Alon’s Story
I have climbed a mountain
I have climbed a mountain. For someone like me who has survived a stroke, this has meant stepping from “stroke victim”, climbing to “stroke survivor”, and, finally, reaching the summit at “stroke warrior”. My life post-stroke has been an adventurous journey. I have had to shed my victimhood, say goodbye to my doctors, therapists, and…
Continue ReadingTell that to the Stroke Warrior…
Overcoming aphasia is difficult but possible. Alon stepped up on stage this week to tell his story and pitch his startup business at One Million Cups of Coffee. Three years ago, I could talk by only using broken phrases.
Continue ReadingI can’t find my pinkie
What’s it like to deal with hand paralysis? This morning, I can’t find my little pinkie in my brain’s map of location. Furthermore, I can’t find my four toes (the big toe is hard to miss).
Continue ReadingBefore and after my stroke
Before I had the stroke, I cleaned, gardened, cooked, and did the laundry. I played with my daughters, nursed them back to health when they were sick, took them to school in the morning, and picked them up from school in the afternoon. I was the “assistant director” for my daughters; always at my daughters’…
Continue ReadingAnd, I wept
This memory poem is about my stay at CarePartners, a rehabilitation center, after suffering the consequences of a stroke. I penned this poem a few years later.
Continue ReadingMy sweet spot
My tango teachers, Eric and Cassie, taught me to understand the subtle “sense” of kinesthesia. Kinesthesia is the sense that detects bodily position, weight, or movement of the muscles, tendons, and joints. This is what happens when my brain gets feedback about the way my body is moving and the way my dance partner’s body…
Continue ReadingI had a very bad setback
Alon struggled with a setback in stroke recovery while traveling. I had a very bad set back on January 2, 2017 in New York City. My middle daughter and I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. We walked through every room at the museum, some even twice. The killer was the stairs. My affected…
Continue ReadingBrain Injury Camp
I was the only stroke warrior at the brain injury camp.
Continue ReadingI feel like a 14 year old wearing high heels
I feel like a 14 year old sashaying over grass in her high heels. I’m trying something different today; wearing sandals without my ankle brace. I’m walking around my home as I do the dishes, climb the stairs, stand up from my office chair, and hop up on my bed. While walking outside, my foot collapsed…
Continue ReadingWhat is a “plateau” of your stroke recovery?
“At six months out from a stroke, you don’t expect to see any further recovery.” “Oftentimes there is rapid recovery during the first three months, but then progress slows down. This eventually leads to a dreaded ‘plateau’ in recovery after about six months.” “Plateau” is an expression frequently used in relation to decisions to discharge…
Continue Reading