Mid July - a Tuesday Morning
So here I am, almost 2 years since my stroke. I can't believe how much life has changed. For the better.
There is a saying that when one door closes, another door opens, and I have certainly experienced that in a big way.
My stroke was August 29, 2018. And now, I have finally finished all the stages of grieving. And the stroke to me is the equivalent of going for a hike, and tripping over a root. I now not only stopped laying on the ground with dirt all around me, I have stood up and I am continuing my hike. While I was laying the ground, I had a chance to see all the life teeming around me that I wasn't aware of. In other words, I became more aware of my life, what I had, what I lost, and what I was afraid I wouldn't regain.
I can't begin to say how grateful I am for this site. I don't think anything has helped me as much as being able to share my experiences with others who have gone through the same thing. The rehab centre helped, but didn't pull me out of the hole I was in mentally. Making friends with new people who really understood what life was like after stroke. That's what made all the difference. I wasn't alone in my feelings, my fears, my frustrations and grief. I learned different ways of coping. I learned the brain is amazing, that some recovery is possible. That new experiences and learning new things is really exciting. This is something I would have taken for granted before the stroke.
What amazed me the most was how much my art has improved. The part of my brain that was damaged by the stroke made it impossible to pick up a paintbrush. To see with an artist's eye. To want to use colour again. Then a friend on the chat suggested I use a app to do paint by number. My brain went crazy - I was in heaven, and wanted to paint again! And I am . A lot. And it's more fun all the time. I found a website in Germany that teaches a loose style of painting, and I love it! I joined the club, bought a one year membership. And there are lots of videos on painting. In German. German is my first language, although at age 62 I hardly have an opportunity to speak it. After watching a few videos, my ability to understand it is coming back. So here I am, painting, and relearning a language.
Would this have happened had I not had the stroke?
I doubt it.
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