• 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
    • 2,598 views
SassyBetsy's Blog

This blog is for you Sue

My dearest blogger, I thank the stars that I may use words to reach out to others for support because otherwise I would be suffering in silence without the companionship of peers, brothers and sisters who have survived stroke, learned much,and can comfort me only by understanding. How blessed I am that someone out there cares enough to send a beacon out in the universe and then put a guide to read my innermost thoughts,my progress through my years of survival. And no matter what I write, ve
SassyBetsy

SassyBetsy

3
achandra's Blog

pain is no fun

Right now I am going through severe pain in my good leg & I feel guilty for putting my lovely family through trouble because of me. I was thinking how will I ever compensate my family for putting them through my health melodrama. I was praying to God that maybe I should get lottery & if I win that way at least I won't be burden on them. My "rich"(content) husband reminded me he has enough & all he wants is my health nothing  more. I was telling him money is not for him, money is ther
HostAsha

HostAsha

3
SassyBetsy's Blog

Only my body is broken

I am still in shock that my body is changed. I know it is true but my mind, heart,and soul is alive,alive,and growing. I am surprised again, oh I cannot do this or that, and I wonder why is my mind so stubbornly hanging on to the idea I can wake,pop up out of bed quickly, and run around the room, dress, tidy, and go. When every movement hurts, needs to be calculated, wait for pills to kick in, take careful steps, ask for help. Welcome the new me every day. Congratulate myself. I am up for t
SassyBetsy

SassyBetsy

2
SassyBetsy's Blog

New Adventures

I went to Cardiologist yesterday. First time the echocardiogram showed a problem. But my body has been swollen, still swelling, and I have a rash on my left good leg from swelling irritation, according to my dermatologist. So, now I am waiting to be scheduled for sleep study to check for sleep apnea and an appointment to have a stress test at nuclear medicine lab. My leg pain will make doing real physical exertion impossible. I often get short of breath, especially when upset, and all this time
SassyBetsy

SassyBetsy

2
Ksmith's Blog

Meeting new people

I would like to a share story happened to me Thursday in my group meeting.   There were only a few people there but there was one woman in particular that caught my attention. She had suffered multiple TBI’s and I can’t remember if she had an aneurysm but I know that she was very upset and in pain. Her multiple TBI’s have basically left her walking as a cripple, let me explain, who has multiple sclerosis. On top of which, she broke her right ankle a few months ago and it still has not
ksmith

ksmith

1
SassyBetsy's Blog

Look where I am at

Next month is my survival anniversary number 4! I wonder why I survived. As you know, I have had pain every day since the stroke. A variety of numbers on the pain scale, a variety of descriptor words, a variety of coping,treatments,including topical cream with gabbapentin in it, spinal stuff, biofeedback, opiates, therapy, relaxation, spiritual belief,and of course last but not least ice cream. I was advised to think of this as my purgatory. Is this a punishment? How can I believe that
SassyBetsy

SassyBetsy

5
Ksmith's Blog

Birthday ambush

Well I finally have the Dragon software successfully added to my computer, which helps me with my posting for I have trouble getting my thoughts, no matter what size, from my brain to my fingertips .I wanted to make a blog entry for I am very excited for my mother and I are going to be traveling to North Carolina next week to make a surprise ambush on my sister for our birthday. She has two children, one of which is still in high school, who are bottomless pit. Basically meaning they eat everyth
ksmith

ksmith

3
SassyBetsy's Blog

Dear Blog

Dear Blog,  It has been a while since I wrote anything. I use my phone now for internet stuff since my tablet with keyboard is never charged up. I have held things inside. I was wrestling with myself. I was too tired, or in too much pain to think. And people get tired of hearing it...and I get tired of thinking it.   I am grateful I recovered from that awful flu, which turned sinus infection. It postponed the spinal RFA until I was off antibiotics and all well. 2 months late, I di
SassyBetsy

SassyBetsy

5
achandra's Blog

power of Grit

As I am going through my own life's experiences, I am realizing power of grit. hubby always says I am very fast  in  some of the things than him, but there is underlying difference between him & me, hubby never gives up on any thing even when things get very hard case in point our own marriage after my stroke, giving up on us was so easy, I was so close to doing it, thank god for our young son & all support from my family & friends, that I persisted & learnt valuable lesson of li
HostAsha

HostAsha

3
Steve's Blog

100 things you probably don't know about me.

Do we REALLY know each other?   I challenge other Stroke Network bloggers to make a list on their blog of 100 things we do not know about you!   1. I had a rare type of Brain Stem stroke on the Pons. It caused quadriplegia and loss of speech. My stroke happened in France while I was on a business trip. This occurred over 20 years ago in 1994. 2. I founded the very first on-line stroke support group on the Internet in 1996. This group became known as The Stroke Network i
Guest

Guest

15
My Journey Within

Low Immune Response

I am sick yet again. In the hospital for 4 days at New Years which took me a month to regain my strength. (Steroids during) My back went out in February and on steroids again. Diagnosed with Diabetes 2 during hospital stay. Chronic harshness, throat pain and ear ache but not really sick since mid February. I have to see an ENT on the 23rd to figure out what's wrong. Then Sunday get an extremely sore throat and coughing, now stuffy nose, ear aches, headache, phlegm . I feel like poop. Another rou
HostTracy

HostTracy

7
Sue's Sentiments

Seven weeks ago...

