Dunham Family and My Stroke Story!

Yesterday, my wife flew to the Grand Canyon with her mother and a sister. That is a red letter day for the Dunham's. This is the first time since my strokes 3 and a half years ago that I am alone with the responsibility to take care of our son. My wife is a saint. When my strokes happened, she took charge. She handled every minute detail, keeping visitors at bay, juggling a scared 6 year old boy with little help, and dealing with a barrage of people wanting any and all news.  Dunham's in the hospital: January 27, 2012 After my strokes and when I came home from the hospital after 18 days, she had to continue a hectic pace. Reassuring everyone including me that I would be OK even when she wasn't sure. She had to drive me to countless appointments and have a semblance of a "normal" life for our son.   I cannot imagine what her life was like. People keep saying that I was so strong. SHE was the strong one. When people cried about me, SHE was the shoulde...

On Saturday, May 16, 2015, I am walking in the Treasure Valley Heart Walk. I am walking because I can. The fact that I can walk at all is a miracle considering I had two strokes in January of 2012. I had a torn carotid artery. The second stroke happened in the hospital, and it was massive. I lost 20% of my brain. I lost all communication, have aphasia, apraxia, and I could not even remember my own name. Yet, I was lucky. Here are some statistics about strokes in the United States: ·                   Stroke kills almost 130,000 Americans each year— that’s 1 out of every 20 deaths. ·                   On average, one American dies from stroke every 4 minutes. ·                   Every year, more than 795,000 people in t...

The other day, I was talking with my 10 year old son about my childhood. He is getting more mature. The nuances of life make him ask questions about my life and our ancestors. He asked about when I was 10 years old like him. “Where did you live? What did you do every day? Who were your friends? What were your interests?” He does have some information, but now he genuinely wants to know. During the drive, I drove him past my dad’s mobile home. “Your dad lived there?” he said surprised.   “Yup,” I replied.  Mark and Stan Dunham! New Mobile Home in 1971 When I was 8 years old, my parents got divorced. We were in Twin Falls, Idaho, but my dad moved to Boise after that because he get a job promotion. Your Grandma remarried and we lived in Twin Falls. However, my dad bought a mobile home. At the point, that was all he could afford.” My son asked, “Did you see your dad much.” I said, “After the divorce, I actually had a much closer relationship thi...

After my strokes three years ago, I remember one of my many doctors and/or therapists saying something like “If you had to have a stroke, you are much better off than if it happened even a  decade ago.” There have been so many advances in stroke and aphasia rehab. Rather than stroke survivors not getting intense rehab, many stroke survivors did not have a lot of hope. Sit on the couch! I do remember one doctors telling my family and me that my second stroke was so severe I probably could not do much. “Them are fightin’ words!” In the 80% of my brain that is left, I continue with my recovery. The biggest problem is aphasia. I have blogged about it probably too much. For example: When I wrote this word “probably” I  actually wrote “problely.” I knew it was not correct. In my head, I was trying to type “probably.” Nevertheless, I typed “problely.” The very useful Microsoft Word tool suggested “ potbelly” instead.  So, I cheated and used “Siri” on my iP...

I love the show “The Big Bang Theory.” I never watched the show until I was it in the hospital after my strokes. Now it is my favorite show. I love the character of  Dr. Sheldon Cooper who has no filters. He said things that I wish I could say. But, I have filters.  I went to a lunch a few days ago where a Congressman spoke. It was like old home week in some respects. I saw so many people from my different worlds: Political, medical, insurance, hospitals, lobbyists, housing, real estate, etc. Many people said things like “you do not seem like you had any medical issues” or “you look great.”  That is nice to hear. But, in actuality, because people know that I had a stroke (or two) and I have no visible disability, those same people think I am just fine and completely recovered. Invisible brain scars.... “Thank goodness you are fine now! So, what are you doing these days?” I smile and say, “Well, I am on some boards that keep me busy.” “Re...

What You Will Learn From This: Living With Head and Brain Injury. – The Manifest-Station http://t.co/c8WRk46CvG

Recently, I read a short  article  about people in Great Britain returning to work after a stroke. The statistics I read said that about 65% of stroke survivors to return to work after their strokes. When I was a kid, I listened to Paul Harvey. He would often say “ Now you know the rest of the story!” When I think of that statistic and my strokes, I am amused. "Reading" that article was a massive chore for me.  After my strokes in January of 2012, the concept of work was terrifying. I was dealing with unspeakable emotions. I did not know my name though I did know my job. However, I could not speak about my job because I could not speak! In the hospital, one of my therapists said, “Maybe, you will go back to work in November (2012) in a limited basis.” Throughout those next few months, that was my goal. I assumed I would go back to work. Nevertheless, as the months dragged on and the fog in my brain started to lift slowly, I realized ther...