Collecting Data on Stroke and Other Brain Injury Survivors Can Be Simpler When One Problem is Gone

Collecting stroke data are the bane of researchers. Few people are aware of https://clinicaltrials.gov/ where someone goes in search of a clinical trial. And to collect data from the patients or families themselves is not often done because of the strictly adhered to schedules of hospitalized stroke survivors. Welcome to the "disconnect" when patients are shamefully discharged out the door. So re-invent the discharge.

And once they are discharged, there aren't any places to find "us." The survivors and families are confused and angry to find the next step because often, there isn't any next steps. The hospitals take the brunt of their topsy-turvy positions because they struggle to get responses to their post-discharge surveys and live under the fear of readmission. Wouldn’t your life be simpler if you have a way to stay in touch with us? Why don't you work with a team who is collaborating to find a solution? 

The dreadful, devastating experience is real and is reflected on so many issues around data. You eventually lose trust with survivors, and the data is in jeopardy. When you have restored the trust and get back in touch, why would data ever be an issue? Strokefocus is the answer.

All the survivor wants is a light at the end of the tunnel, but months that turn into years live in the dark. Your research is therefore running empty often in total disconnect with the survivor community. 

I understand you are looking for data and participants to your carefully designed research projects. I have also heard so many times that you are struggling to find us. It often takes your team of very talented graduate students months to collect some data merely enough for your regression analysis. They hate how laborious it is to find us. They hate how much they have to work on the phone convincing us to come to your lab. Some of us who participated in your studies vowed to never go back. Many of us feel your researchers have no idea what we are going through and the help we want. Making matters worse, we hear that because it is so hard to demonstrate the value and impact of your research, funding becomes harder and harder to get. 

After all, there are 8 million of us crying for help. Shouldn't the task of getting a few thousand data points be like a cake walk? The issue is not with data but with a disconnect that destroyed the trust between us. 

Data collection is nothing more than “getting to know you” on an industrial scale. But you don’t even know, in most cases,  where the “we” are. And sadly, our ties with society breaks, or disconnects, at every discharge office. 

To rebuild the trust and connection, let me start by helping you understand what a survivor goes through. I had a stroke and spent 3-1/2 months in the hospital. Friends, family members, and colleagues, all of whom dwindled in time to a select few, came to visit me in the trauma center, the stroke rehab, and the step-down unit.

But after a while, I didn't want them to come. They said ignorant things like "Can you go home if you can't walk" (as if that condition would last forever) or "I hate seeing you in your condition" (even though I couldn't do anything about it) that added to my sorrow. Having the stroke itself is easy compared to what comes after: trouble peeing, constant and medically-induced constipation, double vision, speech and the resultant communication problems, one-sided mobility, anger, confusion, and frustration leading to depression, and lots more. I want to forget but can't. 

Does my stroke experience sound vaguely familiar? Of course, it does. Stroke survivors, even though no two strokes are exactly the same, follow similar patterns of recovery, similar to Elizabeth Kubler-Ross's 5 stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance). But even Kubler-Ross, if she were alive today, would say the stroke survivors take longer to go through the steps than, say, a death of a friend.

If you do not help turn the discharge office into the starting point of a new type of connection, then you will continue to be like chasing zillions of untethered flying kites into oblivion. We both have a stake in the game! Work with us! (1)

(1) This blog was a collaboration between me and Jing (Daniel) Gu, the founder of Strokefocus.net (new release coming this month), a site that's revolutionary for stroke survivors, caregivers, family, friends, health professionals, anybody who has stroke in their genetic pool, and other people who just want to know about strokes. If you want to read more about gracious, thoughtful, and oh-so-brilliant Daniel, check out   https://stroketales.blogspot.com/2016/10/a-place-for-everything-stroke-and-other.html

You Are What You Eat: 10 Top Brain Foods

Ryan Gosling, the famous actor, once said, "There's something messed up with my brain." 

