HostAsha

Dave: I am so touched by gesture of your pastor. I am sure your pastor's visit gave you hope & strength to fight on. I think that's what matters. I remember when so many friends visited me at the hospital. It gave me comfort knowing that I was loved. Asha

Dyan: he looks adorable as pirate though don't tell him that. BTW I need to change my pants too now & I wasn't even driving. I am so glad you were alert & avoided accident. hope he learnt lesson from this, tell him to never ever to do that again or I wil get mad. Asha

Leah: I am so sorry to hear about your beloved Jerry, but I am sure he will watching over you as your angel. please take care of yourself & we are all here for you in your virtual world. I pray God gives you strength to get through this difficult phase in your life. hugs, Asha

Dyan: :congrats: I am so happy for all of you, celebrate all small milestones since soon they will all add up & make life so much easier for everyone. Also please allow him to be more independent. because more he will do it for himself easier & faster it will become. I am so thankful to my hubby, more he allowed me to try doing things myself even if it is very frustrating. now I have become pro in it. post cayden's pictures. Asha

Fred: I believe tin "the secret" more positive you think more positive things you attract in your life, and life becomes so much more joyful. I know once my mindset changed about my stroke & my life. I feel life has become such a joyous journey & I am able to look at the stroke as blessing in my life, it made me wake up from my sleepwalking through life & enjoy every ordinary moment with my family cause since I am able to enjoy with them it makes them extraordinary moments for me. I feel everyone in their life is fighting some battle, but in fighting mine God has given me loving family's support. I believe that improvement never stops, & so does time, & I m not going to waste my time by being negative in my life. life is short & I m going to die enjoying each & every day. Asha

Fred: :congrats: on your walking unassisted. more you walk, easier it will get. very happy for you. Asha

Wes: I am so sorry to hear news of your wife's stroke, now she needs you to be strong for both of you. together you can get through this too. I know its hard to get comfort in knowing that God will not give you more than you can bear. but I believe hang in there right now & help your wife go through those treacherous post stroke waters. now your wife needs your strength. please keep us posted about her progress. Asha

Mike: define normal for me. I understand & feel your loss, because I have experienced similar loss, but I am here to tell you there is life after stroke, its just different not good or bad just different. sooner you will accept the way you are, sooner you will start enjoying your new normal. Time does not wait for any one, so don't waste it on being sad. keep faith & count your blessings every day. Asha

hi dsummersill: welcome to wonderful therupetic world of blogging. I am so glad cayden is doing so well even after suffering stroke at such a young age. what a fighter that young boy is. give him lot of hugs from his AshaAunty hope to see you around more often in our blogworld & our chatroom. I stroked at age 34 which left me paralysed on my left side & I never thought I would find joy in living again, but after 7 years on this stroke journey I find stroke as just bump in our life's journey. I realized there is life after stroke life is still good just little different, but there is good life after stroke possible. I am sure for cayden it will be much easier journey cause that's what he knows & that will his new normal. hope to see you more often Asha (now 41 year old survivor)

Leah: thank you for updating us through your blog. I know you are going through very difficult phase right now, but I am sure your faith in lord & with the strength of family & friends you will get through this hurdle in your life. you & Jerry will be in my thoughts and prayers. hugs, Asha

I heard above line of Maya Angelou from oprah & loved it. post stroke I have tendency to look back at my life & regret mistakes I made in my life, well in my 40 plus years I have made some good & bad choices which created my destiny. So I feel solely responsible for my own life. yes I have done mistakes in my life. that's why when I heard Maya Angelou's line " when you know better, you do better". I feel that line very comforting & forgiving. I feel free of guilt & feel as long as you learn from your mistakes & improve your life, your experience hasn't gone to waste. life is all about learning & doing better. another AHA moment for me. Asha

Fred: that's why I hate watching local news, It takes away hope from me & makes me sad 7 depressed for those unruly children. I am greatful to stroke it allowed me to stay home & raise our son well with help of my hubby. so atleast that great thing came out of my stroke. Asha

