One thing that always got me through and that I lost at just the time I needed it most was a huge amount of "coping skills". As cruel as stroke is, it seemed that much more so that through my deficits I lost almost all of them. I felt like a sitting duck in the middle of hunting season.

One thing I used to do was have baking/cooking "frenzies". Somehow it just got me out of whatever funk I was in--not to mention could have fed a small army. I gave the baked goods to neighbors and froze the rest into single meals so it worked in several ways. I couldn't do it after the stroke but since my stamina increased after the heart surgery I thought it was a good time to try.

Two years of frustration and emotional turmoil have gone into today's work and it's been a success...Yay! One more thing to help me cope. I just hope my waistband can!

Jamie