I say, "Get over yourself, Ryan. There's something messed up with everybody's brain," (albeit some more than others). How can there not be? The brain has 3 main parts, and the Cerebrum alone is the largest part that performs higher functions like interpreting touch, vision and hearing, as well as speech, reasoning, emotions, learning, and fine control of movement including our decisions to get up or not, to lavish ourselves or not, to push ourselves to exercise or not. It's only a matter of time until something goes awry with everybody.

So with all this power that the human brain possesses, we should feed the brain correctly, especially with stroke or traumatic brain injury survivors, trying our hardest to save what's remaining.   

The saying "You are what you eat," often said, has an interesting route. Here are the most notable:  

Anthelme Brillat-Savarin wrote, in Physiologie du Gout, ou Meditations de Gastronomie Transcendante, in 1826, wrote:

"Dis-moi ce que tu manges, je te dirai ce que tu es."
[Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are].

In an essay titled Concerning Spiritualism and Materialism, Ludwig Andreas Feuerbach, in 1863, wrote:

"Der Mensch ist, was er ißt."
[Man is what he eats].

Later on, in the 1920s, Victor Lindlahr, a nutritionist, linked good food to health, and developed the Catabolic Diet, still in effect today that require more energy and contain negative-calorie foods, like blueberries, broccoli, and white meat chicken or pork. Proponents of the Catabolic Diet say that if your diet is primarily made up of these foods, you'll lose weight even as you eat more. "Ninety per cent of the diseases known to man are caused by cheap foodstuffs. You are what you eat," said Lindlahr.

So interestingly enough, I reviewed 12 sites that all screamed, "Here! The 10 best brain foods!" and except for nuts/seeds, salmon, and dark chocolate, the most repeated (1 through 7) are all on the Catabolic Diet and are considered negative calorie foods, meaning go ahead and eat all you want. (Prediction: At first, you'll be delighted to eat 1 through 7 unendingly. But before the week has ended, I think you'll come to a limit on just how much you can eat limitlessly without turning green and having "bathroom" problems from 1 through 7. Just sayin'.)

The 10 best foods for brain health are:

1.   Blueberries 
2.   Apples
3.   Citrus fruit including lemons and oranges
4.   Avocados
5.   Broccoli 
6.   Carrots
7.   White meat--chicken or pork with no fat 
8.   Whole grain foods and Nuts
9.   Salmon--broiled or baked 
10. Dark chocolate

Side note: Sodium, sugar, refined carbohydrates, and processed foods are all curbed on the Catabolic Diet. While you're on the diet, you're instructed to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day and to drink plenty of water, though not when you're eating your meals. Drink water half an hour before meals and as much as your body can handle after meals. Coffee and tea are allowed, but only before or after, the same as with water. If you get hungry between meals, Lindlahr said to munch on raw celery.

I don't want to end before saying I've tried all the foods of this "best brain foods" list as part of my daily regimen for 3 months. As a stroke survivor, I ate differently before. I've noticed that my memory is better, both short and long term, and my ability to concentrate and focus on one thing at a time have improved. My frustration levels have dropped and I have less anxiety now. It took me a while to notice my improvements and, in addition, I've given up dairy and feel less sluggish, too. It's my imagination? Well, who cares! I feel better and that's what counts.

If you try the 10 best brain foods consistently, let me know if you see an improvement. My email address is hcwriter@gmail.com. Bon appetit!

Acupuncture Cures What Ails You? "Fallacy Man" Produces Quality Points That Give You Pause

A year ago, I spent some time telling my story about acupuncture after the stroke in an ego-centric moment. Chronic pain is a  bitch. Less pain now but still super 
annoying.
(https://stroketales.blogspot.com/2018/04/acupuncture-it-isnt-for-faint-of-heart.html). This post, also about acupuncture, is radically different, and deals with the myths as well as the pros and cons about the ancient art. 

The is from Harvard Medical School, written by Daniel Pendick in 2013, who says, "Chronic pain in the muscles and joints can make life miserable. Standard treatments like ice and heat, anti-inflammatory medications, physical therapy, and appropriate exercises can often ease the pain. But when they don’t, acupuncture is an option with a good track record that’s worth considering."