I had my operation to remove my lymph nodes on the left side of my trunk seven weeks ago, now I am finally healing. With my usual routine unavailable I was glad I found a few new things to do.  I also had a lot of visitors, some of whom had never been to my house before. I  am not a very tidy person and was a bit worried that some of my friends might judge  me on that. I soon realised that most of the people I call my friends love me just the way I am, a very comforting thought.   One
swilkinson

swilkinson

1
Strokewife's Blog

Silent Movie

A young woman is lying unresponsive upon a frozen platelet of ice that is drifting rapidly toward a waterfall.  As the river current rushes a bit faster with each and every second a man fleetingly skips across broken ice pieces to rescue this damsel in distress. With his heroic effort he saves the maiden just in the knick of time as ice sheets plummet over the cascading water. Of course, this man and woman then go on to live happily ever after…   Some how, Way Down East, with out sound
Strokewife

Strokewife

4
Ksmith's Blog

just Chill

It has been forever Since I blogged last.   These past couple of weeks have been of roller coaster of emotions.  From losing my health insurance to ripping a brand-new contact lens, that is probably not covered through health insurance and had to be custom made for my eye, oh boy, it has just been a journey to say the least.   Now losing my health insurance isn’t what it sounds like but it is because I have been paying for my own private insurance for there was confusion with
ksmith

ksmith

6
SandyCaregiver's Blog

Therapy Planner Page

I've recently gotten into bullet journaling - which has went into an art form, and I'm loving it.   I started trying to bullet journal around the middle of Feb, and use a 2 pg daily spread, with everything on it. One of the many things I want to try to get back into is my stroke hubby's therapy, that we are not doing anything, on a regular basis, on (stroked 2012).    I got this free print off from a bullet journal group, where the designer wanted to see what people would do with it.    There we
SandyCaregiver

SandyCaregiver

5
achandra's Blog

blessed to have patient & amazing caregiver who have always lifted me up in our life's journey

I am really blessed person to be married to real patient guy who has always lifted me up  from day we got married, yes he has its own other faults, he is man of very few words, & he is not romantic guy. but he does right things, he is our encourager  in chief. When we first married & I came to this country, we were starting out in this foreign land with nothing but just each other & two suitcase of clothes & some pots & pans. he was making sure to save enough so that he can s
HostAsha

HostAsha

3
Sue's Sentiments

A way of moving on

My blog has been since 2006 a partial record of my life, fiirst as a caregiver and now as a widow I have never worried about what I wrote or who read it as it is a personal journal but one that might always resonate with others. Sometimes it is like a holiday journal, it may be about my family or what is happening in my life, I don't think it matters.  The benefits have been that I have had a way of recording what is happening from a personal point of view.   I am now 70 and for the pa
swilkinson

swilkinson

4
I'm Back

Spring is Just Around the Corner

I can't wait for the warmer temperatures.  February was too cold for me with temps dropping into the 50's and 60's and night temps in the high 30's and 40's ........brrrrrrr.....I'm such a wimp since moving to Arizona.    :)  I will be glad when it's hot enough to hit the pool again ....I sooooooo need the exercise.   February may have been a short month, but it was not a good month for me - thankfully, it's over.   I pretty much blew off the diet most of the month of Feb., likely beca
SarahR

SarahR

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achandra's Blog

So many things in my head, have to write down to get it off my brain

So many things going on in my life, that I have it to get off my brain & on here, so that I can make a room for new fun-filled memories. one of the highlight is our son just turned 21 & also scored well in his exams. the way he procrastinates till last moment, hubby & I were wondering & congratulating ourselves, that maybe someone watching over him for him to do so well without working hard. He does work hard but at very last moment & that does make both of us sweat & mak
HostAsha

HostAsha

2
Sue's Sentiments

And back again

I'm back home again after five days in hospital. I still have a lot of healing to do but it is nice to be home. I had a good sleep last night, the first in a week, it is great to be back in my own bed again. I wasn't in the Melanoma Unit this time so learned a lot about other forms of cancer. Whenever I feel sorry for myself I need to remember there are a lot of suffering people in the world dealing with whatever life has thrown at them as well as they can and be glad I have the power to overcom
swilkinson

swilkinson

3
achandra's Blog

time is flying by

Nothing new to report  here, time just fly by. I blink & weekend is gone & so does the week.  recently after my fall on stairs I was having pain in my good leg knee, went to doctor to get it checked & according to him, he did not see any fracture or any other major trouble so his suggestion was take OTC pain relievers like aleve or anti-inflammation pills. pain is no fun, though it has power to push you to dark place fast if you don't keep eye on your thoughts. So I am keeping eye on
HostAsha

HostAsha

1
Sue's Sentiments

Half way to somewhere

Today was another two medical tests, one more to come on Monday and then a week without - me time. Church events start up this week too. Coffee and Playtime on Friday morning so it will be good to hear what the little ones have been up to through the holidays. I have seen several of the families shopping through the Christmas period so have not entirely lost contact. There may be some new families too as some of the little ones leave to go to school or preschool, others come to take their place.
swilkinson

swilkinson

3
achandra's Blog

thoughts in my head

as most of you who follow my blogs will know this about me that I love reading books & get very energized by spiritual thoughts or books or movies that make me think &  go AHA there that's what I feel & now feel wow its all now falling into place. Today heard Hoda kotb on Today's show mentioning that just talent in itself does not make you successful, Its also other trait that you don't give up & still show up day after day even when things get tougher, that makes person successf
HostAsha

HostAsha

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