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About this blog

knowing what to forget is just as important as knowing what to remember

Entries in this blog

Wayward Husband

I can't believe it's been almost 10 years since Don's stroke. It happened in May of 2000 and we're already gearing up to have another 'Thank God I'm Alive' party like we did on his 5th anniversary out. Wall washing is in progress. The guest list is on Don's mind and yesterday we made a trip to a party store specializing in bulk food to scope out prices. We'll invite about 60 people. After the store, we went to a local bookstore where my wheelchair bound, aphasic husband was so being so silly I w
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Catching the Caregiver Back Pain Train

.   I'm just returning from a two week pity party. You know the kind where you don't think you can handle one more metaphorical---or real, for that matter---hangnail. Giving myself a sharp "get over yourself, everyone has problems" usually keeps pity parties off my property---I'm generally an upbeat kind of person---but not this time. This time, four out-of-place vertebrae were playing sadistic games with the nerves running down my leg and they threw open the front door inviting the pity part
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Are you Reliant?

If you want to feel old really fast get a new digital camera. At least the one I just got is making me feel that way. It came with not one but TWO user guides and some of the pages have such small print that I have to use a magnifying glass just to read them. Worse than that, the camera has a mode dial with tiny icons on it and without my handy-dandy magnifying glass I'd never know those little suckers are suppose to represent things like: portraits, night shots, indoors, landscapes, movies and
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6

Back but Probably Forgotten

It must be old home week around here. It looks like I'm not the only long-lost member catching up their blog. We've had a busy fall since I last updated my blog over at Bloggers. My newest entry is about our woos in spending eleven months dealing with Medicare over Don's wheelchair replacement and about us potentially becoming one of the latest victims of the Wall Street crisis. Read "Old and Obsolete" here.   For pet lovers, our dogs have been prolific in sharing their unique views in their
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Mid-Summer Update

We went out for pizza with old friends last night which was both a happy and sad time. Happy because it's always great to see old friends but sad because it accentuated yet another growing post stroke problem..... Click here to read the rest of this blog entry.   I haven't been blogging much for myself but the dogs have been really active, even won several bloggers' awards in the process. You can read up on their adventures here.   I recently got a job offer writing articles that evolve
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The Long, Hard Road to Happiness

This one is a reprint by special request of Sue....     Have you ever wondered why it is that some people who have so little are able to sincerely appreciate what they do have while others who have so much can
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The Aphasia and Apraxia Challenge for Caregivers

.   Yesterday Don and I had a half hour 'conversation' about something he really wanted to tell me but the only words he could get out during the entire time were: feet, baker, dad, and gone. Click here to read the full 'aphasia and apraxia challenge' blog entry.   Another recent entry, Summer in Caregiverville, can be found here.   On another note, my 'Levi and Cooper Chronicles' blog has been keeping me very busy and that has earned me a nomination for an 'Awesome Blog of the Month'
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Disabled Heart....

It's easy for me to forget that my husband is disabled. Despite the wheelchair and his language disorders, in many ways Don is the same man I've known since 1970----good-natured, compassionate, kind, smart, and out-going. It's the out-going part that gets him in trouble once in a great while. Click here to read the rest of what happened today.   Jean
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6

Routines in Caregiverville

No, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. Don, me and the new puppy are poking along as usual, trying to establish and keep to a schedule for summer. To read my full entry about routines in Caregiverville, click here.   Even though I haven't blogged often myself this past month, the dogs have been very active in their blog. You can catch their view of our lives in Caregiverville here.   .  
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Show Us Your Best

.   Being a caregiver is a label I neither like nor dislike. It just is what it is, although early on in the process of becoming one it felt like..... Click here to read the full blog entry.   .
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Stroke Anniversary Coming Up

Don's eighth anniversary out from his massive stroke is coming up. To read about our plans and my thoughts on the big day, click here.   Levi and Cooper have been blogging and giving away the family secrets a lot lately. You can check them out here.
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New Baby in the House

.   Announcing the arrival of Levi, a little fur ball with a guardian angel named Cooper.   http://cooperthedogs.blogspot.com/2008/04/...four-hours.html   .
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7

Wait Until You Hear What Happened to Me!

