Hypnotist and Bobbie |
As a stroke survivor, I once considered hypnotism as a way to walk fast again. The doctor said hypnotism doesn't cure weak, atrophic body parts. But then there's Bobbie.
I was well and then I wasn't. In one second, my life changed forever. I type with only one, functional hand and am the author of "The Tales of a Stroke Patient," the true story behind my hemorrhagic stroke and its consequences, including gruesome health professionals, frightful depression, and near-death encounters. I'll take you on the journey in this blog I've written for over 10 years, but be prepared for a bumpy ride. Contact info: Joyce Hoffman / hcwriter@gmail.com
Hypnotist and Bobbie |
This story caught my eye about Pen Pals. Carole Lechan of Massachusetts and Jane Anderson of New Zealand have been pen pals since they were nine years old. Last week, after 56 years of writing, they finally met.
RACHEL MARTIN, HOST, as printed in NPR (National Public Radio):
Back in 1959, a little girl from Queens, N.Y, sent an airmail letter to another little girl in Sefton, New Zealand. The New Zealander wrote back. And the two began a correspondence that has lasted for 56 years. The two lifelong pen pals never met until last week. When Carole Lechan and Jane Anderson spotted each other at Logan Airport in Boston, they each smiled and locked arms in a huge embrace. Five decades after they first began writing, Anderson had finally come to find Lechan, who now lives in Massachusetts.
The old friends told The Boston Globe that they wrote each other five or six times a year, sending letters written in longhand that could take weeks to reach their destination. Carole Lechan said, quote, "when someone writes you a letter, you are bound by responsibility and courtesy to respond. So we just kept writing."
The two had updated their correspondence to email in recent years. But as strange as it may seem, they had never even spoken on the phone. I was just really surprised she would make this investment to come see me, Lechan says. But we're not getting any younger. And this is the time to do it.
I read those words and they seemed unlikely to happen to me. One in 100 million, I thought. But I have a Pen Pal now, too.
I never met her. We never talked on the phone. But in late Spring of this year, she inquired where she can find a copy of my book, The Tales of a Stroke Patient. Or she read my blog, The Tales of a Stroke Patient and More. I can't remember. It's as if she has always been here. Her name is Sara.
And so it began. I worry about Sara. She worries about me. I get her misery; she gets mine. We email or text, sometimes both, almost every day. She knows my children's names; I know hers. I know her husband's name; and I am happily divorced. I know her favorite things; she knows mine. But at the crux of it, why are we so connected? We are both stroke survivors.
There was something about Sara that charmed me. So I sent her my book after she gave me her address. She has favorable qualities--smart, friendly, attentive. I convinced her to join my Zoom support group so we could look at each other.
She was thinking of writing a book and her stroke misadventures. When I wrote my book, in the dusty back room of my ex-partner's house, he was always upstairs, I later knew, partly to escape me. I believe I repulsed him because the roles were reversed, much to his disdain, and I couldn't do the things I once did like go market shopping, help with the gardening, prepare meals. The only positive thing was I had no problem finishing the book which took two years. There wasn't a week that passed when I didn't say to myself, I wish I had an editor to help me with wording choice, chapter order options, proofreading.
So it was natural that I came to assume editorship at no charge of Sara's book. In Google docs which are shared between the two of us, I read all of her chapters to date--she has six--and I plan to stay with her not only until the book is published but for the long haul.
I feel a kinship and I'm inspired to starting a Pen Pal program among brain injury survivors--someone who understands, someone who gets you. Me and Sara--I think that's reason enough to get the ball rolling.
Here's a quick rundown of the 2 million people, in the US alone, who have lost all, or part, of the ability to use words to communicate:
Aphasia is defined as an impairment language caused by an injury to the brain, usually due to stroke, but it could happen from any type of brain injury.
Broca’s aphasia or expressive aphasia is when people find it very difficult to find and say the right words, although they probably know exactly what they want to say.
People with Broca's aphasia may only be able to say single words or very short sentences, although it’s usually possible for other people to understand what they mean. This can be very frustrating.
The features of Broca's aphasia are:
Wernicke’s aphasia or receptive aphasia is when someone is able to speak well and use long sentences, but what they say may not make sense. They may not know that what they're saying is wrong, so may get frustrated when people don’t understand them.
The features of Wernicke's aphasia are:
Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is a condition where language capabilities become slowly and progressively worse, leading to a gradual loss of the ability to:
Deterioration can happen slowly, over a period of years. Other mental functions such as memory, reasoning, insight and judgement are not usually affected.
It's important to get an accurate diagnosis for PPA. This is to rule out other degenerative brain disorders like Alzheimer's disease where language and memory and reason are affected.
The operative word here is "may." I have mostly Broca's aphasia, but I have no trouble with written expression. In fact, words come about easily through writing rather than speaking.
I was a Communication prof so being able to say words clearly was important in my playbook. Am I disgruntled at my speaking ability? You bet. Would I ever accept the stroke? No way. But if I don't fall anymore, that would be good enough for me.
Burning fossil fuels like coal and oil puts more and more carbon dioxide into the air. Too much of these greenhouse gases can cause Earth's atmosphere to trap more heat because the abundance of gases can't dissipate anymore and go back to the atmosphere.
Here's an example. Carbon dioxide up to the second Industrial Revolution in the mid 1800s was about 280 parts per million. As of 2018, the CO2 in the atmosphere was 407.4 ppm. And that's how bad the global warming is, and it will go up if we don't change our daily routine.
