Stroke Awareness Month
What the word STROKE means to me
By Cleo Hutton
Coauthor of Striking Back at Stroke: A Doctor-Patient Journal (Dana Press)
If you are reading this newsletter you’re already aware of the impact of stroke. As a twelve year veteran of stroke, I’d like to share some challenging thoughts on the subject. To me, the word stroke has taken on a new meaning. Although I know the medical terminology of stroke, the word seems to create a life of its own after the patient is sent home from the hospital. It is then that we are faced with the reality of living with stroke or moving from patient to person again.
So for me, STROKE is further defined as:
Strength equals empowerment, choice, enthusiasm and hope. You may, at first, feel powerless as your body tires easily. I’m sure that you felt the words power, choice, enthusiasm and hope were not part of your vocabulary after stroke. All of these words seemed empty. But your inner-strength lies in the first choice you have to make. That is, whether you accept that you have reached a “plateau” in healing or whether you are inwardly strong enough to overcome this obstacle. As stroke survivors we learn quickly that life isn’t fair. We may have known this fact all of our lives but stroke has certainly driven the point home. We grieve. But it is what we do with what happens to us that is our making or breaking. And we don’t have to go through the recovery process all alone. We choose to have our loved ones surround us with support. We are grateful for their concern for us. We hang on to hope for a better tomorrow. We are enthusiastic over our accomplishments.
Time is necessary to heal, evaluate, and learn. These three aspects of time do not necessarily happen in this order, but tend to vacillate as we heal. We slowly begin to learn all we can about our particular stroke and the parts of the brain affected. In doing so, we determine our strategy of compensating and how to best use our stroke affected side so that other areas of our brain begin to take on new adaptive roles. In time, we begin to learn that anger can be our friend. Sometimes we get so angry we learn to do a new task no matter how long it takes! It is angers cousin, Rage, we want to stay away from. In time, we learn to be our own best advocate. In time, we realize our limitations but continually strive to improve.
Rehabilitation will be ongoing. When we begin to slowly move from patient to person we realize that physical therapy equals daily exercises we perform at home. Vocational therapy involves our daily tasks such as bathing, making the bed, and preparing meals. Recreational therapy now involves getting out into the community again. Emotional therapy includes family intervention. In time, we realize that stroke has affected each family member and that it is our responsibility to support them as well. The rehabilitation we began learning in the hospital will last forever as we become skilled at adapting to a new lifestyle.
Opportunity! Sometimes we have to knock on many doors to make this happen. Change is difficult. Again, we have a choice; to look at life as an opportunity or allow depression to get the best of us. Among the many challenges are opportunities for growth in our spiritual, educational, and personal lives. We may choose to look at our lives as an opportunity to slow down and enjoy every day. We may choose to take an opportunity to learn a new skill. It is in the challenges we face everyday that we find opportunity to grow into an even better person than we where the day before. We choose to view opportunities rather than handicaps. We slowly begin to view our assets rather than our stroke deficits.
Knowledge and kindness are next in my new definition of stroke. Family dynamics require patience and understanding. Be kind to yourself and your loved ones. Relax, regroup and take one task at a time. However, be careful that your loved ones don’t smother you with good intentions! There are so many things we need to learn to do by ourselves.
Environment must be safe and uncluttered. Soon, we discover adaptive skills that assist us in working our body and our mind. For example, we learn how to safely test water temperature with our unaffected hand. We practice picking up coins from a table in order to get our affected fingers working again. We make sure that friendships fill our environment to help us heal.
It is true that every facet of your life will change after stroke. It will be up to you to find your definition of stroke – your meaning of healing.
Copyright © May 2004
The Stroke Network, Inc.
P.O. Box 492 Abingdon,
Maryland 21009
All rights reserved.