National Stroke Association and NBC have partnered in the fight against stroke and are excited to announce an upcoming television special: Brain Attack: A Stroke Survival Guide.

This one-hour show will educate the public about stroke risk, stroke symptom recognition (F.A.S.T.) and recent breakthroughs in rehabilitation. The show will feature real-life stories from stroke survivors, including celebrities, as well as encourage viewer participation with an interactive Stroke Smart quiz.

Brain Attack: A Stroke Survival Guide will air on NBC network stations around the country starting April 14th (see current schedule below). This show is an incredible opportunity to reach a large amount of people right before the kickoff of National Stroke Awareness Month in May. We hope the nation will join us in celebrating survivors and embracing the education and awareness of stroke.

Follow this link to learn more about it and to see when the special is airing in your area.

SUN.

HAPPY EASTER! IT'S TRADITION IN R FAMILY2 FILL SOMETHING THE KIDS NEED/WANT INSTEAD OF A BASKET (SO, 4 EX., JESS, SINCE SHE'S IN SOFTBALL, SHE HAD A BAG 4 HER EQUIPMENT). SEVERAL YEARS AGO, ON THE CHRISTMAS RT. AFTER MY STROKE, JJSS REQUESTED AN AMERICAAN GIRL DOLL W/A WHEELCHAIR (W/C). FIA HAS STARTED WANTING A W/C, SO HER EASTER "BASKET" WAS A BUILD-A-BEAR W/C! SHE WAS SO EXCITED 2 HAVE A "MRS. JENNY" BUILD-A-BEAR! NOW, THE GIRLS CAN SHARE THEIR W/C!

LAST WEEKEND, IF U R LDS, U KNOW IT WAS GENERAL CONFERENCE (R CHURCH LEADERS SPEND MANY HOURS TEACHING US VIA SATELLITE/CABLE).
JUST WATCHING IT WOULDN’T HELP MY PBA . NEITHER WOULD IT HELP 2 SIT SO I CAN'T C & JUST LISTEN–I NEED A DISTRACTION, SO I HEAR THE WORDS, BUT SPLIT MY FOCUS W/A DISTRACTION.
SO I'VE DISCOVERED THE JOY OF DOING MINDLESS ACTIVITIES (WHICH PILE UP, SINCE THEY NEED 2 BE DONE, BUT I HATE 2 USE MY "PRECIOUS TIME" 2 DO IT) & LISTEN ON THE INTERNET. IT WORKS SO GREAT! THE ONLY BUMMER IS, I DON'T KNOW WHO'S TALKING & I HAVE 2 BE AT HOME, SEPERATED FROM MY FAM. THE MAJOR POSITIVE IS, THAT TWICE A YEAR WE DO THIS, & I'D SAY MY SPIRITUAL SIDE HAS SERIOUSLY LACKED FOR 3 YEARS BECAUSE OF HOW I HAVE 2 DISTANCE MYSELF & PUT UP A WALL 2 FIGHT PBA. 4 INSTANCE,, I FAITHFULLY GO 2 CHURCH WEEKLY, BUT IT CAN BE A PBA-BATTLE & I CAN GET LITTLE OUT OF IT UNTIL I COME HOME & CAN BE ALONE 2 VERY LOUDLY CRY (& NO1 NEEDS 2 HEAR ABOVE ME) WHILE IT "SIMMERS."

THERE'S CLINICAL TRIALS ON A DRUG 4 PBA. HOW I'D LOVE 2 BE A PART! IF IT'D WORK, MY LIFE WOULD DRASTICALLY CHANGE!

THE PREVIOUS WEEKEND I HAD SOME INTERESTING EXPERIENCES:

I REALLY HATE 2 BE OUTSIDE (WHY:
BUGS LOVE 2 LAND ON ME,
LOW CIRCULATION MAKES ME COLDER SOONER,
RAIN—NEED I SAY MORE?,
SUNLIGHT, SINCE MY EYES R SENSATIVE 2 NATURAL LIGHT,
WIND—I GET STRAY HAIRS I MY FACE & MOUTH WHICH I'M NOT GAURANTEED 2 REACH & SINCE I'M DARK BLONDE, THEY R UNSEEN—THOUGH, MARK IS LOADS BETTER AT SPOTTING STRAY HAIRS THAN HE DID 3 YRS. AGO, WHICH CAN BE AMAZING, REALLY,
BUMPY GROUND—)

