I love fish tacos and desperately need a good white sauce recipe Hint Hint

Thanks for your daily blog, I really enjoy reading them!

Kristen

Wow! Have I told you lately, how very proud of you, I am? Yes! you have come a really long way since September and that hasn't just happened without a lot of hard work and determination! Both on your part and Deb's! This site has been great for you too! To me you are still the same person you have always been. Perhaps with some limitations in some areas but as a person you are even better than before!! We all have battles of some sort and struggle to make the best of whatever our problem may be. I love you, son and that is one thing that will NEVER change!

Mom

Hi Wesley,

Listen up and pay attention 'cause i might not say this again. . . you are an inspiration to others! We are ALL just trying to live our lives the best we can. EVERY ONE OF US! indeed some of us have greater challenges to overcome, and some have lesser challenges to overcome. The differences are not the relevant factor. . .the similarities are what is important. We ALL just try to live. the great thing here is that we get to share the facts of our own lives with each other and in so doing, inspire each other regardless of the degree of deficit. you don't have to like the fact that you, indeed inspire others (including me), but that fact will still exist. . . as it should. I am grateful for your presence here my brother (like it or not).

live on my friend, but please don't stop sharing the struggle with us. . . live on.

Brian

I like the word "struggle" that Brian used. You have your difficulties to get through.. your own handicaps and disabilities. Others here have different things that they deal with. They may be further along in recovery or not as far as you are. Their health problems may be more or less severe than yours are. Or they may be people who love and care for someone who is "struggling". We all have our own struggles- all similar and yet, all different. To me the most important things I've seen are that everyone here continues to have a desire to live there lives as fully and happily as they can and they persevere at doing everything possible to improve their own health and spirits and to encourage others as they travel the same road. By encouraging others, we encourage ourselves and become happier people for doing it. Abraham Lincoln said "Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be". I realize that's not Yoda, but, whatever. Yer big sister loves ya!

Agreeing with what Brian and Harriet have said, we're all doing the best we can, working to overcome (again, as best we can) any speed bumps put in our way. Inspiration comes in different ways and at different times for each one of us, and I think that finding inspiration now and then is a cool "fringe benefit" of being on this site.

Probably like most everyone her, I've been told at times , by family members or former coworkers, that I inspire them. After fighting the temptation to put my finger down my throat I realize that it's not "me" all by myself that inspires them but instead something I may have done in combination with me (not coming out right) that's given them inspiration that they have needed at some particular point in their lives for some particular issue, and that's fine with me. It's not a static thing, people derive inspiration from different sources on different days, at different times of different days. Sometimes it comes from what someone has done and at other times it might come from a book, a television program--the list is endless.

Yeah, it's a fringe benefit--and a pretty neat one--that goes around, affecting the right people at the right time.

Rock on,

Pam

Ok my buddy, Wes, yes it's me, Jan. First off, the only true "handicapped, disabled, or other name you want to call, person is: One with a bad attitude. That can be a person who stroked, or a person with a bad personality, but, heck, those type of people don't see themselves with any deficits. And then there are people like us, The "Strokers" and we hang to life, want it back so very badly. Also, I see you as: A Father, A Husband, A Brother, A Son, A Friend, etc. So, I think you have a lot going on. Most of all, I see you as a Son of GOD. GOD doesn't make junk. You can take that one to the bank. We all on a journey, some of us don't get it but eventually we do. No, our lives are not the same, and at times, we feel like what the heck? You were blessed early on by meeting your time frame and getting to experience some of the perks early. It is disappointing when all of a sudden, whoa, what the heck is going on. Why am I not still on the fast track of recovery. I think you have done amazingly well. Look at Lance Armstrong, he had life by the butt, then Mr. Cancer hit him big time. He kept forging on and look at all he accomplished. One thing I would like to share with you my friend, I had to do was get rid of "I Need A, "I Wanna A, "I Should Have".... my hubby was calling me "ANITA" I couldn't understand why and then I realized why, he was tired of hearing me always saying: I Need A this and that, OR I Should A, or I Wanna A. Finally, after months, a long amount of months, I let it go. Cuz, I hated hearing him always saying his "Husband Thing"..... He is a Saint, putting up with all my stuff. Sometmes, I do get upset with him, cuz I truly don't feel he can relate what hell I have been through. I know how hard it is on him. I hate the fact that I can't dress myself, cook, do all the wife things I did. This Brain Stem Stroke was not in the plan of our lives, We were only going in for a simple in and out procedure, a heart cath. I know our lives will never be the same ever again, so we are rebuilding on what we have left and just from a new start. Each morning I wake up is another chance at my life .... The decision is in my own hands, DO I want to start the day with the here and now I am at now or do I want to pull the crap of I Wanna A, I Need A, I Should Have, I am surprised Wayne isn't with it enough to say, Jan, what type of Cheese do you want with that "Whine." hehehe Important thing Wes, WE ARE STILL HERE, there is a reason for that. There are no races to win in this, just life to be met and the lessons you are sharing with your family, your children are learning life lessons, about never giving up, accepting choices and life lessons, learning family sticks together. In fact, you might never truly realize all that you are teaching others. It's right there in front of you, but, you don't realize it. We aren't perfect, we never were pre stroke, at least I wasn't, don't know about anyone else.

