On Wednesday afternoon, September
24, 2014, I attended the Saint Alphonsus Rehabilitation Center
rededication. The hospital remodeled
the rehabilitation spaces, and it was about a $1,000,000 proj
It was odd for me to go to the
celebration. Throughout my career, I have gone to hundreds of ceremonies like
this dedication. I saw people at the dedication who I have known for years. It
seemed like I was “there” just because I support so many causes. “Great! Mark
Dunham is at the dedication! Of course, he is there because that is what he
does to support the community.”
I chatted with many people, I ate
wonderful hors d'oeuvres, talked with political junkie’s about the upcoming
elections, and took a tour of the new remoldeled facilities like the therapy
room, the nurses stations, the rooms, and the “Easy Street” where brain injury patients practice for everyday
tasks.
It was bizarre for me. I almost
forgot that I was “here” as a patient not too long ago. I almost imagined I was
“here” supporting the hospital in a official capacity like my role as a Board
member at the College of Western Idaho or the American Heart and Stroke
Association. Many people at the celebration knew I had strokes. However, many people
did not. They assumed I was there to support the program as a public figure.
However, reality galvanizes my
memory when I see my old room, Room 3447, where I thought my life was over. I
could not even walk the hallway alone without a nurse beside me just in case I
would fall.
On Easy Street, I could not recognize an apple or a orange. "Orange" was the worst: A color and a fruit!
Saint Alphonsus has a wonderful Stroke Rehabilitation program. From their website:
Welcome to the Inpatient Stroke
Rehabilitation Program at Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center (SARMC). We
are located on the hospital's 3-West floor. The Stroke Program at SARMC has a
highly experienced, skilled team of therapists specializing in assisting people
recover from cerebrovascular accidents, also known as strokes.
The consequences of a stroke may cross
the entire spectrum of medical, physical, cognitive, behavioral, emotional and
psychological problems. Because of this, SARMC provides a team of
rehabilitation professionals who have specialized training in the treatment of
individuals who have survived a stroke.
The Stroke Program at SARMC places a
high priority on helping the patient and family deal with the effects of a
cerebrovascular accident. Both the patient and the family are key members of
the rehabilitation team and assist in goal setting and discharge planning. The
team works together in a collaborative manner to meet the needs of each patient
and family.
We laughed. It has been
less than three years.
Even now, “this” is horrifying
to me: “I had two strokes less than three years ago.”
It is ironic that the same
morning, September 24, 2014, I attended a
Aphasia Support Group at St. Lukes. I met two new participants who had strokes
and have the obligatory aphasia, apraxia, and dysarthria.
I
asked one woman if she could communicate via email. She said, “No because I
cannot read. However, my husband helps. Here is his email.”
The
problem, because of my strokes and aphasia, I still cannot hand-write at all!
We all
laughed, and one stroke survivor said something like “It takes six stroke survivors
to hand-write and copy a simple email address.”
In one
day, two meetings, and two different hospitals, the truth of my life was so
stark. I celebrate my recovery but I cannot do a simple task like writing a
note.
The mockery
of my life.
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