There was talk in the 1990s about car-pooling so there wouldn't be so many cars on the road, but Americans (of which I am one) need the freedom to go wherever they want and when they want as I did, too, before the stroke so most of them drive their own damn cars. There was also talk of solar and wind power. But much of that talk has died down.
So we only have to blame ourselves because humans have been rapidly changing the balance of gases in the atmosphere. So where does stroke come into the picture?
1. In one study from 2016, which used data from the United States and China because those two countries emit the most greenhouse gases, is one of the first to examine the interaction between air quality and the number of stroke cases.
Led by Longjian Liu, M.D., Ph.D., lead study author and an associate professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at Drexel University, across the two countries, researchers found that the total number of stroke cases rose 1.19 percent for each 10 micrograms per cubic meter of air increase of PM2.5 and also found that temperature had an impact on air quality and risk of stroke.
Thus, people living in the South of the United States had the highest prevalence of stroke at 4.2 percent compared with those in the West who had the lowest at 3 percent, Liu said.
Researchers also found that temperature had an impact on air quality and risk of stroke.
"Seasonal variations in air quality can be partly attributable to the climate changes," Liu said. "In the summer, there are lots of rainy and windy days, which can help disperse air pollution. High temperatures create a critical thermal stress that may lead to an increased risk for stroke and other heat- and air quality-related illnesses and deaths."
2. In a more recent study by Dr. Guoxing Li et al focused on YLL (years of life lost) and found that models used indicated projections to estimate temperature-related YLL in the 2050s and 2070s the monthly analysis to be a significant increase occurred in the summer months, particularly in August, with percent changes >150% in the 2050s and up to 300% in the 2070s.
So future changes, beginning right now, in climate are likely to lead to an increase in heat-related YLL.
3. And from 2021 comes this: Dawn O. Kleindorfer et al, in a study which focused on lifestyle factors, such as a healthy diet and physical activity, are key for preventing a second stroke. [A second stroke. I can't even imagine.]But yes, Sara, in the blink of an eye, it's all gone: confidence, empowerment, self-love. And now you have another job. You, like me, will probably never accept it, the final stage of grieving, and no, it's no reason to celebrate with those inane stroke-versaries, but what's the alternative! You should make it the best life you possibly can and join support groups, as many as you can find.
Here are two of the best support groups out there on Zoom:
Daniel's group meets at 1pm PST every Tuesday: The Zoom link is
https://zoom.us/j/3249406839Today
May 24, 2021
This morning when I woke, my first thought was the same as every other day: What day is it and what needs to be done: calls to make, appointments, is it trash day? Today is Monday and I have two calls to make to doctors. Then I realized the date and began to cry. 3 years ago on May 24, 2018, my world changed forever. I wonder who besides me will remember. I wonder if I want anyone to. If no one does, will it hurt me? If someone does, what is there for them to say anyway? Last year, in the same internal conflict, I wrote 2 short sentences of what I wanted to say, if it was mentioned. Nobody remembered, and the words were not needed. I am most fearful of those who want to celebrate today. They will say I should be happy; what I should think about today. While I understand why others would think that, I also know it will not be understood why I do not feel that way. Why I dread today. For this reason, I will not, cannot, remind anyone. This is not a happy day for me. I do not celebrate. It is not an anniversary. Anniversaries are happy times to celebrate joyous events. When the annual observance of the day a loved one died, it is a reminder of a loss. Sometimes a sad day, reflecting on the events or days prior to the passing. Perhaps reliving memories. Today is the annual reminder of such an unimaginable and unexpected loss. A reminder of the death of a loved one, the loss of a life loved – mine.
I am drawn into memories of May 24, 2018. I remember how the day was spent and with whom. The activities of the day before. My mind walks through the timeline. I remember a life of meaning. A happy, full life of excitement and joy for an anticipated future. Following a nice dinner with a good friend, with wonderful conversation and good wine, I was glowing. I remember a terrible pain in my head and an ambulance ride. I remember every article of clothing and piece of jewelry I wore (none of which was returned to me). The memories are painful, knowing that this life was erased only a few hours later. I remember waking in a hospital bed, an empty, nonfunctioning shell. The ability to move, gone. Sensation on half of my body, gone. My vision, gone. Half of my skull, gone. The joy of a life loved, gone. From glowing to the anguish of profound permanent loss in the blink of an eye.
For me, this day is an annual painful remembrance of the loss of a loved one. A day of mourning. Not an anniversary.
The fan base keeps growing! This time, an Air Force veteran, a dentist, and a healthcare advocate? This particular episode is about 3 people who share something in common. Stroke! See what each of them has to say on this topic:
Invisible Disability
Then the audience can ask intriguing questions and make pointed comments. And don't be afraid to disagree. Mark Garman, who hosts the channel of Determined TV, chooses resilient people who can stand up for themselves.
If you or a family member want to appear on Determined TV or have suggestions for a topic, here's the way you do it:
Visit our website at: https://www.determined.live
I like to write my own stuff, love it actually. People ask me all the time if I would sponsor their guest articles, and my answer 99% of the time is a kind albeit emphatic no. But this time, I differed from the pattern. Whatever the condition, I believe it would help many. So here it is, written by Claire Wentz for Caringfromafar.com, asking the correct questions all who are in this situation should consider.
Claire writes:
For more insight into life as a stroke survivor, be sure to bookmark
The Tales of a Stroke Patient and More.
Image courtesy of Pixabay
Ease Your Mind (and Financial Burden) by
Planning for Long-Term Care
Jayesh Patel had a sweet family and was living a good life when his existence was interrupted by tuberculosis and meningitis which led to a subsequent stroke.
Below is the interview by the Determined TV with Varun Patel, Jayesh Patel's brother- in-law.