Dunham Family and My Stroke Story!

Recently, I read a short  article  about people in Great Britain returning to work after a stroke. The statistics I read said that about 65% of stroke survivors to return to work after their strokes. When I was a kid, I listened to Paul Harvey. He would often say “ Now you know the rest of the story!” When I think of that statistic and my strokes, I am amused. "Reading" that article was a massive chore for me.  After my strokes in January of 2012, the concept of work was terrifying. I was dealing with unspeakable emotions. I did not know my name though I did know my job. However, I could not speak about my job because I could not speak! In the hospital, one of my therapists said, “Maybe, you will go back to work in November (2012) in a limited basis.” Throughout those next few months, that was my goal. I assumed I would go back to work. Nevertheless, as the months dragged on and the fog in my brain started to lift slowly, I realized ther...

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...