A&E

I had to dial 999 for the first time last night.

James wasn't at all well and so an ambulance came out and with blue lights flashing we were taken to Gloucester A&E at midnight.

At 5am he was taken up to the acute stroke ward and we both tried, rather unsuccessfully, to get some sleep.

We saw the doctor at 9.30 and all the symptoms are that he's had a stroke. However he needed a scan to confirm exactly what's gone on.

The ever so lovely Sophie came to pick me up at 10.30 and I had a couple of hours sleep before heading back over to Gloucester.

Whilst I'd been away he'd had the scan and another doctor came, when I was there, to confirm he has had a stroke - tiny - and that there was no bleeding.

His strength is returning on his left side and other than being incredibly tired he's doing well.

These are real positives.

There are absolutely no indications as to what has caused this - he's only 41, fit and healthy and has just had the all clear with the GP's full MOT the other month. All the tests they've done so far have come back fine so at this stage we just don't know what's gone on. He was fine all day yesterday - sorted his fish, did a 25 mile bike ride, cooked a bbq - and we had no warning at all. I'm just so thankful I was still awake when it happened and that he had sufficient presence of mind to realise something was horribly wrong and to tell me to call the ambulance.

We will find out more tomorrow when he sees the stroke consultant first thing and I will hopefully see them too when I go back at 3.

I'm trying to keep positive and focus on the fact he's doing so well and has improved so much.

And we both keep laughing at the two strips of chest hair they had to shave off him when they were checking his heart - dry shaved off - ouch! - and he's not liking the stubble that's already coming through!!!!