A WHILE AGO, FIA PROCLAIMED, "I'M SO GLAD I HAVE A MOM!" MARK'S RESPONSE WAS PRECISELY WHAT I WAS THINKING: "'4 A WHILE, U ACTUALLY HAD A CHOICE!"

I HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT THAT COMMENT. IS SHE STILL GLAD SHE HAS A MOM, IF I CAN'T TALK, WALK, ETC. ? OBVIOUSLY, YES. IS IT JUST BECAUSE I SIT W/HER WHILE SHE PLAYS COMP.. OR PLAY THINGS LIKE T"EA PARTY" MORE, SO SHE GETS MORE "QUALITY TIME?" IS IT JUST HER NUTURING NATURE? OR DOES SHE EVEN KNOW ANY BETTER?

SOON AFTER HER COMMENT, WE HAD A BREAK-THROUGH. MARK WAS BUSY AT DINNER & ASKED ZACH 2 GIVE HIS MOM WATER 2 DRINK. I WAS SHOCKED ZACH SAID OK (& HE DID REALLYWELL—BETTER THAN SOME, BECAUSE IT IS AN "ART FORM"). BUT BOY DID BOTH GIRLS BEG 2 DO IT! I THINK THEY WERE GLAD 2 HAVE A MOM THEN.

2DAY WE DID SWIM THERAPY. HAVE I MENTIONED "STAND UP HUGS?" THINK SO, BUT IN CASE: THE KIDS LINE UP IN THE POOL 2 GET A HUG FROM MOM, WHO'S STANDING. REALLY, I STAND & DO THERAPY ON LAND 2, BUT THE POOL IS SPECIAL & THE KIDS LOVE IT. I THINK THEY ARE GLAD 2 HAVE A MOM THEN, DESPITE EVERYTHING.

REMEMBER I SAID I WAS TIVOING A STROKE SHOW SAT.? I DID. HERE'S MY THOUGHTS:

THIS WAS MENTIONED:
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.

THAT'S NICE & EVERYTHING, BUT I DON'T C IT AS VERY PRACTICAL. I'M ALL 4 EDUCATING YOURSELF, BUT I MUCH PREFERED THE ADVICE THAT THIS CAN HAPPEN WHEN U R YOUNG. I'M ON A YOUNG STROKE STROKE SURVIVOR SUPPORT GROUP, & 24 SEEMS THE COMMON AGE 4 MANY "STROKEES." HOWEVER, WHEN WE COME 2 THE ER, DOCTOR'S COMMONLY SAY, "(S)HE'S TOO YOUNG TO HAVE A STROKE!" WWHATEVER. WHEN WILL THEY LEARN???

MARK HAD IMMEDIATELY RECOGNIZED THE SIGNS & ACTED–& ALL FROM A PHONE CALL, YET DOCTORS KEPT LOOKING & WASTING VALUABLE TIME, CERTAIN I WAS TOO YOUNG TO HAVE A STROKE. I, HOWEVER, WAS EXTREMELY UNEDUCATED & CLUELESS WHAT WAS HAPPENING. IT HAPPENS FAST—1 MIN. U R FINE, THE NEXT U R NOT. IT'S NOT LIKE I COULD'VE USED "F.A.S.T." I GUESS U COULD USE IT IF U WERE THERE EXACTLY WHEN IT HITS, BUT I THINK IT WAS OBVIOUS 2 EVEN MY YOUNG GIRLS THAT MOM WAS "NOT OK."

I COULD RELATE 2 SEVERAL PARTS OF STORIES FROM STROKEES ON THE SHOW, BUT IT SURPRISED ME 2 NOT HEAR ANOTHER COMMON PHRASE UPON WAKING AFTER U HAVE STROKED—"I WAS IN A NIGHTMARE." (IT'S SO SUR-REAL, I THINK A YR. WENT BY W/ME WANTING 2 "WAKE UP.") PERHAPS BECAUSE THEY INTERVIEWED MILD STROKE CASES, "FIT 4 TV." NO1 W/A TRACHE SCAR OR IN A W/C WAS WAS INTERVIEWED—EVERY1 SEEMED 2 HAVE A "MIRACULOUS RECOVERY," HAD IT HARD, BUT WAS FINE. THIS INFURIATED ME—2 TRIVIALIZE MY DAILY LIFE! THIS SHOW WAS 2 EDUCATE, SO WHY NOT SHOW THE VAST SCOPE 4 RECOVERY OR THE RECOVERY STAGES? I, PERSONALLY, HOPED 2 HEAR OF SOMETHING NEW ABOUT THE RECOVERY. I WAS DISSAPPOINTED.

1 QUES. REMAINED THOUGH: HOW 2 EDUCATE PEOPLE LIKE ME—B4 MY STROKE, I WOULD HAVE FLIPPED BY & NOT CHOSEN 2 WATCH, & DEFINITELY WOULDN'T HAVE TIVOED IT!