Dunham Family and My Stroke Story!

The results are in! I still have brain damage! However, the MRI and MRA procedures I had last Friday show that my brain images are just the same as a year ago. That is good news! The bad news is I still have neck pain since the rear-end collision I experienced last January. Despite PT, X-Rays, and very rough brain scans I have pain. In the hospital after my strokes, nurses posted a “pain scale” for me to describe my pain level. At that point, I needed the chart because I could not talk. During my PT because of the rear-ender, one of my therapists asked about my pain. I said, “In the hospital after my massive stroke, the doctor had to insert a port into my heart. That pain was a 10. It was awful!” The PT is helping. Nevertheless, I still get some sharp shooting pains. I sometimes wonder if the neck pain will just be there forever. I have also considered that I am getting older. Is the neck pain the result of the collision or being 55 years old? Years ago, my...

What is the age when you realize you are “middle aged?” According to “Dictionary.com,” the definition is   “ being of the age intermediate between youth and old age, roughly between 45 and 65.” I am 55 years old so I am in the middle of middle age. The other night, my son and I had dinner at a national chair restaurant. This was my first experience using my “Over 55+ Menu.” I laughed when I ordered. My son laughed too much I thought! “Dude,” I said, “You can walk home after you pay the bill yourself using my senior citizen's discount.” I really never thought about my age until my strokes happened. Sure, I was 50 years old, but my mortality was a distant concept. My strokes instantly made me feel old and vulnerable. When I got home from the hospital, though I could not “do math,” I tried to calculate milestones. What age will I be when my son graduates high school?  When will my 20 year life insurance policy end? When does my disability...