He goes on to say that there has been significant debate about acupuncture and its effectiveness for chronic pain. A  team of researchers studied the results of 29 different  studies involving nearly 18,000 participants. They concluded acupuncture relieved pain by roughly 50%, reported in Archives of Internal Medicine.

Acupuncture is virtually painless when done by an experienced practitioner, inserting hair-thin needles into the skin at various points. The purpose of the needles is to correct imbalances in the flow of energy called qi (pronounced “chee”), and "is thought to ease pain by affecting neurotransmitters, hormone levels, or the immune system," says Pendick. "Acupuncture treatments range from $65 to $125 per session." The acupuncturist usually takes a 3 or 4-year graduate degree covering all aspects of this Chinese medicine that include Chinese Herbal Medicine, Tui Na (massage), Tai Chi/Qi Gong (movement), and Chinese Dietary Therapy.

The Cleveland Clinic sponsored this 2014 article by Jamie Starkey, LAc (meaning Licensed Acupuncturist) in which she explores 10 myths surrounding acupuncture. 

Myth 1: Acupuncture hurts — after all, we’re talking needles

Fact: Although we use needles, they are very slender and fine (about the size of a cat whisker). You may or may not feel an initial prick, sometimes described as a mosquito bite. Any discomfort will either fade on its own or ease up as your acupuncturist adjusts the needles. You should experience a Qi (pronounced “chee”) sensation, often described as heaviness, throbbing or an electrical sensation. That’s your body’s healing energy doing its work

Myth 2: Acupuncture is ancient folk medicine; no legitimate healthcare professional would recommend it

Fact: Acupuncture is a treatment option that many medical institutions recommend. Even the United States military uses acupuncture. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funds many clinical research trials on acupuncture. Both the NIH and the World Health Organization (WHO) recognize acupuncture as a valid treatment for a wide range of conditions.

Myth 3: Most people who use, or practice, acupuncture are into ‘New Age’ healing

Fact: On the contrary, you probably have a friend, coworker or neighbor who receives acupuncture treatments.

Myth 4: Acupuncture may conflict with medication, physical therapy and other ‘mainstream’ conventional medical treatments

Fact: There is no conflict between acupuncture and conventional medicine; they complement one another. Acupuncture works nicely as an adjunct to your conventional treatment plan.

Myth 5: Acupuncture is only useful in treating pain

Fact: It’s true that acupuncture [may] help to relieve joint pain, including knee pain, back pain, headache, stomach pain, chemotherapy side effects, morning sickness, (high blood pressure, allergies, and depression. 

Myth 6: Acupuncture has a lot of side effects and you’ll need time off work

Fact: Acupuncture has few to no side effects. After your acupuncture session, you can usually carry on with your day without any restrictions.

Myth 7: Acupuncture’s effects are psychological. It doesn’t really do anything

Fact:  Acupuncture and its effects are far from psychological. Studies show that during acupuncture, our brains begin to release chemicals such as endorphins (natural painkillers) Acupuncture also has an anti-inflammatory effect and helps people’s immune system.

Myth 8: Once you start acupuncture, you’ll always need acupuncture

Fact: For most conditions, acupuncturists strive to improve your main problem so you do not have to return for more treatment. For chronic conditions, some people stay on a maintenance schedule, however, such as returning once a month, because acupuncture continues to help.

Myth 9: If you do not see results in one or two treatments, then you’re unlikely to benefit from acupuncture

Fact: The response to acupuncture is always an individual one. Some people respond quickly — within one, two or three treatments. Others need a full course of eight to 10 treatments. Acupuncture’s effects are cumulative, building with each treatment, so the acupuncturist will assess its effects after you complete a full series of treatments. Acupuncturists use a variety of styles and techniques, so if you do not see results with one clinician, seek out another acupuncturist.

Myth 10: You’ll need a doctor’s referral or a prescription for acupuncture

Fact: Guidelines vary by state. In the state of Ohio, for example, you do not need a doctor’s referral or prescription for acupuncture, but a physician should perform a diagnostic exam  for the condition you plan to treat. It is important you seek out a qualified and medically licensed acupuncturist before starting any course of treatment. [I found in Oregon that a doctor's referral or a prescription is not needed, too].

