Helping Other Stroke Survivors

When I was out walking this morning (perfect day for it!), just before I reached the trail I use for walking, I stopped along side a new apartment complex being built and asked one of the hard workers who it was that owned this new building.  He pointed at a man sitting in a truck, so nosy/friendly? (lol) me went to talk with him.

The pleasant casual conversation about housing in our city took a real change when he mentioned that he has more difficulty getting around because he had a stroke 10 years ago when he was 48 years old.

Got my attention right away!  I asked him what type of problems he was encountering and he replied still having to use a special cane (sorry, I think it was a hemp cane, but still uncertain about the aids needed for physical deficits....help!), as well as other challenges that impede him.  Uh, huh, another person who had played guitar, but no longer able to.   I asked if he was facing difficulty with having non-strokers understand that he had not made a full recovery.  Received a strongly asserted  “yes”.  He is lacking support.

Standard situation isn’t it?  We’re expected to be totally healed in 6 months, with no residual problems.

I then told this man (I can’t remember his name!!! He’s an Islander though) about StrokeNet and the help it could offer him in trying to make progress in recovery.  After telling him about the wide variety of stroke survivors, and the ability to soon being comfortable asking questions, advice, venting, etc., on this site, I saw some hope in his eyes. 

He passed me a pen and a notebook, and I printed the site name StrokeNetwork, and advised him to check it out, read through some of the topics in Stroke Survivor Support forum, Community Discussions, etc., to determine if he would like to be a member.  I also informed him it’s easy to register thru Kelli to be able to post.

I admit, it was a very good feeling to know that perhaps this man will no longer feel alone!  Reading other members’ comments that this site has been a Godsend, I now plan to be more active in letting others know.  I sincerely wish I had known about this site earlier than I did; I was very hesitant in sharing my story online, but now know that it was the right thing to do.

Love you all!