• 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
    • 2,520 views
Ksmith's Blog

Some of my mental thoughs

I'm selfishly happy that school will be remote, till at least mid-October. That means that my son will still be able to come visit my on the weekends, as per regular, but when school starts, we  will have to go back to Face Time, Zoom and other ways because the county he is in has a higher amount of Covid-19 than mine and school is a cesspool of germs. It's funny how we would not be thinking about this like we are now.  We have to keep PPE where I work and conduct temp checks , masks, gloves dai
ksmith

ksmith

12
My Journey Within

I've Been Quiet Here...Feeling Like an Update

Time has passed well slowly or is it rather quickly...hmm times are confusing these days. I suppose that question depends on the day. It's not hard to recognize that the world is a bit out of kilter this year and I hope going forward we as people take the best we can from it. Finding peace has never started out being calm most times. Change is hard but it is a good teacher or reminder. I suppose as for me, I am oddly calm inside...watching the world around me in a kind of slow motion...observing
HostTracy

HostTracy

21
Kevin Rider

Breaking Habits

This week its been harder to note specific improvement. Rather I seem to have realized that I may have to push beyond habits i've fallen into. I had started , and continue to run back from barn to the house every morning after feeding the horses. Yet I realized that I walk in a very steady and cautious way which has now served me for several months. One evening my wife was calling me to the bathroom to take meds and I realized I use to walk much faster in such circumstance. I increased stride an
KevRider

KevRider

12
SueC

A big step forward!

Today is a big day.  On the 29th of this month, it has been 2 years since my stroke, and today I emailed my neurologist to ask permission to start driving again.  I am ready. Not for freeways, or highways, and that's okay. Just to be able to do little errands. It's a big step for me.  I have a professional instructor all lined up to assure me that I am still a safe driver. Onwards and upwards in my reclaiming my life!
HostSueC

HostSueC

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achandra's Blog

feel like looser so just rambling here

ok today is not a good day feel like complete looser & failure in life  & always needing in help in all wakes of my life. I guess in life you will have both kind of days some good some bad, today is that kind of day feeling like complete looser. I recently lost my diamond erring for my one ear which is side I prefer to sleep on. also had fight with hubby about some some personal home related issue where I said some hurtful things to him & even said hurtful things about our family God
HostAsha

HostAsha

7
This Blessed Life

Cancer

Tomorrow is four months since my beloved cousin Jason died. Seems like a lifetime.  On Sunday, a lady I've known my whole life died after a very quick battle with ovarian cancer.  Last week I had a mammogram and a half (had to do one side twice) and two ultrasounds. I have a lump in my neck and one in my boob. As my mum is a breast cancer survivor , I always worry about things like that. I kept thinking that God has already given me more than I can handle. He wouldn't be that
GreenQueen

GreenQueen

1
Kevin Rider

Running

Improvement these days is in subtle increments and easily over looked. My fist consistent walk of  the day is over to the barn to feed the horses and I always use this to gauge progress. This morning I was most of the way to the barn when I realized I was thinking about something completely different and just walking naturally. Most of the time since the stoke I have to concentrate on every step I take. Another thing I added to my routine is I now run back from the barn , a distance of some
KevRider

KevRider

1
Kevin Rider

Harvesting

So this week I engaged in more work around the house and garden with some significant results. I offered to help with vacuuming the house. The to and thro motion of this induces a strange headiness as I transferred weight from one foot to the other. Later my walking changed to a longer stride and during my first walk of the day, which id from house to barn to feed horses, the walk felt vary natural and indistinguishable from my pre-stroke walk. It still gets a little wobbly as the day goes on an
KevRider

KevRider

3
Sue's Sentiments

Continuing on whether we like it or not.

Are we there yet? That used to be a familiar cry from the back seat of the car when the children were little. I wish we had some sort of road map with this Covid-19 so we could see where we are going. More cases in Victoria so they are going into stage 4 restrictions. Doesn't seem as if the general population are taking the virus precautions seriously and so it is spreading again. I guess with less than 200 deaths in Australua it doesn't seem much of a threat but I do wonder when we are over thi
swilkinson

swilkinson in Thoughts on Covid

6
nancyl's Blog

Time sure does pass fast ( sometimes)

Wow -- once it got nice out here in ND then time sped up. Ive been outside puttering. stained our deck , lots of gardening... help get my brothers home together for a estate sale.. back to more or less FT work at the office. And Dan has played "nice". So I guess I'll keep him home vs. the nursing home. With Covid  there is no way we could have managed anyways. So he is here( home) and Ive got a massive remodel planned to make it nice for both of us... It was on my to do list anyhow.   
nancyl

nancyl

3
Kevin Rider

Just another week.

Well with Arizona been a Covid hot spot we continue our isolation, now almost 5 months. Days slide one into the other we have to mark them with meals to help keep track, Spaghetti Sunday, Wednesday Pizza and 'Friesday'. Can't complain to much were almost set up for it. I think about 60% of what we are eating comes off our land. We have plenty y of space to ride in the morning, in fact we have over 2miles of track on our own property. My stamina is slowly coming back. Used to be when I rode it wa
KevRider

KevRider

2
Kevin Rider

Not such a good week

Well on Thursday last I was moving a bail of hay , which had fallen weirdly and jammed in position. I lifted with my legs but had my elbow bent slightly. Just as it started to move I felt my forearm muscles tear like breaking old sting.  The felling was sickening , both mentally and physically! So that led to 3 days off nursing the arm. Its been getting better each day but  is still to tender to risk riding. I did get back to the treadmill. On a better note I have been lengthening my walking str
KevRider

KevRider

5
SueC

Summertime!