Kim Hennessee, L.Ac. wrote about a year ago, "Originally acupuncture needles were not made of stainless steel but of stone, bamboo and bone. Today’s needles are extremely fine in diameter (about the thickness of two human hairs) and are sterile and disposable. 

"Acupuncture is highly individualized; for example, if 50 people with the common cold received acupuncture, all 50 people could have different acupuncture points chosen as part of their treatment."

The World Health Organization released a report, Acupuncture:Review of Reports on Controlled Clinical Trials, which endorses the use of acupuncture for over 200 symptoms and diseases including low back pain, headache, nausea/vomiting, allergic rhinitis, depression/anxiety, side effects of chemotherapy and induction of labor.

Hennessee continues, "Acupuncture gained attention in the U.S. after President Nixon’s visit to China in 1972 when an accompanying reporter experienced significant post-operative pain relief after undergoing an emergency appendectomy and wrote about the benefits of acupuncture upon his return to the U.S."

In the United States alone, it is most common to study Five Element Traditional Acupuncture, TCM or Traditional Chinese Medicine Acupuncture, Japanese Acupuncture and Korean Constitutional Acupuncture which are all based in ancient principles of Chinese Medicine.

And this from the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) in 2018: 

"One therapy that has received considerable attention for the treatment of chronic pain is acupuncture. In an update of patient data meta-analysis published in the researchers with the Acupuncture Trialists' Collaboration concluded that acupuncture is effective for the treatment of chronic pain, that the effects of acupuncture persist over time, and that the benefits of acupuncture cannot be explained away solely by the placebo effect."

Jennifer Frost, M.D., medical director for the AAFP's Health of the Public and Science Division, said, "Many family physicians are open to 'alternative' therapies such as acupuncture. Most insurance plans don't cover acupuncture, which significantly reduces access." 

But the bottom line? "It's important that family physicians become aware of which professionals provide high-quality acupuncture in their area to ensure patients receive the best care."

In another lengthy article on acupuncture, written by an unknown source who identifies himself Fallacy Man, he gives us pause to think that acupuncture is a cure-all. He is the "con" in the debate.

Posted on January 14, 2019 (thelogicofscience.com), Fallacy Man says, "Acupuncture is based on pre-scientific mysticism. It is supposed to work via the manipulation of acupoints, but scientists have been unable to find evidence that acupoints actually exist (i.e., they are not physiologically distinguishable from other points on the body." 

He adds, "There is no known mechanism through which acupuncture could work. Nevertheless, thousands of tests have been conducted. Meta-analyses and systematic reviews of these tests are extremely inconsistent, with little agreement among them. Many analyses failed to find evidence that it is better than a placebo, while others found a significant difference. However, the positive results usually had very small effect sizes, suggesting that the results were not clinically significant and were likely statistical flukes." 

Calling acupuncture "prescientific malarky," he disdains inserted needles into "acupoints" along "meridians" that correct the "flow and balance." He also says the literature, i.e. studies, surrounding acupuncture is a "messy one," full of "fanciful tales without having that data to back them up.

"How likely is it really that poking needles into the skin can relieve pain, cure infectious diseases, help with childbirth, treat gastrointestinal problems, etc.? It doesn’t make sense based on everything else that we know," he says.

But nowhere in Fallacy Man's diatribe does he say dangers exist for acupuncture. Just anecdotal references that may not have acupuncture at fault at all.  No deaths from acupuncture, the supporters cry out!

So my conclusion is this: If the chronic pain keeps you from enjoying or concentrating or resenting the life you have, give acupuncture a try, or exhausting your chronic pain options as you cross acupuncture off your list as a failed experiment. 

