Happy New Year my Friends! And we are well into the New Year. Having a great journey! Wish you were here. Of course you are on your own journey. How is it?

Do you think my journey through the dark tunnel of total paralysis was a really tough challenge? You are right, it was. But many of us – including myself – are paralyzed in so many other ways and don’t know it. I also wonder where they might be paralyzed and don’t know it.

You have heard me say this many times. If you want to do something but just can’t seem to do it, you are, in a very real sense just as paralyzed and frustrated as I was. It is as frustrating for you as it was for me when I lay in a hospital bed, unable to move a finger – and you need understanding and help, not criticism. I am here to offer that support.

It is only right that I do so because I had plenty of help as I overcame my physical paralysis. I had the focus and attention of a professional medical staff, dear friends, and a fiercely supportive husband to defend my right to live and help me get “un-paralyzed.” They didn’t criticize me, they helped me. Now I am here to help you, not criticize you; to understand and help defend your right to live – really live – and deal with the personal, financial or business paralysis that keeps you from moving to your next level of personal and professional accomplishment.

January I was in Scranton, PA speaking at a prayer breakfast for Pennsylvanians for Human Life. While there I spoke at the Bishop O’Hannan and Bishop O’Hara high schools. It was enlightening for the students to see first hand how someone could effectively cope so well with a disability.

They had a lot of fun when a couple of brave souls ventured up front to try one-handed activities - wrapping a gift. Well, lets face it, as stroke survivors most of us are probably buying gift bags and by passing the one handed wrapping technique. But this past Christmas I was wrapping my gifts one handed with the tape between my knees. The wrapping job wasn't perfect - but I was proud of my accomplishment. Drop me an email of your one handed wrapping gift tips!

February I was in Colorado testifying for Colorado legislative, Senate Health and Human Services Committee and boy was it chilly cold! Morning temperatures of 6 degrees Fahrenheit that warmed up in the afternoon to a toasty 20 degrees above zero! I’ll stick with the sunny California weather, thank you very much! But I did enjoy the snow – from a distance as I enjoyed lunch at a cozy restaurant - appropriately called Kate’s - before heading to the capital.

As I juggle my speaking and writing career and my duties as a disabled mom, I often find myself overwhelmed – paralyzed – just as you do. While I’m still adapting and adjusting to my disability, my daughters are growing in leaps and bounds and adapting and adjusting to each new phase that life brings. With both girls now teenagers, I recently had to deal with a new situation I have never encountered before – head lice. Any of you parents reading this have no doubt had to deal with lice.

There is the phone call from the school, “Mrs. Klugman, we need to see you in the school office,” Why did they have to call me into the office like some errant child? Why couldn’t they just embarrass me over the phone – it is much easier on everyone. Well, it is complete shock and disbelief – MY children? Not MY children. Yuck! But you have to hide your dismay from them so they don’t end up with warped self esteem. Then it is off to the drug store for the treatments. Can you imagine dealing with the problem with only one good arm?

So the last couple of months both my daughters had bouts of lice – talk about being powerless. Just when I thought we were rid of the problem – the critters were back! I felt totally helpless thinking about trying to put on plastic gloves, lathering shampoo into their hair, then combing nits out section - by - section. Now I understand the expression “nit picking.”

For days, I imagined I could feel the little critters crawling around my scalp. (Here’s where a babysitter comes in handy) This was a task that definitely required rubber gloves, two hands along with a lot of patience! I was constantly itching my scalp! The solution…..asking for help. Trust me - I know everything I need to know about lice.

Email Kate at kadamson@strokenetwork.org.
Visit Kate’s website.