Author: jenannlynn

In March 2004, I suffered a severe brainstem stroke, & was "locked in" for several months". I have been married to a wonderful man, Mark ever since 1994, & we have 3 kids: Zach, Jessie, & Sophie. I have been blessed in so many ways by God, so I wanted to keep a blog to share my recovery, life, & answer questions.

HUMOR

Happy National Scrapbook Day!

Elder Eyring FROM THE LDS (MORMON) CHURCH says, "Humor is the key to endurance." I BELIEVE THAT 2 BE TRUE.

4 EX., IF SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS, I LAUGH & FIND HUMOR IN IT (IT CAN BE HARD, THOUGH, 2 HEAR ME LAUGHM IF U R UPSET)! I ALSO LAUGH WHEN I NEED STRENGTH (LIKE 2 RAISE A WEAK ARM 4 THE ELEVATOR BUTTON, OR 2 GET MY FOOT ON A FOOTREST). WHEN I CRY FROM PBA, OFTEN, I TURN IT INTO A LAUGH 2 STOP—IF U NOTICE, I'VE SURROUNDED MYSELF BY THOSE WHO MAKE ME LAUGH.

WHEN I DO TILT TABLE, I LIKE ENTERTAINMENT SOMEHOW. (I STAND IN 1 PLACE, STRAPPED 2 A BOARD FOR 30 -50 MIN.—THINK OF IT AS IF U CHOOSE 2 STAND IN 1 PLACE & CAN DO NOTHING—SO IF A NEARBY TV IS OFF, IT STAYS OFF.) OFTEN, I WATCH THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW, SINCE I CAN LAUGH & ENDURE THERAPY.

WED., I WAS ALARMED 2 C ELLEN ON STAGE, IN A HOSPITAL BED, STILL HOSTING HER SHOW, WHILE ON BEDREST IN A HOSPITAL BED—SPEAK OF "Humor is the key to endurance!" HOW I ADMIRED HER! I DON'T THINK II'VE EVER LAUGHED SO MUCH AT HER SHOW—IT HELPED SHE WAS JOKING WITH WHAT I DAILY DEAL WITH! HERE SHE WAS ON BED REST, MAKING PEOPLE LAUGH! MY TILT TABLE TIME WENT FASTER AS SHE MADE A POSSIBLY BAD SITUATION FUN. SHE FOUND WAYS 2 FIND WHAT WAS GOOD (LIKE STARS WERE INTERVIEWED IN ANOTHER BED, INSTEAD OF A CHAIR, SO NEXT WEEK'S PREVIEWS, SHE STATES SHE'S IN BED W/BON JOVI!)

MY PARALYSED FRIEND, A FELLOW MORMON, SAID, "It seems to me that the thing that makes the difference in being either hardened or softened by life’s experiences shared by so many, is faith in Christ, and the revelation of the truth and comforting assurance that comes to us through the Holy Ghost, as well as a sure knowledge as to where we came from, why we are here on earth, and what our ultimate destiny is as sons and daughters of God." I AGREE, BUT ADD THAT "Humor is the key to endurance."

HOLIDAYS

I HAVE 2 SHARE THAT May 5th is National Scrapbook Day.
I THINK YESTERDAY WAS International Disadvantaged People’s Day.
LASTY, May is National Stroke Awareness Month:
Dear Friend,

Women play an important role in all of our lives – they are our mothers, grandmothers, aunts, wives, sisters and best friends. Because we value and cherish these women, we must educate them about the risk of stroke. Consider these facts about stroke and women:

Twice as many women die from stroke than from breast cancer every year.
One-half of all African American women will die from stroke or heart disease.
More women than men die from stroke.
4 out of 5 American families will be affected by stroke.
Stroke is the third leading cause of death and the number one cause of adult disability in the United States.
The good news is that together we can prevent more than half a million strokes from occurring this year. National Stroke Association's National Stroke Awareness Month "The Women in Your Life" campaign is a national effort to increase awareness about stroke prevention, recognizing stroke symptoms and reacting F.A.S.T. to treat stroke. Recognizing stroke symptoms can be easy if you learn to think F.A.S.T.:

F = FACE Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop? A = ARMS Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward? S = SPEECH Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Does the speech sound slurred or strange? T = TIME If you observe any of these signs, then it's time to call 9-1-1.