Just be greatful for the recovery we have regained. I was in a coma and on life support and suppose to be in a vegatitive state for the rest of my life...... I'm here..... Through the grace of GOD. I want your Mom to adopt me, I need a Mom..... she is a woman with great wisdom, I lost mine 34 years ago and I sure miss her..... She got sick the 14th of January 1974 and died on the 19th of March of 1974. Two and a half months from Pancreatic Cancer. Going through life without her has been such a hard thing. That was harder than anything I have had to go through .... stroke or no stroke, losing my precious Mom tops all of that. I do have a Guardian Angel looking over me. She called me Pumpkin and when I got out of my Coma, I asked the male nurse, Paul, if he ever knew about people in coma's,he asked me why and I shared with him, I kept hearing the word Pumpkin and that is what my Mom called me. he said he would say to me, come on Pumpkin, wake come.... I knew that was my Mom.

Anyway, Wes, stay in journey, we are on this together, we are a team. Some days are better than others. But, that is what life is all about. I bet if you sit and really think about it, pre stroke your life would have been the same in some respects. We all have good and somewhat good days and some crappy days.

I know I did. Especially at work. Life is life, but I want to stay in the journey and march through it. I think if we are as happy as we can be for the day, stay in the here and now,cuz if I just thinking about days of before, it gets me in another part of my thought process. I can't compare myself to anyone else, cuz even thought we are in the race of recovery, we are not 100% alike, we share the stroke name of our journey, we are just people trying to remain in the game of life. And, if God sends us people, like yourself, to inspire us, Wes, don't you dare take that gift away from us. Don't make me have to come up there and bop you on the head.... hehehe We all need inspiration ...

words he may give us to share. Whatever helps us make it through the day. It's been five years for me, some have been better, some have been average, etc. But, if I hadn't gotten out of the coma, to think of where I would have been now. La La Land for sure. DO I want more recovery, SURE I DO. But, I've had other strokes since then. I never know what the new day has in store for me, but I can't wait to take it on and unwrap the present God has so lovingly given me.

Take care my friend. I care about you and am blessed to call you my friend. God Bless, Believe In Miracles And SOAR

Hugs,

Jan :friends: :whistling: :bicycle: Just keep whistling a happy tune and see what unfolds the next day for you, you have a whole lifetime. Share it with the world. My best to you and your family.

Wes,

We're all here as inspiration to each other. We've all been slapped down by that beast called Stroke and yet we have prevailed one way or another and did not let it take us to the ever after.

We all come here UNITED. UNITED we stand against Stroke and rejoice for all that we can do versus the day that stroke entered each of our lives. For those of us who have been at this for a while, like me at 4 years, you give me personal inspiration to keep forging ahead and try to regain more.

You keep on writing, and we'll keep being inspired - got that? WE ARE FAMILY, FELLOW SURVIVORS AND ME

Hi Wesley,

As you may or may not know by now, I worry overtime; in fact, I should ask about opening a new forum on this site, a place where everyone could go to dump their stress, and volunteer my services as Site Worrier--heck, I worry anyway, a few zillion other worries wouldn't even be noticed!

That said, I want to apologize to you because I feel as if I should. If you disagree, hang onto it in the event, God forbid, I ever owe you one in the future. And I know you're "sick" of talking about this subject, so please know an answer from you isn't necessary! Good Lord, I started worrying about that and the worry almost talked me out of writing this! It's amazing that my stroke wasn't caused by high blood pressure.

Anyway, I was reading my answer to you just now and thought, "Don't you sound like the pompous butt?" Yeah, I think I did, and that is so completely contrary to how I was feeling and what I wanted to convey to you. I've applauded you along the way and even used the "i"-word at one point (I went back and looked).

I think part of the problem is that we really don't know each other, at least not yet, and I wanted to be so careful to not say anything that might offend you. I haven't been feeling well, either, and I was up--restless--at whatever obscenely early hour it was and I probably should have just read and not posted (not an excuse, just that's what was going on). What I wanted to say was "You deserve it, please just try to relax and enjoy it!" but, as I said since I don't know you and didn't want to tick you off I went to the other extreme and just vaguely danced around everything. I brought up others going through it (and my gag reflex) thinking it might help if you knew you're not alone--you know, I think the majority of people have a hard time accepting compliments. But you were the "subject matter" and I was just hoping you'd end up relaxing about the whole thing.

So, like I said, don't feel that I'm expecting an answer! I'm just sorry if I came across wrong--I think I sounded very indifferent, and that bothers me. I obviously wasn't myself because I didn't bring up "Daybreak" as a source of inspiration. :Doh:

There. And to you and anyone else reading this: my daughter's out of town tonight, driving home tomorrow in yet another snowstorm. That's not til tomorrow, though, so my Worry Calendar is fairly free until then.

In conclusion. Wes, like I said last night

Rock on,

Pam

Geno, first of all...i lost the white sauce recipe...please forward...it's my last tie to our many dinners together...Second there isn't a person in the world who doesnt have one kind of limitation or another. You just wear yours on the outside sometimes. You are an amazing person, but more than that you are one amazing big brother. You are kind, loving, insightful, a wonderful dad and a great son. We all love you and pray for you every day. We all love you just the way are. You are also teaching those of us in the family what true strength and courage are. Just remember that we are here for you, even if we are 2000 miles away.

Wes:

I think you are differently abled than most of those so called normal people are. heck we all different. I find this site amazing, because sometimes when light within me is quivering I find that stength, light or inspiration from bloggers & great survivors like you, who shows how life should be lived & enjoyed.

Asha

Wes what I admire so much in you and all the other survivors is you never give up Thanks to you I have reset some goals If you can ride a bike I can work on crosstitch If I succed Id like to send it to you, I love x stitcning so much Its something I had never even been tempted to try,...... You rode your Bike I at least need to work at x stich not just give up as not possible. Yes everyone inspires me But you really got me when I saw you on your bike You make me dare to believe.....