Skip to main content

Reading and strokes

 
I found an eye doctor who specialized with stroke and vision. I sought a doctor because I am a voracious reader, and because of my stroke, I have great difficulty reading. 

Reading was my hobby, and, for work, reading is key.

 So, I have started a new round of therapy. I started last week, and I anticipate that it will take 6 months, two times a week.

Dr. Scott Lewis describes his practice in this way:  “What is vision therapy? You can think of vision therapy as physical therapy for the eyes and the brain. The neurological aspect is very important because the eyes are direct physical extensions of the brain. We see with our brains and minds, not just our eyes. There are plenty of web pages which give accurate definitions of vision therapy.  

Here is some related information about reading and stroke: 

People who have suffered a stroke can sometimes see the reading impaired. Calling this kind of alteration Acquired Dyslexia. This disorder can occur in conjunction with language disorders or in isolation. Different types of acquired reading disorders that are intimately related to the size of the lesion and the brain areas that it affects.

The left cerebral hemisphere (HI) is responsible, in most people’s language functions, but the right hemisphere (RH) also supports certain reading skills. This is why people with damage to the HI can recover some reading skills through the damaged hemisphere in collaboration with the HD.

The alteration of reading not only prevents the individual to enjoy recreational activities such as reading the newspaper, a book or watch a movie with subtitles, also interferes in other areas of their daily tasks like paying bills, follow written instructions or using the computer. Associated then a feeling of effort and frustration to any of these activities.

Some ideas to optimize the reading after a stroke: In some cases, silent reading is much easier than reading aloud, because it is affecting your ability to produce speech sounds. That’s why reading aloud words require an unnecessarily difficult process, because in any case the person can understand the contents of the text reading silently.

Reading aloud is awful for me. When I was elected to be on the Board of Trustees of the College of Western Idaho, I could not read aloud my oath of office. I completely understand everything, but reading aloud is so complicated for me. Everyone understands, and they always compensate for my “reading disability.” But, it really irritates me that people have to accommodate me.

I had four diagnostics tests with the doctor.  Like a doctor would – and should – he said “there are no guarantees. But it cannot hurt.”

Really? “But it cannot hurt.”

Really? 

It CAN hurt if it does not work.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Two Faces of the American Dream

The massive wave of Norwegian immigration to Minnesota from the 1850s through the early 20th century wasn't a casual choice; it was an escape from crushing land scarcity and economic desperation.  My ancestors, the Dunhams, arrived in 1851 and built a life in Otter Tail County in Minnesota. My great-great-grandfather, Jens Christian Dunham, didn’t just survive—he thrived. He served in the Minnesota legislature as a Republican from 1888 to 1890 and later became a staunch advocate for President Teddy Roosevelt. He was the literal embodiment of the American Dream: an immigrant who fled poverty to become a lawmaker in his new home. Fast forward a century, and a new wave of immigrants—this time from Somalia—is following that exact same blueprint. Like the Norwegians before them, they fled hardship to build a future in Minnesota, and many have run for office to serve the state that welcomed them. Yet, the political rhetoric surrounding these two groups couldn't be more polarized. Don...
Post a Comment
Read more

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...
Post a Comment
Read more

Eye floaters, Strokes, Another ER visit….

It is always something.... I’ve had eye floaters for as long as I can remember. My paternal grandmother had them. My brothers have them too. They’ve always been part of my vision—little drifting specks, threads, and shadows moving across my sight. Over time, you learn to live with them. Sometimes they swirl around, sometimes they settle toward the bottom of your vision, and most of the time you simply ignore them. Floaters are actually tiny clumps inside the eye that cast shadows on the retina. They’re common as we age, especially after fifty, and usually they’re harmless. Doctors will tell you that most people eventually tune them out. But sometimes they change. On Wednesday, while we were driving home from an overnight trip, something felt different. It was my left eye. The floaters suddenly looked darker, heavier, and there were flashes of light along the edge of my vision—almost like a bright crescent moon flickering on and off. At first, I tried to ignore it. After everything ...
1 comment
Read more