Dunham Family and My Stroke Story!

IT IS OFFICIAL! I am running for re-election to the Board of the College of Western Idaho representing Zone 5! I am asking for your vote November 8th! Though I represent Zone 5, I am “elected at large” meaning ALL voters in Canyon and Ada Counties elect trustees. I have been on the board since the beginning in July of 2007 when we had one vacant building, a hundred acres, no programs, and no personnel. We didn't even have a phone.  Nevertheless, we had huge dreams and expectations!  In those nine years, CWI has become the hallmark of community college innovation, serving more than 20,000 students every year and helping business and industry to succeed.  Look what CWI has done so far!  https://youtu.be/GWYXZy3-ArY My job as a trustee is not finished yet. I am seeking another four-year term because I want to complete the accreditation process, finish our strategic planning process, and help develop our campuses in the valley. I hav...

Yesterday, I was deleting a whole bunch of old computer files because I am donating an old laptop. This laptop was the state of the art when I bought it in 06. I bought it when I cofounded a real estate school and I used it until my stroke in 12. I couldn't use the laptop after my stroke simply because it was confusing to me.  Therefore, opening old files was like opening a ghost life. I had thousands of emails from Envision Real Estate School, Boise State University, Idaho Commerce and Industry, and the Idaho Associated General-Contractors. For many years, long before Hillary Clinton had a private email server, I used two laptops: Company ones and my HP laptop. I have a habit of copying important emails from my work laptop and my HP private laptop. "Just in case." Opening old emails trying to clear sensitive information was like opening a window to a forgotten world. Real estate matters, strategic confidential emails plotting legislat...

Yesterday I had a doctors appointment. My wife is out of town and my son was still asleep when I left. Therefore, I wrote a note for our son to explain. Same handwriting! No misspellings other than a dog's name. The phrase "wrote a note" would seem to be second nature.  However, when you have aphasia, simple every day tasks sometimes are an unbearable struggle. For several years since my strokes, writing a simple note was incredibly difficult. When I try to write notes, I have to concentrate on every single letter. I used to be a grammar and spelling whiz. Today, my spelling skills are at best mediocre. That same doctors appointment, I had to fill out work. I had to write down our pharmacy which is "Fred Meyer on Franklin and Orchard." I had problems remembering the spelling of "Meyer." I could not remember how to spell "orchard."  Recently, noticed that filling out paperwork or writing notes are getting be...

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...

The results are in! I still have brain damage! However, the MRI and MRA procedures I had last Friday show that my brain images are just the same as a year ago. That is good news! The bad news is I still have neck pain since the rear-end collision I experienced last January. Despite PT, X-Rays, and very rough brain scans I have pain. In the hospital after my strokes, nurses posted a “pain scale” for me to describe my pain level. At that point, I needed the chart because I could not talk. During my PT because of the rear-ender, one of my therapists asked about my pain. I said, “In the hospital after my massive stroke, the doctor had to insert a port into my heart. That pain was a 10. It was awful!” The PT is helping. Nevertheless, I still get some sharp shooting pains. I sometimes wonder if the neck pain will just be there forever. I have also considered that I am getting older. Is the neck pain the result of the collision or being 55 years old? Years ago, my...

What is the age when you realize you are “middle aged?” According to “Dictionary.com,” the definition is   “ being of the age intermediate between youth and old age, roughly between 45 and 65.” I am 55 years old so I am in the middle of middle age. The other night, my son and I had dinner at a national chair restaurant. This was my first experience using my “Over 55+ Menu.” I laughed when I ordered. My son laughed too much I thought! “Dude,” I said, “You can walk home after you pay the bill yourself using my senior citizen's discount.” I really never thought about my age until my strokes happened. Sure, I was 50 years old, but my mortality was a distant concept. My strokes instantly made me feel old and vulnerable. When I got home from the hospital, though I could not “do math,” I tried to calculate milestones. What age will I be when my son graduates high school?  When will my 20 year life insurance policy end? When does my disability...

A hiatus from Facebook? A couple of days ago, I went into a convenience store. A clerk was telling another clerk, "today I'm going to do my annual Facebook check to see if I've missed anything for a year. Usually I never miss anything. I'll check it next year." The same day, one of my therapists said, "every once in a while I deactivate my Facebook account because I get tired of everything and clear my head.  I just want calmness in my life. I don't need to check in all the time."    A lot of social media is just blather. I'm thinking about heeding that sage advice. Perhaps, I need some serenity without social media blather. I get so tired of political rants and raves. I'm so tired of Obama, Hillary, and Trump apologists. So called "Progressives" and "Conservatives" are all the same now: Condescending arrogant talking heads. Al Sharpton, Rachel Maddow, Rush Limgaugh, Bill O'Reilly, etc. ar...