Yesterday, I met a new stroke survivor. She wept. Her stroke was 2 months ago. She cannot speak well. She has aphasia. She has some paralysis. I met her at a stroke support group. I have often said that “Stroke survivors are an exclusive club that no one ever wants to join.” Like it or not, she has joined our club. Her emotions are incredibly raw. At our group, all of our survivors tried to say “it will get better.” And it will. Nevertheless, we said it is OK to be pissed off and angry. “People” (in other words, non-stroke individuals) say things like “It’s God’s plan” or “This is your new reality.” The one that I detest the most is "my new normal." Really? Most survivors – if they can talk at all – respond to be polite: “Well, excuse me! That advice really helps! Thank you! I never thought about that.” Inside our broken brains, we are saying “bullshit.” You have NO idea what we go through every single day. New survivors are always t...
I am a stroke survivor. My blog is about my recovery, family, and possibilities.