wealden  - all six cabinet members are Conservatives, and each has a portfolio.
Rother - all eight cabinet members are Conservatives, and each has a portfolio.
Hastings - ten cabinet members. Six Labour, four Conservatives. Five portfolios are held by Labour members, the sixth does not receive a special responsibility allowance.

West Sussex County Council - all eight cabinet members are Conservatives, and each has a portfolio
Adur - all six cabinet members are Conservatives, and each has a portfolio.
Arun - all seven cabinet members are Conservatives, and each has a portfolio.
Chichester - all seven cabinet members are Conservatives, and each has a portfolio.

Worthing - all six cabinet members are Conservatives, and each has a portfolio.

Mid Sussex - all six cabinet members are Conservatives, and each has a portfolio.

Horsham - all seven cabinet members are Conservatives, and each has a portfolio.

Crawley - all eight cabinet members are Conservatives, and each has a portfolio.