Katrina: :congrats: on your 10th anniversary. I feel you have not reached serene state of acceptance.let me remind you reaching acceptance does not mean giving up the hope, but accepting that yes stroke happened & left you with challenges in your life, but as you can see even with those challenges you have done pretty well for your life. give pat to yourself in the back & move on. I feel once you realize every one has some crosses to bear, & this is yours, but having faith that God is providing you help to be able to carry this cross. I believe we survived for a reason & not as a punishment. I agree with sue start volunteering so that you will see there are so many far worse off than you. Asha

Denny: ithanks for posting cassadi's pictures, she looks adorable & cute, though don't allow her to sleep at wheels that could be dangerous lol Asha

Sue: :congrats: for award I second denny's thoughts, you are valuable resource for caregivers & survivors alike no matter what stage of caregiving you are in. Asha

Mike: welcome back home, chill for little while & build stregth back again. it takes time to adjust to new normal & there is nothing wrong i asking for help that's why family is there. Asha

Katrina: I am glad things are working out for you, you are giving me desire to try too. keep up the good work Asha

Sue: I can understand your pain, I wish I had some magic wand to make it disappear all your heartbreak & sorrow, but since I don't have that one. I will pray for your strength & pray that you get accetance to this new situation sooner without any heartaches. hugs, Asha

Sue: I was rereading your blogs & comments on it & realized maybe you are ging through similar questions I went through after my stroke & loss of a job of "who am I" if not hands on caregiver then what's the point eh, I know I had gone through similar question after loss of my job & my identity along with it. Slowly I am learning & you will too, you are still Sue caregiver who loves her hubby Ray dearly & now taking care of him as hands off caregiver. you are still his loving wife, mother of wonderful children & grandmother of many. you are loved by many in real world & in virtual world. so hang on till you adjust to this new normal. hugs, Asha

Julie: when you wrire blog, don't forget to publish it otherwise it will go in draft form & no one will be able to see it Asha

Sue: as a survivor I learnt so much from your blogs I learnt what my hubby must be going through while being my caregiver & never complaining about anything. I learnt from your blogs what I can do to make our life's journey easier for both of us. So I feel even when your current problems are not similar to current caregivers we can all learn something from each other. I know I did. I feel your job as a caregiver now is more important one, since you are now his advocate in nursing home Asha

I love watching oprah in my retirement years & now that she has her own channel, I get to see more of her. I love her spiritual wisdom. In this new season she has introduced her lifeclass series where she talks about what she has learnt over the years while interviewing her guests. in yesterdays class she was discussing how our ego plays role in defining ourself. I know this personally since after my stroke I was more traumatized by who am I question than stroke. It took me long time to find my self worth as a person post stroke. she & eckhart tolle (author of new earth) had nailed it when they talked about how our ego has its way of identifying with material possession, job position & titles, & how lost we feel hen we loose any of it. like small child when his toy has been snatched away from him after listening & reading book slowly I am realizing to pay attention to my ego, but ofcourse ego is sneaky & has it way of finding other titles, so I am still work in progress & love watching her life class. some one mentioned great line in that class which I should engrave in my head. "I don't think its possible for others to hurt me they are giving their observation, I am giving meaning to it", My hubby nails it when if he says something & I take it personally, he always goes don't wear that statement as hat it wasn't meant to be your hat" Asha Asha

Annie: I agree with Jamie please don't do injustice to yourself by comparing to old you. look at what you can still do then what can't do. all little things like driving & walking don't take it for granted & loose amazing joy & grace in it. Stroke happened but you are still here & can still make best menoade out of your lemons. for me personally actively blogging & chatting with other survivors have help me deal with my new reality. Asha Asha

Debbie: I am so happy for you both, having those fun times with family makes life so much more meaningful & fun.When I have days like those I know my reason for surviving my stroke to be able to enjoy my life with my family & friends. Asha

Mike: you & your family will be in my thoughts & prayers. please update us as soon as you can. Asha