10 Things You Should NOT Say to Somebody Who Is Depressed for Whatever Reason and What You Should Answer All the Time

The first year of my stroke in 2009, I was depressed, so much so that I was embarrassed to go outside and socialize. I thought everyone was staring at me when, the fact I learned much later, most people stare at everybody all the time. I wanted to commit suicide because I thought my life was over. But I didn't and it wasn't. Little did I know at first that there was a life out there beyond the stroke. Depression took me, albeit 8 years later, to a different, less stressful, more peaceful place.

According to WebMD (that glosses over topics for the average reader, just enough to know whether you should go see someone right away), there are 9 types of depression. If you suspect depression in yourself or a loved one, even close friends, get help or advise help. There's no need to suffer.

Major Depression

Major Depressive Disorder comes about if you feel depressed most of the time for most days of the week.

Some of symptoms you might have are:

• No interest or pleasure in the activities you liked to do before
• Weight gain or loss if it wasn't intentional
• Difficulty with sleep--getting to sleep or daytime sleepiness 
• Physical or mental restlessness or agitation 
• Tired with no energy
• Feelings of worthlessness or guilt
• Trouble making decisions or concentrating
• Thoughts of suicide

Your doctor might take your symptoms and diagnose you with you with Major Depressive Disorder if you have five or more of these symptoms on most days for 2 weeks or longer. WebMD says that at least one of the symptoms must be a loss of interest in activities or a depressed feeling or state of mind.

Talk therapy where you meet with a mental health specialist may help you find ways to manage your depression, including antidepressants. 

If therapy and medication don't help, there are other options. Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) with electrical impulses to your brain and Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) which uses magnets to stimulate certain areas of brain activity. 

Persistent Depressive Disorder

If you have depression that lasts for 2 years or longer, this is known as Persistent Depressive Disorder, and once called Dysthymia or Chronic Major Depression. 

Symptoms include:

• Overeating or eating too little
• Changes in sleep patterns
• Significant fatigue or loss of energy
• Poor self-esteem
• Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
• Feeling hopelessness

Talk therapy and various medications may get you out of that disorder, but don't be surprised if it's trial and error to start.

Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar Disorder, sometimes called Manic Depression, has someone with mood episodes be saddled with extraordinary high energy in addition to low depressive periods.

If you're in the low period, you'll have the symptoms of major depression. Again, talk therapy may help.

Medication can help bring your mood swings under control whether you're in a high or low period.

Seasonal Affective Disorder 

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a period of major depression, usually occurs during the winter months, short days with less sunlight. If you have SAD, antidepressants can help, but a bright light box for about 15-30 minutes each day may help instead. They're available on Amazon by typing in "bright light for SAD" in the Search box.

Psychotic Depression

Psychotic Depression have the symptoms of Major Depression along with psychotic symptoms which include hallucinations, delusions, or paranoia. 

Antidepressant and antipsychotic drugs can treat psychotic depression, with an option of ECT.

Postpartum Depression

Women who have major depression after childbirth may have Postpartum Depression. Antidepressant drugs can help, similar to treating major depression that has no childbirth.

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)

Women with PMDD have depression and other symptoms when their periods start.

You may also have:

• Mood swings
• Irritability
• Anxiety
• Trouble concentrating
• Fatigue
• Change in appetite or sleep habits
• Feelings of being overwhelmed

Antidepressant medication can possibly treat PMDD.

Situational Depression

Also called Stress Response Syndrome, Situational Depression, which isn't a technical term in psychiatry, happens during a divorce, from loss of employment, a death in your family, or similar catastrophic events. 

Talk therapy is the best option. 

Atypical Depression

If you have Atypical Depression, a positive event can often improve your mood, albeit for an unspecified time.

Other symptoms include:

• Increased appetite
• Sleeping more than usual
• Feeling of heaviness in your arms and legs
• Oversensitive to criticism

Your doctor may suggest a type called an SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) as the first step. 

The National Institutes of Health reports: 

• An estimated 17.3 million adults in the United States had at least one major depressive episode. This number represented 7.1% of all U.S. adults.
• The prevalence of major depressive episode was higher among adult females (8.7%) compared to males (5.3%).
• The prevalence of adults with a major depressive episode was highest among individuals aged 18-25 (13.1%).

