My Aphasia Story
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This is a blog about my struggles as a young stroke survivor. I had a bilateral stroke at age 29.
My Aphasia Story
4y ago
Friends disappear after a stroke. This is a very common occurrence. See the following article:
https://www.brainline.org/article/what-happens-relationships-after-brain-injury
I’m an introvert. This makes it hard to make new friends. The introvert personality attribute didn’t change after my injury. In rehab, I worked my ass off on getting better rather than making friends with other patients. Apparently, the therapists saw this because they forced me to talk to different employees at the rehab.
After my injury, my old friends didn’t get it. I had different life worries such as paying for ho ..read more
My Aphasia Story
4y ago
Breakthroughs happen as a result of hard work. It doesn’t happen overnight. It is the result of persistence and keeping on and keeping on. It’s about finding people that believe in you and support you. These means that you might have to cut some people lose that don’t understand your journey which is easier said than done.
When I look back on where I came and to where I am today, I’m amazed. I posted this video in my last blog; however, I’ll post it below as well for comparison purposes. I recently spoke at a conference at IBICA (International Brain Injury Clubhouse Association).
In ICU:
Spe ..read more
My Aphasia Story
4y ago
Today marks my sixth anniversary of my stroke. I had global aphasia; I couldn’t speak or understand language. The stroke changed many things in my life. I lost my career and ability to have kids due to financial constraints. I had many things riding against me: Unsupportive employer and having a rare aphasia condition.
Today, what have I in my favor is my family and a non-profit named BIND that gives me a reason to get up in the morning. I also participate in a few volunteer positions. I went through 4 years of therapy; I had to use my retirement to pay for my therapy because health insuranc ..read more
My Aphasia Story
5y ago
Sometimes, I get frustrated and angry because I’ve worked so hard in my recovery and don’t have any financial benefits. We’re poor. I miss being able to travel. I wanted to have a kid or two.
I was in formal therapy for over 4 years. What did I get out of it? Sure, I’ve improved significantly. However, occasionally, I get reminders that my recovery wasn’t for nothing. I have some purpose in my life. My nickname is “Sister Bad Ass”. BIND Members started calling me that because I’m good at boxing. I help people. That helps to ease some of the pain. Here’s a sweet letter I got from one of ou ..read more
My Aphasia Story
5y ago
Dealing with depression after a stroke is a common. To curb the feelings of depression, I try to do find something productive to do during the day. It might be going to the gym, support group, or volunteering, or shopping. The key is connecting with positive people that will help you strive.
https://www.strokeassociation.org/en/about-stroke/effects-of-stroke/emotional-effects-of-stroke/depression-and-stroke ..read more