• A  blog is a personal journal of your daily life as a stroke survivor or stroke caregiver.  Surprisingly, countless members have called it therapeautic to write down their thoughts and to vent their frustrations.  You can make it private, just for your eyes or public and share your personal thoughts with your friends.  Why not try it, create your blog and start writing and see if it helps you.  

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  • swilkinson

    Living on angel time.

    By swilkinson

    I went to see the neurosurgeon on Tuesday. I was interviewed by a young Asian associate doctor and sent for a 3D MRI and angiogram, a brand new way of showing  the blood supply within the brain. The results were given to me by the associate and then I saw the specialist. It appears the aneurysm is larger and deeper than previously thought but at my age they are not going to operate as it would mean a full brain surgery. Coiling, one method of dealing with an aneurysm, is not an option. I think I
    • 12 comments
    • 2,462 views

Vacation is over BOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2 1/2 weeks of vacation and holiday time is a wonderful thing. I must apologize but this ended up a little out of order. TIA #2 occurs between my Christmas Vacation and this entry. Details of this TIA were posted previously.   Back to the topic at hand. I did remember where my job was located. The date is now 1/10/05. I found my cubicle (just where I left it) and I found a 3 ring binder with a title of "Engineering Work Management Liason" on it. There was also a handwritten note statin

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meatloaf ... what a silly thing to talk about

I'm making meatloaf for dinner. Stuffed with mushrooms and served with mashed potatoes and gravy, and corn pudding. Nothing remarkable about it but, Katie will be bringing home friends to eat.   You know it's getting close to the end of the month when the 20 somethings come home to eat. It means they've spent the grocery dollars for the month, and don't want to break into the money they've set aside for "partying".   Katie doesn't even eat meat. I'll make a 3 lb meatloaf and sit stunn

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Snowy sunday morning

There's nothing like a good old fashioned snowstorm to make everyone slow down and give you a guilt free opportunity to reflect on things. My 7 year old is having a mini meltdown because she wants to do something today and we may not be able to do it, so with the freedon of being 7 and thinking she is entitled to her own way, she is mad at the injustice of life. Of course when I tell her that her meltdown and tantrum are unacceptable and to knock it off or she will be in her room for the day,

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How I spent my Christmas Vacation

2 1/2 weeks of vacation and holiday time is a wonderful thing. It had given me and my wife the chance to go south to visit my dad who is recovering from lung cancer.   Heading south was a real adventure. If you remember, there was a major snow storm in the Midwest that was paralyzing that portion of the country. We are driving south on I-75. Normally, this is a pretty easy drive. Make that same drive when the amount of snow you see is increasing exponentionally as the hours tick away i

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had enough

my wife of 20 years, has always said throughout our married life to me that she would not waste her life looking after me if anything happened to me. this was based on how my mother had slaved on her own for a large part of the past 18 years with my father whom was a tetraplegic.He died last april, and my mother died last august having suffered dementia for the past 3-4 years.I had a stroke last july. I get frustrated alot and from time to time blow my cool and swear or throw something-like an

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The Calm between the Storms II

Fast Forward to 1/7/05. This is my normally scheduled follow up appointment with my neurologist where he was to discuss the results of my TEE I had 12/16, pat me on the head and tell me to come back to see him in a few months.   Instead I tell him and show him (the nice folks in North Carolina were kind enough to copy all the information they had produced) about TIA#2 on New Years Eve.   He agrees that bring in New Years in the Emergency Room is not a preferred activity.   He decides t

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Snow and toilet paper

We're snowed in, with 10" coming and one roll of toilet paper in the house. Between the three of us (the husband, the son, and me) there's no way to make the toilet paper last until the snow stops. I laugh because pre-stroke I would have been so organized. Prepared even. The cupboards would not be bare.   And I have a terrible cold. The first time since my stroke. It sounds stupid but, everytime I sneeze my right side goes numb. Like for a second it forgets everything it's relearned since th

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TIA #2

When we last left our superhero (Yeah, right!!!!!), he had been released from the Emergency Room with a prescription for Aggrenox to keep these things from occurring again.   Fast Forward to 12/31/04. My wife and I are on vacation. We had visited my parents (and survived) and had gone to spend time with my father-in-law. We also took advantage of the opportunity to go visit with my cousin who is also a silent partner in our new business.   We had been in Asheville, NC where my wife w

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TIA #1

Fast forward to December 6th, 2004. I went to work as usual.   About 8:30am, I had called my wife and asked her to call my neurologist and make me an appointment. I told my wife that I was feeling strange. The left side of my face felt like I had been to the dentist and had novacain and it was starting to wear off. In other words, my face felt kind of tingly, kind of numb.   The good news is I knew something was wrong. There were some things I did not do correctly. The reason I am l

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Boredom

Today is Friday. In less then a hour, I am due in chat. I am bored. For a week I have wanted to go to my favorite stores- Home Goods, Linens and Things and Bed Bath and Beyond. I want to look for stuff for my new place, but there has always been some reason I couldn't go. I hate it that there isn't mass transportation and I hate not driving.   I have accepted that I will always be this way, different and I'm ok with it, but I can't accept the fact I can't drive. Well......