Stinkin' Hot! That's what the weather forecast is for today.  We are expecting 80f 27c today. To all my friends down south and east of here, I can already hear them saying "pffftt...that's not hot!!!" We have had a late summer this year, a week ago it was only in the 60s and mid 60s, so this is a big jump.  I have been getting up early now that it really IS summer, and we have sunshine.  6am, and what a beautiful time of day.  The birds are singing, the world is still quiet.  I do my little
HostSueC

HostSueC

4
Gizmo, Gadget Guy

Bad news, this time it is for real

Sad to report that Lesley’s mum has passed away. We had felt she was at that point several years ago but she was a strong resilient lady. This time however she had a massive stroke and slumped over and never spoke or moved effectively again. After 5 days with no food or water since she could not swallow, she died peacefully and in no apparent pain. She did open her eyes one last time with her last breath.   we are of course sad. We are relieved she went without apparent physical suffer
GeorgeLesley

GeorgeLesley

4
achandra's Blog

happy 29th wedding anniversary to us

today is our 29th wedding anniversary. We have been through enough ups & downs in life & still thankfully standing strong. This year I made nice imovie for our wedding anniversary with romantic, meaningful Indian song playing in the background while going through our 29 years of pictures slideshow. I was hoping that kido will help me in making it, but I had used up all his goodwill for mothers day & his dad's birthday movie, so he was not in mood to help me, & if one thing stroke
HostAsha

HostAsha

3
Sue's Sentiments

Time spent dreaming isn't wasted

I think I have reached an age where I can justify an afternoon nap. Because of the reconfigured muscle behind my left leg due to the melanoma operation I get tired if I stand too much so I take an afternoon nap fairly regularly. This is ideal in winter when snuggling under a rug feels good and the bleak wind blowing outside makes having a nap under a rug seem like a good use of time. Today is Friday so housework, catching up on phone calls, maybe a bit of gardening and an afternoon nap to top it
swilkinson

swilkinson

6
Kevin Rider

Tomatoes

So actually had to go out this week! We get our income form a few rentals and we had a tenant leave so we had to go out to assess clean up needs, which included taking a traitor of junk to the dump. So some interaction with others hopefully at a safe distance, wearing masks and gloves.  It felt good to be out and about but I was somewhat nervous in the interactions. Its good to be mobile enough again that I can do a lot of tasks required .,but I must admit I hired 2 guys to help with the heavy l
KevRider

KevRider

6
SueC

Mid July - a Tuesday Morning

So here I am, almost 2 years since my stroke.  I can't believe how much life has changed.  For the better.  There is a saying that when one door closes, another door opens, and I have certainly experienced that in a big way.   My stroke was August 29, 2018.  And now, I have finally finished all the stages of grieving.  And the stroke to me is the equivalent of going for a hike, and tripping over a root. I now not only stopped laying on the ground with dirt all around me, I have s
HostSueC

HostSueC

12
I'm Back

Mini Memorial

I traveled to Colorado last week for a mini memorial, celebration on what would have been Gary's 73rd birthday.   His former caregiver, Carmen, who came up from San Diego to go with me helped with most of the driving as it was a long trip.  We didn't make it all the way through NM without a stop, but nobody insisted we have to quarantine for 14 days (even though the signs along highway in Albuquerque were stating that all visitors must quarantine).  We weren't really visitors there, just passing
SarahR

SarahR

2
Kevin Rider

Great Weather

This week is one of those gaps in the weather pattern. Usually spring is windy by mid mornings so we have to ride very early while its still chilly. This week however we have had lovely sunny mornings with no wind so been riding a little later. My left leg is still a little weak but its finally strong enough to posh him side ways so I've actually got back to the traing I was doing just before my stoke, the half pass. Done correctly the horse moves both forward and side ways, crossing his legs ov
KevRider

KevRider

4
achandra's Blog

I feel so sad for anyone who gives up the fight of their life

Recently in India very talented young 34 year old actor committed suicide. he was such young, lovable good-looking  guy & stupid guy just ended his life, he was depressed about loosing some good movie opportunities, breakup & so on which made him take that drastic step. It shook me up since he did that at the same age when I went through my own lean phase of life & had same bright ideas about it, but luckily had young family at home so had no courage to act on that bright stupid idea
HostAsha

HostAsha

4
Kevin Rider

A year on.

A quiet week. Its been very windy so have passed the time more indoors. Arizona is having a major relapse with the Corona virus so we aren't going anywhere for a while. Perhaps even a long while! I was entertaining my self with planning a trip to the UK and Paris which we have been intending to take with Deb's parents for their 50th Wedding Anniversary next June 2021. Then yesterday we heard the Americans won't be allowed to fly to Europe! At the rate we are going we could still have that proble
KevRider

KevRider

4
Kevin Rider

Odd Jobs & toads. anniversary

So Wednesday around again so soon.! This week seems to be an odd job week. Which is in itself a good thing. These projects are quiet tiring as my stamina is far from what it used to me but I can balance, climb ladders (carefully ) and am dexterous enough again to handle power tools. Its also the anniversary of my stroke so its been a year. This time last year I was making a bucket list as I was not sure I would last much longer! I made Monument Valley & Carlsbad Caverns before the virus grou
KevRider

KevRider

3