Dunham Family and My Stroke Story!

Five years ago today, I had my first stroke followed by a massive stroke three days later in the hospital.  I did not even know my name and could not talk.  Yet, today, I am flying to Seattle as the Chair of the College of Western Idaho talking about accreditation.  Every stroke is different. My story is about hope, faith, perseverance, and love of family and friends. Never give up! Here are some statistics about "Stroke in the United States:" Stroke kills almost  130,000  Americans each year—that’s  1 out of every 20 deaths . 1 On average, one American dies from stroke every  4 minutes . 2 Every year, more than  795,000 people  in the United States have a stroke. About 610,000 of these are first or new strokes. About 185,00 strokes— nearly one of four —are in people who have had a previous stroke. 2 About  87%  of all strokes are  ischemic strokes , when blood flow to the brain is blocked. 2 ...

Finally, "Social Media" has finally affected me “personally.”  The phenomena “Internet Trolls” has come to roost on my social media presence.  I use the term “personally” because my social media presence is public despite my efforts to make private.  I am an elected official so NOTHING is private. I have found out that people lurk in the shadows on the Internet. Years ago when the concept of the Internet was just a vague notion, I started to research the implications of the Web for my job.  As the CEO of the Idaho Association of REALTORS®, I was concerned yet pleased that the Internet could help my members. I wanted to be ahead of the curve technology-wise to prepare my members what I knew would change the world of real estate forever. About 20 years ago, I made a speech in Boise in front of about 400 Realtor® members about the advantages of using the Internet for their businesses.  I told the members that I searched for a house on the Inter...