National Stroke Association would appreciate your help in spreading the word about stroke through your participation in National Stroke Awareness Month. Check out our Web site for unique ideas for how you can promote stroke awareness during National Stroke Awareness Month. We now also have free and low cost promotional/educational materials available on our Web site for you to download to help you and community organizations plan or promote your local National Stroke Awareness activities. For more information, please visit us online at http://www.stroke.org/ or call 1-800-STROKES. More importantly, we urge you to pass this email on to all the women in your life so they too can be stroke smart.

HELP

IT'S AMAZING WHAT I CAN DO WHEN NO1 IS THERE 2 FALL BACK ON! OFTEN I FAIL, BUT W/EACH DAY, I GET STRONGER, SMARTER ABOUT MY CAPABILITIES, & MORE CREATIVE!

LAST WED., I WAS TRYING 2 REACH REAL FAR 2 GET A REMOTE, 4 THE TV, OFF MY BED. I GOT IT, BUT TILTED SO FAR TO THE RT., I WAS FALLING, YET STUCK THERE. THIS ISN'T NEW. ONCE, I TRIED 2 THROW TRASH AWAY (MARK WAS UPSTAIRS & I WAS DOWNSTAIRS) & I TILTED LIKE THIS (USUALLY, I FEEL IT HAPPENING & STOP, BUT I WAS PUSHING MY LUCK THIS TIME)—I HAD 2 FINALLY STOP TRYING 2 SIT MYSELF UPRIGHT & RESIGN 2 SOMEHOW REACH MY WIRELESS DOORBELL 2 RING MARK 4 HELP. BUT WED. I PUT THE REMOTE ON MY LAP & SAT MYSELF BACK UPRIGHT! THIS WAS ESP. AMAZING BECAUSE I WAS SITTING 2 FAR 2 THE LT. BUT FOUGHT THE NATURAL INCLINATION THAT CAUSES ME 2 FALL 2 MY RT.!

AFTER THAT, I HAD A PERSONAL VICTORY! I'M CONSTANTLY BENDING OVER 2 GET STUFF FROM THE FLOOR, EVEN THOUGH IT'S ABSURD—I'VE NEVER BEEN FLEXIBLE ENOUGH 2 REACH MUCH PAST MY FEET! BESIDES, IF I REACH IT, CAN I LIFT IT, WHEN A 1 POUND WEIGHT IS TOUGH?!? WED., MY REMOTE DROPPED ONTO MY FOOTREST. I COULD REACH SINCE I HAVE NEW TRICKS 2 BEND OVER (SOME WOULD ARGUE I "CHEAT"), BUT I WONDERED IF I WAS I STRONG ENOUGH 2 PICK IT UP? I WAS!

THURS., DESPITE DISLIKING OUTDOORS,I WAS DESPERATELY TRYING 2 C JESS PLAY SOFTBALL (REME,BER ABOUT MY EYES:I HAVE NO CLUE WHY, BUT IT'S HARD 2 DIFFERENTIATE GROUPS. 4 EX., ZACH LOVES LUBY'S (CAFETERIA STYLE FOOD). I CAN ONLY PICK OUT WHAT I WANT IF I'M TOLD WHAT'S THERE/) FIA WAS ON MY LAP, & BUMPED MY SUNGLASSES. IN TRYING 2 FIX THEM, THEY FELL OFF, BUT R VITAL 2 OPENING MY EYES IN NATURAL LIGHT. I TRIED SEVERAL TIMES W/NO LUCK—CHEAP SUNGLASSES DON'T STAY OPEN. I SUCCOMENDED 4 HELP, BUT HELP WAS BUSY, SO I TRIED SEVERAL MORE TIMES, & FINALLY GOT MY SUNGLASSES ON ALONE!