So with the high number of depressive disorders in the US, not counting around the world, I think it is important to give Psysh Central's take on the worst things to say to someone who's depressed when they trivialize depression. Here goes my 10 un-favorites:

1.  "You just need to give yourself a kick in the rear."
2.  "It's all in your head."
3.  "I thought you were stronger than that.''
4.  "Pull yourself up by your bootstraps."
5.  "No one ever said life was fair."
6.  "Why don’t you just grow up?"
7.  "There are a lot of people worse off than you."
8.  "You think you’ve got problems…"
9.  "Everybody has a bad day now and then."
10.  And my all-time un-favorite:  “Just don’t think about it.”

Yes, good intentions, but stupidity also.

If you have a depressive disorder, here is my best line to reply:

"Shut the frig up!" (Please. You can substitute "frig" for a more suitable word. You have my blessing).

Debunking the Fallacies for the 10 Most-Used Stroke Myths

Debunk. Do you know the word? Here it is in the 
Merriam-Webster Dictionary:

Definition of debunk: 
to expose the sham or falseness of

This post is for people who think that stroke is a "you'll get over it" situation. And it's also for stroke survivors who didn't realize that what they went through was and  is really huge. So that's what I'm doing right now: Debunking the myths around stroke. I’m tired of the lack of complete  stroke awareness, of stroke being on the back burner. Stroke should be first and foremost, baby, and here's why.

For stroke 1) to kill about 140,000 Americans each year, 
2) for stroke to occur every 40 seconds, 
3) for stroke to happen to more than 795,000 people in the United States alone, 
4) for stroke to cost the United States an estimated $34 billion each year including the cost of health care services, medicines to treat stroke, and missed time for work, 
5) for stroke to be a leading cause of serious long-term disability, 
6) for stroke to be the major cause in reduced mobility in more than half of stroke survivors age 65 and over, 
you deserve to know. And now comes the debunking.

Fallacy #1: Stroke recovery only happens in the first 3 months after a stroke.

Truth: While some of the healing takes place in the first few months, recovery can happen anytime if somebody is willing to put the time into physical therapy and other healing options including acupuncture and cannabis. I remember an Occupational Therapist saying to me in Bacharach Institute for Rehabilitation, Pomona, NJ, in the first three months after the stroke, "The window is closing. After the three months, the chance of recovery is slim." I was petrified, thinking the "window is closing." And here I am now, 10 years and 8 traumatic falls later, with better skills than ever. I wish I remembered his name and call him out right here in my blog. That's "old school" thinking, man. 

Fallacy #2: If you’re in pain, it’s a stroke.

Truth: As a matter of fact, many stroke patients don’t feel any pain. The more common signs include loss of balance, dizziness, trouble with speaking, numbness in extremities, and trouble understanding those around you.

Fallacy #3: Strokes don’t affect people under the age of 65.

Truth: Strokes even happens to babies in utero. One in ten strokes occur in people age 45 and younger, and those numbers are rising, especially among millennials.

Fallacy #4: Stroke happens in the heart.

Truth: Strokes occur when blood supply to a portion of the brain is diminished or cut off.

Fallacy #5: Strokes don’t run in families.

Truth: The threat of having a stroke increases for those with a family history of stroke.

Fallacy #6: Strokes are uncommon.

Truth: You wish that were so, but there are 7 million stroke survivors in the United States and stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the US alone, and it's a top reason for disability around the world.

Fallacy #7: Small strokes don’t need medical attention.

Truth: Every stroke needs medical attention right away. Prompt treatment could be the difference between life and death and between making a full recovery vs having long-term effects.

Fallacy #8: Stroke survivors have no life anymore.

Truth: Although many survivors live with the effects of stroke for the rest of their lives, many make a strong comeback and live a good life. Look at me, for example. I used to be a runner, played the piano, and knit scarves for the family. Even though I can't do those things anymore, I read more and, of course, write.

Fallacy #9: Aspirin is an effective home remedy for stroke.

