Strokes and slowing down...maybe!

My stroke was 10 months ago, and I am eager to get better. "Getting better" is relative because I have a long way to go. I have had 160 therapy session so far (speech, vision and occupational) plus massage therapy and acupuncture. I was partially paralyzed in my right arm.

When I got out of the hospital -- 18 days! -- I was so scared. I was in a fog. I was in a daze.

But, I slowly got some focus. "Focus" in the sense, that I was tired in every way. My words lacked focus. My vision lacked focus...literally! I was unsteady because I thought I would fall.

I had to learn everything again. Oven? What was an oven? Light switches. Electrical outlets. Shaving. Showering. Tying my shoes. Driving -- not that I am driving even now!

My standard answer when I am asked, "I am getting better." And, I am.

But, I realize that I need a lot of time to recover. For example, in April, one of my therapists said I must return my blog. The problem was, I could not read or write! That was a problem....

I had to write four sentences a day every day. Initially, my sentences consisted of three of four words.

I was resigned about my fate. A writer that could not write. A speaker that could not speak. An educator that could not teach. On and on.

So, I was scared not just because of my health, but because most people don't know how to deal with stroke "victims."

Some people think that I will get immediately get better. "A few weeks of therapy and go back to work."

Some people think that I am a "cripple."

Some friends were supportive. Some "dropped" me -- and my family.

The reaction runs that gambit.

The intent is to be "normal." I have always be a busy guy, so, I am striving to be busy and normal. I am a very driven person so today I am trying to replace one set of priorities for another. I do not have "job," my new "profession" is trying what to do next.

I am not sure what I will do, but I am doing everything that I can to be "normal." So, I have been going to a LOT of meetings. I went to Sun Valley for the AGC convention. I went to the Governor’s Cup.

This month, I went to the Idaho Association of Realtors convention in Coeur d'Alene followed two days later with a trip to Boston for the College of Western Idaho. Then, I did a series of conference calls plus some very intense political discussions.

What learned recently, I AM kinda tired!

Comments

What is wrong with us! A lot: Aphasia, Apraxia, and Dysarthria

This morning, from 10:30 to Noon, at St. Lukes in Meridian Idaho, I participated in the “Aphasia, Apraxia, and Dysarthria Support Group” started a year ago through Idaho State University. We meet weekly. So, what is wrong with us? Aphasia is the name given to a collection of language disorders caused by damage to the brain. A requirement for a diagnosis of aphasia is that, prior to the illness or injury, the person's language skills were normal. The difficulties of people with aphasia can range from occasional trouble finding words to losing the ability to speak, read, or write, but does not affect intelligence. This also affects visual language such as sign language . The term "aphasia" implies a problem with one or more functions that are essential and specific to language function. It is not usually used when the language problem is a result of a more peripheral motor or sensory difficulty, such as paralysis affecting the speech muscles or a general hear

College of Western Idaho should offer a Bachelor of Applied Science Degrees (BAS) in Business Administration

Last month I was invited to attend Gov. Brad Little’s announcement of his “Idaho LAUNCH” program which aims to prepare Idaho’s students for Idaho’s workforce needs. Idaho LAUNCH provides grants for education and training programs. Legislators and a host of businesses participated in Gov. Little’s announcement. As a former member and chair of the College of Western Idaho Board of Trustees, I was pleased to lend my support for this needed program. At the same time, I am fully supporting CWI’s goal to deliver a Bachelor of Applied Science Degrees (BAS) in Business Administration for under $20,000. I am pleased to see some many businesses join the effort. The Idaho LAUNCH and CWI’s BAS in Business Administration is a “win-win” for everyone especially students who need that targeted education to succeed. The Idaho LAUNCH program received legislative approval and students are applying. However, CWI’s proposal needs the State Board of Education approval. THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION WILL DECI

Phantom Blindness and Taking a Break after Strokes

I met with my eye doctor last week about taking some time off from my vision therapy. I have been doing therapy since my stroke almost two and a half years ago. I am tired, and a need a break. My doctor said, “This is completely understandable. Take some time off.” At the appointment, my doctor tested my vision. Because of the strokes, my vision was affected, and I have a problem in my field of vision on the right side. I have a deficit with my right side peripheral vision. However, it is getting better. During the test, I told him that I “sense things on the right side of my peripheral vision.” It seems that I know that something is there, but I cannot really distinguish what it is. He told me that there is a body of thought describing phantom vision or phantom blindness. A Polish researcher, L. Bieganowski, described this phantom blindness this way: “The subject of the paper is the phenomenon of phantom vision. It occurs among the blind (or almost blind) and is

Dunham Family and My Stroke Story!

Search This Blog