HUMAN NATURE IS 2 HELP SOME1 LIKE ME. OTHERWISE WE MAY MAKE AWFUL SOUNDS & FACES TRYING. BUT IT'S VITAL 2 TRY, EVEN IF WE R SLOW &/OR FAIL. RATHER THAN JUST GIVE HELP OR DO IT BECAUSE U R OBVIOUSLY FASTER, I KNOW I SOMETIMES LIKE 2 TRY & THEN HAVE AN OFFER &/OR BE ASKEDIF I WANT 2 HAVE HAVE HELP.

FIA PLAY

REMEMBER I SAID:
THEN THERE'S FIA. SHE'S COMPLETELY ACCEPTING OF THINGS NOW.

HERE'S AN EXERPT FROM THE JOURNAL I KEEP 4 HER, 2 SHOW HOW TRUE THAT IS, & 1 EX. OF HOW SHE PLAYS W/ME:
WHAT A ROTTEN DAY 2 BE SICK–FIA HAD 2 B-DAY PARTIES 2DAY THAT SHE WAS REALLY LOOKING FORWARD 2! 1 WAS 4 HER BF & COUSIN–SO IT MUST HAVE BEEN A BUMMER 2 C HER SIBLINGS GO! MOM WANTED HER 2 HAVE FUN AT HOME, BUT WASN’T SURE WHAT FIA WAS UP 2, SO FIA DIRECTED PLAY–AN HOUR OF COMP. GAMES ON MOM'S COMP. & AN HOUR OF PLAY (HIDE & SEEK, SHE SAT ON MY LAP & I DROVE ANYWHERE, FILLING BAGS4 US, TICKLES, ETC.) FIA EVEN CHOSE WHEN 2 FINISH. MOM DISCOVVERED HER PBA IS GOOD 4 SOMETHING–MOM’S INSTEGATED BY FIA’S LAUGH, & FIA LOVES 2 HEAR HER LAUGH!

BUT THE BEST THING INVOLVES THE VELCRO AROUND MOM’S LEFT WRIST 2 HER ARMREST (PUT ON AS A JOKE, BUT MOM LIKED IT BECAUSE HER ARM INVOLUNTARILY MOVES IF SHE LAUGHS/CRIES & SHE WAS TIRED OF GAURDING HER LT. ARM). ANYWAY, FIA KNOWS MOM’S LT. HAND DOESN’T WORK, SHE’D ATTACHED A LEASH 2 HER NIGHT SHIRT. MOM WAS 2 HOLD THE OTHER END, SO FIA ATTACHED THE LEASH 2 MOM’S VELCRO!

PLAY CONTINUED W/MOM LATER THAT EVENING: FIA GOT CREATIVE AS SHE USED A WHOOPIE CUSION ON VARIOUS PARTS OF MOM (FOOT, ARMPIT, HEAD, BACK OF CHAIR & MOM'S SHOULDER, ETC.), SINCE SHE COULDN’T RAISE HER BUTT!

JESS SCRAPS!

IT'S SAID "ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS." IT'S TRUE. RECENTLY, I WAS THOUROUGHLY CLEANING THE GIRLS' RM., & FOUND JESS' SCRAPBOOK SHE MADE ABOUT A YEAR AGO—A NOTEBOOK W/PICS & STICKERS! 2 CUTE! II'M EXTREMELY PROUD! BOTH MY GIRLS LOVE CRAFTS, SO I'VE BEEN WAITING 4 THE DAY. I TEND 2 THINK JESS IS YOUNG 2 LEAEN 2 SCRAP, UNTIL I REMEMBER SHE'S ONLY 1 YEAR AWAY FROM BEING 8 YRS. OLD & JOINING MY GIRLS AT CHURCH IN ACTIVITY DAYS–& THEY LOVE 2 SCRAPBOOK (I MAKE SIMPLE PAGES & DIRECT HOW 2 FILL IT IN!). AT 1ST, I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST "IN THE BLOOD," BUT I REALIZED IT'S THROUGH EXAMPLE—SHE'S SEEN MY PAGES!