Hello all,

First of all I was shocked to read from most of you when I was panicking and striving for information on the internet as my grandma was in the hospital. I must say that your website really makes me believe more in hope for my grandma. )

I am Cagin from Turkey a 38yr old mechanical engineer, now trying to be a child educator and educational coach for kids.

Grandma had a stroke last Saturday as she was having a shower, she is now 83 and still in intensive care at the hospital, mom is really sad and it's hard to calm her down at times as she cries when anyone around speaks sensitively...They say that she gazes, she opens her eyes every 1-2 hrs, and that she may recover, as the blood cloth in her brain might be temporary, but it's definitely was a harsh stroke. My mom says " her pupils were gone" and that she knelt down the corner of the bath tub, breathing effortly, and she was still trying to put up her panties as a reflex, lovely one, bless her! It's been hard for her to listen to my uncles bullshit life I believe, and she was telling me she felt weaker each day in our summer house, but there you go, can't blame anyone for this, it's life, and we do not know our date of expiry, do we? Or what triggers our expiry...

She gave me one last hug on Wednesday as I parted for a concert for another city to my friends summer house, and gave me 500TL ( around 250usd) as if she knew smthg was going to happen to her, she said "this time you take this money and spend as you wish, I know it's too much, but please accept it"....she used to give me 100TL every Ramadan or Eid Mubarek...which I refused for the last couple of years as I said "thanks, please keep these aside and give them to someone who needs the money grandma"....

Anyway it s been 6 days now, and the doctors at the neurology department here said the first 72hrs were critical which is already passed. She is now better each day as she blinks more logically, responds to questions asked from us more sensibly. She also moved her right foot ( her paralyzed side is right) yesterday which the doctors said "it's a big leap, great"...

She does not have any of the stroke causing symptoms, high blood pressure, diabetes, etc... She was just weak and her age was 83 at first my mom could not believe this happening to her mother as she said "I was taking care of my mother as if she was my child, how could this happen to her, she had no harm to anyone in her life, she does not deserve this". Now my mom is much sensible, we are all accepting he fact that this stroke was a big one and that my grandma is lucky to have survived this albeit being effected harshly. She moved her right foot, that's smthg big ) and her oxygen mask was removed yesterday at day 5. I will stay with her tonight and try to massage her paralyzed side, right foot...a friend of mine advised me to massage her right foot toe as that s the one which they say represents the left brain lobe in reflexology. She yawned 3-4 times yesterday (Thursday, day 5) and that was the first time she did that in front of our eyes. She is still nose fed as she can't chew.

Today, 08.09.2014 is day7 and I will be with my grandma at the hospital tonight from 8pm till 10am in the morning as The Turkish nation would be voting for our president.

I will try to make note and jot down every single little improvement on my grandma s situation. She can now breathe on her own and also cough and swallow ). I believe she is in a situation called locked-in as I read from Mr.Mallory's "what happened" 13 page story.

Healthy and hopeful days to all of you, every second is a gift )

Cagin