I ALSO HATE SPORTS. SO IMAGINE HOW THRILLED I WAS AT HEARING JESS, MY 7 YR. OLD, ANNOUNCE SHE WAS GOING 2 PLAY SOFTBALL! I HAD BEEN "TEAM MOM" 4 ZACH AT AGE 6, SO I KNEW IIT INVOLVED GAMES OUTSIDE, COLD OR HOT, SUNNY & WINDY. 2 WEEKS AGO WAS HER 1ST GAME. I WENT & TOOK PICS. AT JESS' SOFTBALL GAME. THE FUNNY THING WAS I COULD SEE NOTHING IN MY LCD, THANKS 2 SUNLIGHT & SUNGLASSES. BUT MY CAMERA WAS MOUNTED, SO I AIMED & SHOT. USUALLY, I CAN HEAR IT SNAP A PIC. THIS TIME, THOUGH, I HEARD NOTHING! I HAD NO IDEA IF I'D TAKEN PICS. & WHAT THEY'D LOOKED LIKE! BUT, ONCE I CROPPED, THEY WERE ALARMINGLY GOOD!

2 SUN. AGO, I WAS HEADED DOWNSTAIRS 2 MY COMP. (KIDS'ROOMS R CLOSE BY) AT 6:30 AM (NOTHING UNUSUAL, & I LIKE THE QUIET TIME W/O KIDS). EVER SINCE MY STROKE, I'M JUMPIER THAN U CAN IMAGINE—MY NERVES R ALWAYS ON THE EDGE. LIKE, WALKING IN MY ROOM, EVEN IF I KNOW SOME1 IS COMING, I JUMP & FREAK OUT. ANOTHER IS, I SWEAR I HAVE ARACNOPHOBIA, SO ZACH LIKES 2 PUT FAKE SPIDERS ON ME, WHICH IS WORSE W/DOUBLE VISION! & IT NEVER GETS OLD 2 SAY, "BOO!" AS I COME OUT THE ELEVATOR BACKWARDS! THE GREATEST FUN 4 MY FAM. IS MAKING ME JUMP & FREAK OUT.

SO I COME DOWNSTAIRS, DRIVING SLOWLY & ONLY LOOKING IMMEDIATELY IN FRONT OF ME, SINCE IT'S MOSTLY DARK. I'M ABOUT 2 TURN (REMEMBER, IT'S DARK, QUIET, & I THINK I'M ALONE), & C A SMILING JESS (MY EARLY RISER) JUST QUIETLY SITTING CRISS-CROSS IN MY PATH. 4 THE 1ST TIME SINCE MOVING HERE, I WAS TRULY SCARED ENOUGH 2 NOT ONLY JUMP, BUT SCREAM MY "CHHEWBACCA" SCREAM!

SAT.

REMEMBER HOW I FINGERSPELLED “CLEAN” & FIA GOT IT? I RESERVED EXCITEMENT FIGURING SHE GOT IT BECAUSE WE WERE CLEANING & SEVARAL TIMES I HAD SIGNED “CLEAN” 2 ZACH. MON., SHE WAS THRILLED 2 HAVE DAD HELP HER READ AT FHE (FAMILY HOME EVENING). WELL, GUESS WHAT? I WAS TYPING 4 JESS 2 READ, & FIA READ SOME! IT HAS BEEN 3 YRS. SINCE I TALKED 2 MY BABY! SHE WAS EXCITED, BUT I’M MORE SO–THOUGH U’D NEVER GUESS IT SINCE I’M BAWLING!

PBA
    AN EDUCATIONAL MOMENT:

I HAVE A STROKE-RELATED CONDITION CALLED PBA (AS EXPLAINED AT http://www.pseudobulbar.com/ & ALSO CALLED PSEUDOBULBAR AFFECT, PATHOLOGICAL LAUGHING AND CRYING, EMOTIONAL LABILITY, OR EMOTIONAL INCONTINENCE). IT'S A RESULT OF THE STROKE, BUT NOT STROKE-RELATED. IT EXPLAINS WHY I CAN'T CONTROL MY LAUGHING/CRYING, & IF I HAVE ANY SMALL EMOTION, IT'S AMPLIFIED.

      TEARS/LAUGHTER R NOT ALWAYS PROPORTIONAL 2 HOW I FEEL.