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Therapy/Neurologist

Have be is from call is OT is this day one be is. Is go to be start is this one for more is. Is go on to be is this be is Feb. 3.   Have call is be is Neurologist one to be is go for April 4 is Edmonton for go this one is. We to be see for this one is go for how is be this one doctor to be is.   My one is Doctor Jordan is go for to be is move. Why not to be for tell me this one is? Am to find to is new one? Can I to be is keep for this one be is? Is make to me is very much to be i

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The Calm between the Storms

There was one thing I forgot to mention about this past weekend as described in the previous post. I was prescribed Plavix as an anti-platelet medication. That will come into play later.   I have gotten you through that harrowing weekend. I picked up a copy of the MRI and two CT Scans from the hospital and went off to see my Neurologist. In the previous post, the neuro on call looked over the CT Scans and MRI and didn't see anything.   I get to my neurologist and he looks over the SAME

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January 20, 2005

Am still to be are fall. Am scare. If to go for be are for to be is tell is this one be is doctor one be is...is put to me are back is doctor-nurse-poke-poke-poke house one be is. I AM NOT TO GO IS BACK THIS ONE IS BE!!! My is be marry one is ask are for what come to be is this one is all of this one come for be is bruise is be. Can to not to be is keep to my marry one is from are worry for is me is myself one to be is hurt someone day is. Have come is from is sleep is one day is the floor

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January 20, 2005

Have see is be this one is Psychologist is this day is. Dr. Paul someperson name be is. Very much are nice be this one is. No hair! Are be this one make for is test to be are go for me. He this one ask is for to see is my one is write story is be from is be is fore this one to go speak wrong.   I am get is from is write class of be is college is friend us ones are to do this one be is gether to do this is. I am read this ones of my one is to be are write this one is to be is fore to b

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January 20, 2005

Moose is be now is 6 week. Is be this one is be are is fat pup. He are to be is now for go is 2 pound of when this one is go to be are weigh one. Killer is teach are to go for fetch. Storm is teach is are to go for cookie. Baxter is say is this one is brat one is get is too much of hug is the people be is. Are to be is love is my puppy ones.

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Harvard University's president

Am I the only one who thinks all the media and news coverage of what the President of Harvard said about men having a better aptitude for science and math then women is simply stating a fact. Since when has freedom of speech disappeared? What did he say that was newsworthy? What point have I missed? It is a fact that men graviatate towards science and math. So what is the big deal that the man is getting crucified over? Is there some small minority of militant feminists just lusting over a cau

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Music and Life

I can't say how many times in my life, I have used music, more specifically women singers and their songs to pump me up and gather my inner forces to do what was necessary. Ever since I was a teen, I have used this method to cope. As a teen it was to break it off with someone who no longer held the important place in my life. I can't say I thought everything out all the way or that I had an end result that wasn't selfish or self centered or even where I would never be considered an existialist(

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First Day of 2005

Not the best of days, definate depression - hate these mood swings. I also find them difficult to talk to anyone about, I only want to say I'm doing well, but some days I just want to hide away. I see my physician on 7th January, I plan to tell him about the depression.   This is too hard tonight... I'll try again tomorrow. My problems I know are minor in comparison with what tha people of S.E. Asia are going through - seems like there is no end to that horrors.    

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Testing private entry

FRIDAY: 7th January 2005   Today is my first private entry. I have been feeling quite good this week.   Challenges:   Creating sheets of labels in M.S. Word. Used to do this all the time. Ended up opening Access file and sending to M.S. Word. - it worked but I know there is a simple wayin M.S. Word.   I will close this now and add to it later.   Forgot lunch time meds AGAIN. Need to get some sort of reminder for this lunchtime tab maybe an alarm watch to go off at 1pm. seem

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Drafts

Still not 100% sure about BLOGS, what happened to the 2 drafts I mailed! maybe they will show up.   I want to write so much of what is going on in my life, but still have problems writing about what is important. Maybe I should list what I feel are important aspects of my life.   - Family - Stroke Recovery - Happiness   That's not much of a list but if I break down each point there is so much to work on.   Stroke Recovery, I have come so far have puts heaps of work into recove

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Who Let the Dogs Out???

Well ever since I read Jean's blog, that song has been rattling around in my head today. So I guess it could mean the thoughts I've been thinking today. Yes, I put the words thoughts I've together, at times I do have real intelligent thoughts. Sometimes they might even make sense to everyone. I say this because of when I first stroked the posse of inlaws suddenly treated me as if I had not only a stroke but had become retarded too. I hated the feeling that gave me, so I quite happily now rub it

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Close to home now.

The days and weeks after the stroke went by so slowly. At least Vinny was close to home now. I had spent a week at my in laws in Manhatten with my father in law, while my mother in law stayed at our house with our kids. My God, did I miss them. My heart broke for them. Not only was their Dad in the hospital, but now their Mom was not there too. I spoke to them so many times a day, but it was not the same. I longed for them to be with me, with us. But I could not put them through that. The day fi

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Time

Where does the time go? Why is it, that I started this journal of mine and never have time to write? Sure, I pop on every so often to read the new posts, but never have time to read as much as I want, or write anything. I think it's time to make some time for myself. I love to say that!! I know I'll never do it, but I love to say it! I'll do it when the time is right. Now is just not the time.

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