For those who've said they enjoy reading The Cooper Chronicles (which, of course, is also about Don's and my life) you won't want to miss this particular entry. Click here.   Jean
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Training at the YMCA

.   Don and I have been really busy lately....mostly because we're training at the YMCA now. Trust me, it's not easy keeping a stroke survivor with impulse control issues on task with all the young mothers working out in the mornings at the Y.   Also there's been a tad bit of progress in the language disorders department. To read more, click here.   Cooper's been blogging a lot lately though. You can catch him by clicking here.   Jean
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7

Looking Back Pre-Stroke & Giving Back

.   This past week I've written a couple of blogs entries. The first is about caregivers looking back to pre-stroke days and the second one is about giving back what we've been given. Plus the dog has really been on a writing streak. "He's" written several entries since my last trip to Strokenet's blog community including one on how he acts as a service dog to my wheelchair bound husband. The little snot has more subscribers than I do. I'm half jealous.   CRAZY GLUE ON MY SHOES --- Some t
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6

Immortality

.   When do we, as caregivers, face our care recipient's mortalities? Are we all immortal? Click here to read this topic at my other blog.   Jean   .
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2

Miracles in Aphasia Land

.   I've been busy since I last updated my blog here. The usual caregiver and housewife stuff fills up a lot of time, of course. But I've also become pretty active at a couple of writers sites that I was asked to join after I won that $1,000 award. They have led to me writing and submitting a half dozen humor articles to print sources. I don't know what will come of them, but at least it keeps my mind occupied beyond the mundane game of trying to find the nest were the dust bunnies have been
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Still Caregiving and Writing

.   I've been busy since I last took the time to post here at Strokenet. I do read here once a week or so to keep up with all of you guys. I have been writing, though. Here's my latest----   Don's aphasia and apraxia are constantly an inspiration for blog entries. Here's my latest: http://fromtheplanetaphasia.blogspot.com/2...-boom-boom.html   Here's an entry about the worst 48 hours of caregiving I've every had: http://fromtheplanetaphasia.blogspot.com/2...rs-in-hell.html   Are
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3

Remember Me?

.   It's been about a month since Don's aorta aneurysm surgery and then his eight day hospitalization that followed. He's doing great now and so am I....except I took a little detour with my free time. If you want to know more, you can read my blogger's blog at: http://fromtheplanetaphasia.blogspot.com/ (See the January 21st and December 29th entries to catch up to the last time I blogged here at Strokenet.)   .
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6

Still in the Hospital...

.   I can't believe it's been six weeks since I've updated this blog. A lot has happened since then, the most significant event being that Don has had surgery and is still in the hospital. It was suppose to be an over night stay but he's on day five with no end date in sight. Maybe Thursday. I won't try to explain it all here but if anyone is interested you can find my December blog entries at Bloggers by clicking here.   Jean   .  
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9

Two Steps Forward, One Back

.   Don's new carbon fiber brace came on Monday and it was short of amazing to see how well he could...... Click Here to read all about it and also about Don's last aquatic pool therapy and a new issue---an aorta aneurysm surgery on the horizon.   .
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4

Near Disaster in Caregiverville

.   This past Tuesday a near disaster happened in the lobby of the building where Don goes for speech therapy.... Talk about stress!! Click here to read the details.   .
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Mayhem in Caregiverville

.   Did you ever have a day when you had to wear your Christmas sweater three days after Halloween because you forgot to do the laundry? Okay, so I fail at housewifey things but can anyone explain why a 60-something year old woman can't......... Click here to read more.   .
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Thursday & Friday in Caregiverville

.   Click here if you want to know what happened in Cargiverville, the Planet Aphasia, on Thursday and Friday. Hint: it involves water "ballet," pine trees, fat-begone training and wearing out my aphasia decoder ring.   Jean   .
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