HostTracy

Hello everyone I just wanted to invite everyone to come and join in at Room #2 Stroke Survivior Chat. I will be hosting Mondays and Wednesdays from 3-4 EST! 🙂 Hi everyone chat is open today right now! Come on by. 🙂

(((HUGS))) You know I stole this from you! Ithink of you everytime I use it. I feel it's the perfect "virtual hug".

Sue we are here for you during thick or thin. For me and I am sure so many you have been a blessing of support and gratitude. Who am I if I can't be the same for you. The scariest moments in my whole life have all been the unknown. I needed those around me, for me to have some sense of grounding. You and I both know easy is not a useful word in these times. For that knowledge, I send prayer to comfort you when you most need it. Know that I am here and hope you'll allow those of us you have so kindly supported to do the same for you. Stay strong and feel the love, support, and prayer sent your way when doing so may be so difficult or scary. Prayers from afar...now let's go kick some c word butt!!!

Stroke Survivor Chat today at 3 pm EST! http://www.strokechat.net/ Janelle 4am eek. I've been there too you know I would love for you to visit (I will hope for your sleep 😴).

So sorry to hear about your friend Mark. The power of words and honesty is remarkable when it comes to making friends we have never met. We love them and respect them as a part of our lives and hold the truth that we are a part of theirs. Surreal. Grief is still the same. I'm happy to hear you are enriching your life after stroke and not living in a safety box. Kindred spirits are healing. God bless you, your friend and her extended family and friends.

Link to chat: http://www.strokechat.net/

See you today at 3 EST (eastern standard time)! 🙂

These things are so so true. I can't agree more. Being there and being present for your friend is the greatest thing you can do immediately after he wakes from his stroke. He has a long hard road ahead of him and to not feel alone, or to know you are there during this long journey is HUGE. Jerry will have a lot of therapeutic help at first and man it will be hard. He is really lucky to have you. I also would like to tell you about our forums and other community programs here that can help you as well. There are forums for caregivers and I know all you have to do is ask and someone will answer. There is also a caregiver chat (look at the chat schedule) where you can meet and talk to other caregivers. You can also ask questions, talk about your concerns, talk about the stresses that may come along with caregiving, and find support. There are also links to other Strokenetwork sites in Quick Links at the top in a drop down menu, there is a caretaker link there as well as others that deal with stroke, stroke deficits, and the health side of stroke. Under Quick Links you can also "Ask an expert" and a link to Strokenet Blogs. I hope some of these things help Jerry. 🙂 God bless.

Hello everyone I just wanted to invite everyone to come and join in at Room #2 Stroke Survivior Chat. I will be hosting Mondays and Wednesdays from 3-4 EST! 🙂

Janelle I hate that you deal with this too but I'm ok that I have company. Well at least it makes me feel less like a do do bird lol. The past 5 days have been totally weird...I have been exhausted 24/7. Falling asleep around 8 with my light on, waking up at like 1am and take my meds, do something mindless because I am now awake a little, fall back to sleep with the light on, wake up at 6am and have to get up-get coffee-mix an egg bowl with cheese, salt, pepper-eat-and then fall asleep in the recliner till about 10. 😬 I can't say I won't nap in between that time and dinner! I keep thinking I must be getting sick but thankfully not so far. Perplexing. 🤔

Janelle I know what you mean. For the past month my sleeping routine has gone out the door! First I am having serious problems with getting to sleep...I'm talking get to sleep by 4am because I am now thoroughly exhausted, set my alarms (4) for 10am because I need to GET UP! I have meds, a daily schedule I plan, and I want to be tired or able to sleep earlier the next night. So I sleep through all 4 of my alarms, wake up around noon or 12:30, take my meds at a not good time, feel frustrated with myself, have daytime sleepiness for the rest of the day (try not to take a nap...I'm not always successful), get into bed around 10 but do things to keep my head quiet, try multiple times to turn off the light and get comfortable and fall asleep, and eventually turn on the light and do something to get me exhausted until I can fall asleep. It's a whole cycle. 😐

🙂 Pam so glad your biopsy came out good. Funny how a little scare will welcome next year's dreaded testing. I think I have felt the same way for probably about 15 years (that was my breast cancer scare...prompted my first mammogram...scariest few days of my life). Ladies...check your boobies every month. It's important! 😉😘

I know I do that. I find it the best way to see my strives and how far I have come. I also do that sorta by keeping a very detailed planner. My speech therapist spent many weeks helping me to build a habit. I can see where I made leaps of improvement and in more recent times overlooked improvement. It's all filled with good and bad. I am glad I have these.

