this is my first time on a blog. it is also new for me to be on a computor. i had my first stroke in nov. of 08 then a tia in march of 09 along with a lot of stress from work and family that year was one i do not want to relive. lost my mom to colon ca had 8 weeks of gi bleed myselt not ca but part of cirulartory promblem. then dec 28 another stroke on the floor slered speck no feeling on left given clot buster med and sent to what was to be the begining of another year i would not like to live over.my nero md. found that i had a pfo and sugested i go into a research study he had. being trusting and thinking family will take care of family[ i worked in radiology for 40 years by this time] into the study i go. by chance ? i am put on the med. side and the hole in my heart is to stay open. the short of it is i was given some bad advice i found out the hole could be closeed outside of the research which was not what my wife and i were told before i could get to duke hospital to have the closer i had an other stroke so here i am today 4 stokes a hole in my heart closed and looking at a life at home with left side weakness left side neglect vison loss short term memory gone long term does work and is that a hout to remember one to two days after you read or hear something i am having my meds adjusted know to see if we can work on this depression and emotional liabilty that i have one of my new doc. at duke may want to do more testing but first wants to get new druges on board and all this time my wife karen has been right there you caregivers are something else god bless you all and what love alowes you to put up with if this is sounding like i am feeling sorry for myself i am not i am very thankful that i still have many of my abilities more the some of you all have it has been hard to acept being a stroke survivor but i am always trying to move forward you all out there have helped me more then you know and a big big thank you i only hope my bloges and talks in the chat room with you might help one of you that is the old caretaker in me since that is what i did for most of my life know i need the takeing care of to a point i am starting to ramble so i will leave it at we all can only do as much as we can at this time and should never give up for there is always someone who is worst off the i may god bless you all