What “weird” little things have you noticed post stroke?

• I AM FREEZING ONCE IT HITS 70 DEGREES–I WILL HAVE LONG SLEEVES, WHEN PEOPLE ARE DRESSING 4 SUMMER HERE. PEOPLE LEAVE THIS STATE THE MONTH OF JULY, CUZ ITS TOO HOT–LIKE 112 DEGREES. I LIKE IT!
• MY TEMPER FLARES REAL EASY, & WHILE I WAS ANXIOUS BEFORE, NOW IT’S AWFUL & I ALSO DON’T HAVE THE SAME HANDLE ON STRESS (THX GOODNESS MY HUSBAND IS A THERAPIST!)
• I LAUGH REALLY BAD AT A BURP OR A FART–PRE-STROKE, I WAS DISGUSTED BY THEM!
• I FEEL FANTOM BUGS OCCASIONALLY CRAWLING ON MY PARALYZED LIMBS–SOMETIMES THERE REALLY ARE BUGS, BUT USUALLY NOT!
• MY ATTENTION SPAN SEEMS TO WANDER ALSO….SO I TAKE RITALIN, & I UNDERTAND MORE & DO BETTER AT THERAPY.
• I CAN’T COUGH ON COMMAND… MY BODY JUST AUTOMATICALLY DOES IT.
• I’LL ALSO GET A WHOLE BODY SHIVER THAT MAKES ME TWITCH,
• I TAKE THESE OCCASIONAL BIG BREATHS THAT SEEM LIKE A SIGH

What has bothered you the most after your strokes?

I HATE THE LOSS OF INDEPENDENCE (I CAN’T EVEN POTTY ALONE, & IF I WANT I 2 GO PLACES, I NEED SOME1), & I LIKE MY ALONE TIME, SO MY HUSBAND HAS FOUND WAYS 2 BE LEFT HOME ALONE (LIKE, I CAN USE A PHONE 2 CALL 4 HELP, EVEN THOUGH I DON’T TALK!)

I ALSO HATE BEING SO DEPENDENT, & I CAN BE TOO STUBBORN TOO ASK FOR HELP, SO I KEEP TRYING UNTIL I FIND WAYS 2 DO THE EASY STUFF! I LEARN THE MOST WHEN I’M ALONE. THINGS TAKE LONGER,, BUT I GET CREATIVE, & MUCH MORE INDEPENDENT! PLUS, I FIND IT HELPS THAT I THINK I’M CAPABLE OF MORE THAN I SHOULD BE CAPABLE OF DOING, CUZ THEN WHEN I FAIL & AM FORCED BACK 2 REALITY, I CAN SEE THE BABY STEPS I NEED 2 ACTUALLY DO IT, & I’M SO STUBBORN & DETERMINED, THAT I’LL KEEP TRYING UNTIL I CAN DO IT, & BE RIGHT THAT I KNEW I COULD DO IT! LOL

HUMOR HELPS 2 DEAL W/IT, BUT MOST OF ALL, I CONCENTRATE ON WHAT I HAVE, NOT WHAT I DON’T HAVE!

Can you share more about your personal victories in your craft room?

IT IS JUST THINGS THAT ENCOURAGE MY INDEPENDENCE, BY FINDING CREATIVE WAYS 2 ACCOMPLISH A SIMPLE, “NORMAL” TASK:–THE THINGS I DO ARE SIMPLE TASKS 4 OTHER PEOPLE, BUT I MAY FIND UNIQUE & CREATIVE WAYS 2 ACCOMPLISH IT ONE-HANDED. SOMEEXAMPLES:
1. OPENING A CD CASE & PUTTING IN THE CD
2. ACCESSING & PUTTING IN THUMBDRIVES.,
3. HOW I SET UP THINGS SO I CAN BURN CDS ALONE
4. OPENING WRAPPERS 2 GET AT THINGS (SOME THINGS ARE SEALED, OTHERS TIE, & THEY ALL ARE DIFFERENT KINDS OF PAPER)
5. HOW I GET ZIPLOCS, POST-IT NOTES, & PENS OUT ON MY OWN, THEN HOW I OPEN THE ZIPLOC, PUT STUFF IN IT, & WRITE ON THE POST-IT THE THINGS I NEED MY CAREGIVER TO DO WITH WHAT IS IN THE ZIPLOC…
6. HOW I MOVE THINGS & CLEAN…
7. WHEN BLANK PAPER ACCIDENTALLY COMES OUT OF MY PRINTER, I CAN PUT IT BACK IN & PRINT ON IT.
8. HOW I PICK UP SLIPPERY FLAT, HEAVY, &/OR ROUND OBJECTS W/MY GRIPPER
9. HOW I MOVE CHAIRS, REACH THINGS, ETC.
RECENTLY, I WAS GOING THROUGH THE DOUBLES OF MY PICTURES, DECIDING WHAT TO THROW AWAY, & WHAT TO SCRAPBOOK. I ACCIDENTALLY THREW AWAY A PICTURE I HAD WANTED. THERE WERE A LOT OF PICTURES TO GO THROUGH, BUTT THHE TRASH HAD JUST BEEN EMPTIED, SO IT WAS JUST PICTURES. (KEEP IN MIND THAT A 2 POUND WEIGHT IS HEAVY FOR ME!) I WAS ABLE TO REMOVE THE LID & LOOK. AFTER A WHILE, I HAD 2 GIVE IN & HAVE HELP FINDING THE PICTURE, BUT AFTERWARDS, SOMEHOW I PICKED UP THE HEAVY TRASH CAN LID W/MY GRABBER, PUT THE LID ON CORRECTLY, & MOVED THE TRASH CAN BACK WHERE IT BELONGED.