Some Brief Thoughts on the Second Anniversary of My Stroke
Two years ago today, while going through security at SeaTac airport, I had a stroke – a brain bleed that in the majority of cases is not survivable. My left side was paralyzed and I remained in hospitals in the Seattle area for a month. I had to relearn how to walk, talk, chew, swallow, and do most of the things that make us normal. In the past two years I have worked hard, given up, cried, laughed, been angry, been grateful
I Can Read!
Reading has always been a huge part of my life. I read for relaxation, entertainment, knowledge or escape. Books have taken me to faraway places or distant times or just explored ideas I would not have otherwise considered. I was the kid under the covers with a book and a flashlight. School reading lists weren’t used just to choose a book from, but were to be completed. I read product labels, medication inserts, and the fine print on travel documents. A life without reading m
Yesterday I went to the mall. This is the first such trip for us since I had the stroke last summer. We live one and a half hours from the closest mall and that is a good thing until we actually need something at the mall. It was a rainy day, I wanted to avoid some less than exciting chores at home, and I needed to try to find some orthotics for a new pair of very sensible post-stroke shoes. So off we went. The first debate was the route to be taken. New Hampshire does not have good east-west ro
In Recognition of National Poetry Month, this entry is in the form of a poem. csr 4-11-15
The Day I Didn’t Die
On the day I didn’t die
the clouds slipped surely down her side.
Sheltered from our humble sight
were ice-caped shoulders, snowy bright.
I’d need to go on bended knee
were I to praise her majesty
to that she earned.
Enough to know that she was there
on the day I broke.
We had honored her before, another year,
near the ground around her skirts, wh
Caveat: This is copied from a Word document that is my journal entry for the day of my stroke. It is rather long.
Day 1 – Stroke at Seatac
It has been over seven months since I had the stroke that changed our lives forever. I have intended to keep a journal of some sort but have not been good about doing so. It is a point of pride (or good luck) for me that I retained awareness of the day, so I don’t want to now lose it. As time goes by I know that I will find it harder and h
Normal – To Be or Not to Be
When I first entered the outpatient rehab hospital after my stroke, during the initial interview process, I was asked about what my goals were for rehab. I recall saying first that I wanted to walk again, and then adding that I’d like my left arm to work. My daughter was there with me, and she later reminded me that the first thing I said was simply “to be normal.” Nearly seven months later, this is a concept with which I still struggle. I have heard it often,
Six Months Since
For a while now I have been thinking of starting a blog about my stroke, but being a rather orderly and analytical sort, I thought I should start at the beginning. That hasn’t happened so I’ve decided to start where I am right now, six months and two days since the thing happened that changed our lives. The “we” here refers to my husband and myself; I know there has been an impact on our three grown children and their families but it is Ed and I who live with it for ever