        4 EX., I CAN LAUGH/CRY WHEN I FEEL NOTHING OR DO NOT LAUGH/CRY WHEN I WANT. ANOTHER EX. IS THAT IFI MENTALLY KNOW IT'S STUPID 2 REACT, I MAY STILL LAUGH/CRY. YET ANOTHER EX. IS I CAN LAUGH WHEN I WANT 2 CRY, & VICE VERSA. PBA IS A HUGE PART OF MY DAILY LIFE & INTERFERES W/SOOO MUCH, BUT I IMAGINE IT'S ALSO HARD 4 MY FAMILY BECAUSE I CAN'T EVEN EXPLAIN IF THE EMOTION IS REAL! (IMAGINE GETTING HURT, & I LAUGH!) THE WORDS "I UNDERSTAND" R MEANT 2 EMPATHIIZE, BUT CAN BE FRUSTRATING BECAUSE EVEN I CAN'T UNDERSTAND IT!

        WHEN I AM MADE 2 CRY LOUD, LIKE I WOULD W/PUBLIC SPEAKING, I CAN'T SIGN OR THINK CLEARLY. I DON'T THINK LIKE I AM USED 2 THINKING–WORDS R OFTEN LOST & IT'S NOT UNTIL LATER THAT I CAN SAY WHAT I THINK. MY MEMORY'S ALSO WORSE, SO I CAN'T TYPE & RECALL WHAT I WROTE. I PREFER 2 TYPE & LEAVE WHILE IT'S READ–NOT 2 "HIDE," BUT SO IT'S HEARD (SINCE I'M SO LOUD).

        WHEN I DO SPEAK, PEOPLE EXPECT GREATNESS, BUT AS I SAID PREVIOUSLY, WORDS R HARDER 2 THINK OF NOW. I’M NOT ELOQUIENT…NEVER WAS B4! PRESIDENT THOMAS S. MONSON, IN THE LDS (MORMON) 1ST PRESIDENCY OF THE CHURCH, SAID: “You can share—in many ways—by the words you speak, by the example you set, by the manner in which you live your life.” I DO IT BY HOW I LIVE &/OR EXAMPLE.

        WHEN I SIGN AT HOME, THEY R SHORT, CONSISTING OF 2-3 SENTENCES. THEY HAVE 2 BE SHORT. I CAN’T SIGN WHAT I’D TYPE–PEOPLE CAN’T LISTEN THAT LONG (AS I SLOWLY FINGERRSPELL OUT SENTENCES). ALSO, WHAT I SAY IS VERY GENERIC. HAS 2 BE, SO I CAN SOMEWHAT CONTROL MY PBA. IT'S A REAL DILEMNA!

        IN CHURCH (U'LL UNDERSTAND IF U R LDS), MARK HAS OFFERED 2 TRANSLATE MY ASL IF I WANT 2 BEAR MY TESTIMONY, BUT PEOPLE WHO DO IT, DO IT BECAUSE THE SPIRIT SAYS 2 DO IT & GUIDES WHAT 2 SAY. I HAVE 2 PUT UP A WALL, BECAUSE OF PBA, SO I DON’T GET THATDESIRE OR GUIDANCE. USUALLY, IF I ALLOW THE SPIRIT 2 BE THERE, I CRY & HOWL LIKE NO1 IMAGINES (I CALL IT MY “PBA-FEST”), SO MARK MAY NOT BE HEARD, & THE PRIDE I HAVE IS DAMAGED THROUGH EMBARRASSMENT (I RARELY ALLOW IT BECAUSE I HATE 2 BE SUCH A SPEKTLE)!

ABOUT SUN.

SUN., I EXPERIENCED SOMETHING AMAZING. UNFORTUNATELY, IT INVOLVED FIA GETTING HURT. WE WERE AT MY PARENTS' HOUSE, & FIA REALLY SMACKED HER HEAD GOOD (THERE WAS A GOLF-BALL SIZE BUMP, SO SHE NOW SAYS SHE HAS "GOLF-HEAD"). ANYWAY, HERE SHE WAS PHYSICALLY & EMOTIONALLY BADLY INJURED, & SHE SCREAMED, "I WANT MAMA!" & SHE REACHED 4 ME. SHE KNOWS, LIKE MY OTHER KIDS, I CAN'T HELP PHYSICALLY, BUT I CAN HUG. SHE HAS COME 4 HUGS WHEN SHE WAS HURT B4 (WHILE THE OTHER KIDS REFUSE ME), BUT IT'S BEEN 3 YRS. SINCE A HURT KID BEGGED 4 ME!