Brain injury therapy and plateau?

Welcome to 2019! I started the new year chairing the Idaho Aphasia Support Group on January 2nd.

We shared stories about our holidays. Our common bond is not strokes and aphasia. Rather, we have true affection for each other. We share our stories, our laughter, our advice, and sometimes tears.

This morning, two survivors attended and we haven’t seen them for several months.

One stroke survivor and his wife attended, and he basically said he’s "given up." He has started to drink and smoke again because there’s no use doing therapy or trying to get better.

We also sympathized with him. However, we politely yet bluntly told him that "it’s not all about him."

We told him that there is no plateau when you have a brain injury. You get better all the time though it’s more subtle when the years go on.

We basically said that we are not judging him, yet his wife/caregiver needs help as well. Does she need to deal with another stroke because you’ve given up and you’re smoking and drinking?

He basically said that going to the group helped today. There is no magic potion to get better. But talking helps.

Another survivor who had not attended for a long time was emotional because she had a seizure and the doctor said that she might have Epilepsy. There’s no confirmation of that disorder yet the doctor prescribed Keppra which is an anti-seizure medication.

She and her husband are rightfully nervous. They’re dealing with the aftereffects of strokes and Aphasia. And now a doctor told her that she cannot drive for three months and needs to take Keppra.

I had a grand mal seizure one year after my stroke. I could not drive for three months after that seizure. I take Keppra twice a day. Several other stroke and Aphasia survivors in our group take Keppra every day. And we’re driving.

She and her husband were taking a back when we told our stories about seizures and anti-seizure medication. They got some hope.

Every stroke is different. Every recovery is different. Doctors are educated guessers. There is hope. There is no plateau.

Comments

Rebecca Dutton said…

this post gave me goose bumps.

January 3, 2019 at 7:44 AM

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