Truth: Aspirin is not always a safe remedy for a stroke. Aspirin could actually be harmful if you are having a stroke caused by bleeding (hemorrhagic stroke) in the brain. Aspirin could intensify the bleeding. 

Fallacy #10: Strokes always come about without any such warning. 

Truth: Some strokes simply happen without warning. But many strokes happen with what many describe as "the worst headache of my life." In my case, I got a bad headache, too, but I didn't go to the hospital. I just chalked it up to stress from work or bad sinuses. Other signs are numbness or pain in the extremities, confusion, or dizziness.  

So there you have it. Debunked! Aah. I feel better now.

By the way, this idea was given to me by the gifted and humble Daniel, the President (I call him that because he started it) of http://www.strokefocus.net. Join please! You will get much material and comfort on strokes, knowing that you're not alone, and TBIs (Traumatic Brain Injuries) are welcome, too! 

How Did "Stroke" Become Its Name?

This post is a change from the usual, which I needed, having researched and wrote about urination and constipation in my last two posts. Give this girl a break! They were important to write about and nobody else seemed to be doing it, but c'mon. Thus, a change from the usual.

So I was always fascinated with the derivation of words. I probably should have taken Latin in high school, but I didn't, being too occupied by the male gender and taking as little effort as possible with my studies. That's why I went to Temple University. Everybody gets in to Temple. 

Anyway, because of my love for the written word, and finding writing easy, I had a column in the local paper, Teen Scene, at the tender age of 16. I got paid $10 a column in the mid-60s which was a lot of money for me back then. I went on to many other opportunities including columns at other local papers when I was in my twenties and a freelance gig with a consumer column in the The Philadelphia Daily News and articles in The Inquirer when I was in my thirties. I tell you all this because writing came effortless to me, and it was the one thing which made me proud to be a writer. I went on to many other jobs, but they all involved writing. Thus, my magnetism to the written word was notable. 

So I always wondered about the word "stroke" and its derivation after a few years of depression when I had a stroke. I wondered but didn't do anything about it until now. So here is what I found, compliments of Johns Hopkins Health Library. 

In ancient Greece over 2400 years ago, Hippocrates, the father of medicine, first knew of "stroke" who referred to it as apoplexia, a term meaning "struck down by violence."  In the mid-1600s, Jacob Wepfer discovered that patients who died with apoplexia also had bleeding in the brain and realized that a blockage in one of the brain's blood vessels could cause apoplexia. Apoplexy, as the term was used more in centuries that ensued, meant that a person suddenly developed paralysis and a variety of changes in appearance and mood. At that time, doctors had no or little knowledge of paralysis and the brain.  

The science of medicine at times continued to study the cause, symptoms, and treatment of apoplexy when in 1928, apoplexy was divided into categories, based on the source of the problems with the blood vessel. This progression evolved to the term "cerebral vascular accident" (CVA). CVAs were referred to as a "brain attack" to note a lack of blood supply to the brain, similar to a heart attack which is caused by a lack of blood supply to the heart. Brain attack also suggested an immediate emergency procedure.

The original Greek terminology, "struck down by violence," (it  could have been called "struck") eventually turned into "stroke" (or apoplexy, which means the same thing as stroke), and apoplexy became "old school" in the 20th century. Doctors still say CVA, but stroke became the usual term with the general public. 

Doctors most often recommend to stop smoking, a healthy diet low in sodium and plenty fruits and vegetables (fruits are higher in carbohydrates than vegetables, so think about that if you're watching your carb intake), and exercise at least 3 to 4 days a week for at least 40 minutes a day. For stroke survivors who have trouble doing the 40 minutes all at once, most PTs (physical therapists) say break the 40 into smaller intervals until your endurance can handle 40 minutes at one time.

While a stroke can’t always be prevented--I got my stroke from lousy genes, Protein S Deficiency, which messes with coagulation and clots--taking these guidelines can only help reduce your stroke risk as much as possible besides leading you to a more healthy lifestyle. In addition, it may help you avoid another stroke if you've already had one.