Oh Pam...I feel for you friend. I needed round the clock protection right after the stroke but then things seemed to act "right". Up until I had a cold. Coughing, sneezing, OMG just seeing the toilet has got me several times. I was hospitalized about a year ago for 4-5 days and on oxygen, had a blinding headache, couldn't sleep. It was awful and I begged for a sleeping pill. Which they did give me. I slept (once I got to sleep at 4 am) until the next day at about 6pm. When my daughter came in to visit. I had been unconscious the whole day, no food, no drink, as far as I know no vitals (I know that is not true). Either way, I woke up with my hair wet on the back of my head. 😱 I had peed a bazillion times through the diaper thingy. My whole bed was wet, my back, my clothes, yes I took a bath in pee. How do i come out of that with a little dignity. Thankfully, I don't remember a whole lot right after the stroke in the hospital. I do remember this (ok fellas this may be too much tmi...just saying. Pop out now if you wanna skip). I could not communicate but for a few single words not thoughts. I lay in that bed unable to walk without having someone on both sides to just the bedside potty in my room. Each time I cried and said "blood". No one understood, and they didn't see any blood until day 2. I went potty and the nurse was like oh my goodness did you start your period. I just started crying and said "blood". You see I had been having female issues and a month long period. 😑 I had a 2 day old tampon still there. I couldn't even fetch it myself. I was given these mesh hospital panties with an enormous pad insert. Hell I just prayed I'd make it back to bed, much less pull anything up or down or replace the inner diaper. So many times I got back in bed with those mesh panties falling off my butt because no one would help me and I couldn't do it. There was no dignity to be had...I was too unable to do more than cry about it. Anyways, I wasn't too exhausted to let the nurse go fish out the old tampon...I was thinking you need a little gross to touch your day. I still have to keep a supply of protection for the occasional need. I'm glad I can complete the needed steps needed to accomplish this. I've been there though...and it doesn't feel good. Dignity loses. It never feels quite right when you need precaution. Being women it is common after childbirth and after years but it still never feels right. Add in what stroke managed to weaken and well...their is no good follow up here. I hope you get it sorted and help when needed. Pam I think I have a little monster in me...I'm just like well no one wants to help me...let's see what happens. 😡 That is lack of dignity talking. (((Hugs)))

Very wise words Pam. Each day is a renewed appreciation for life. 💖

Heather I hear you!!! I live in the southeast of US...😰 weather/climate is just one of those things very disagreeable with me here. Winters are typically semi mild and above freezing but we get those severe northern dips in the jet stream that bring freezing rain, sleet, ice, snow, or just plain freezing temperatures. OUCH my fingers, toes, and joints. Spring and Fall are usually really nice...bright warming sunlight, flowers, a burst of green everywhere in the spring and crisp (usually bright days), mild everything, gentle breeze, sometimes chilly nights, and a spectacular view of trees bursting into reds, oranges, yellows, and browns as they get ready to shed their leaves in the fall. Then dreary winter...damp, windy, grey, empty, dead vegetation, less daylight, and cold snaps (southern talk lol) with to me dreadfully cold temperatures (sometimes winter precipitation) and tons more rain. On the opposite side...summer starts with typical 80 something degree weather, blue skies, green and lush...it then gets hotter and hotter and dryer and dryer. Typical July-August temperatures are in the 90's and almost every year there are moments of 100 degree heat. We also have crazy humidity during the really hot summer months. No typical southerner gets up without the use of their choice of deodorant/antiperspirant. You're gonna sweat here.😓 It's one of those "I feel like writing days 😁... hence the long post.