Dunham Family and My Stroke Story!

My wife mentioned to me that we need to document this surreal pandemic. It is tough to even describe the “everyday tasks” we now take for granted. In Idaho where I live, the governor has issued a “stay at home” order. Most people do not know what that really means. "Liquor and gun stores" are essential yet accounting firms are not? If this is the Apocalypse, maybe one of the four horsemen in Revelations will be drunk with a gun. The unknown is scaring the whole world. The widgets of our worldwide economy are disrupted. People are starting to realize the term “social distancing” and “supply chain” issues. The heralded digital economy is great. However, the bottom line is farmers and the dependent businesses make the whole world work. In my small universe, I am dealing with the unknown ramifications of the pandemic.   I am on the Board of the College of Western Idaho. We serve around 34,000 students in several locations. The college is aggressively working to delive...

After my strokes 8 years ago, a group of fellow stroke survivors formed the Idaho Aphasia, Apraxia, and Dysarthria Support Group. We meet weekly in person at St. Luke's in Meridian, Idaho. We developed a Facebook presence as well (Idaho Aphasia, Apraxia, and Dysarthria Facebook). We have followers all over the world now. "Strokes" are physically debilitating of course. However, the social isolation is often the worst part of "recovery." Stroke support groups fill an important need for being "connected" even when a stroke survivor loses the ability to communicate especially "talking." I have suspended our "face-to-face" meetings until this world wide pandemic is over. This world wide pandemic makes stroke isolation even worse. I really want all of you to know – survivors, care-givers, nurses, therapists, and staffs of the hospitals who support our group – that I appreciate all that you do. I need this group for me...