road to recovery

Bob recently relayed information from an article in the New York Times that suggested necessary activities for the road to stroke recovery it discussed three main areas to focus on: learning a new language, problem solving, and engaging in social activity.

I am working on learning Spanish and take lessons 2-3 times a week.  I wrote once before that stroke survivors are “world class problem solvers”. A recent example of this is when read an article about a woman in her 70’s that wins awards for swimming and a good friend of mine has a mother in her 90’s who swims twice a week.  I said to myself, “I can do this”. But, we no longer have a pool; so I had to “problem solve”.   Last week Donna and I checked out two pools that might be an option and fortunately my mother-in-law has a great pool so we tried it last Thursday.  Before swimming we had to assess the process and whether or not Donna could assist. She would need to help lower me onto the first step and then with the help of a bar in the middle of the steps I can lower myself the rest of the way.  I can get out but Donna has to lift me up after I put my leg brace back on.  I swam for over an hour and felt great.  To that end, I would add a fourth item to the road to stroke recovery:  exercise.  It is essential.

Regarding engaging in social activity, I generally always have something on the horizon. That way, I always have something to look forward to.  

worth the wait?

Please don’t misunderstand that just because my blog has been on a sabbatical for two months that I didn’t have anything to say.  I thought writing about more of my travels or accomplishments was getting to be tedious and no longer meeting the original objective of my blog which was to help stroke survivors in some fashion.

Having just crossed my 11 year anniversary of my stroke, I can summarize my situation by explaining what I can and cannot do and how I try to continue to stay challenged

I can:

·        travel domestic and Internationally with ease

·        get to the grocery store and back by myself

·        ride a stationary bicycle inside

·        plan for, shop and prepare meals

·        develop a marketing plan for my volunteer work

·        make dozens of cookies to support events with Donna’s help with packaging

·        take Spanish lessons three times week and perform associated homework

·        walk to nearby coffee shop/restaurant

·        walk to museums and parks in my neighborhood

·        perform all personal grooming

I cannot:

·        drive

·        bike outside by myself (My left-side neglect is so severe that I would likely miss traffic coming from the left).

·        walk on rough terrain alone

·        retain what I read comfortably and consistently resulting in poor memory retention

·        write or text without making tons of errors due to my poor vision and left neglect

·        Do any of this without bob.  11 years ago he vowed to see me succeed and teaches me how to have fun every day of my life and  that my identity is bigger than my circumstance

It is my belief that I have not plateaued and I am trying to turn my “cannots” into “cans” I recognize that I will never drive again.  Bring on Driverless cars!

There was a recent article in “Stroke” magazine stating that stroke survivors plateau in the first three months.  I call bullshit on this and am living proof that stroke survivors continue to evolve. It is all about the continuous remapping of the brain and neural networks. Come on brain research!

Last month I challenged myself by going go an art fair on my own. It was challenging because of the logistics and crowds, but I did it. The mantra for stroke survivors is continue to challenge yourself and those around you.

perpetuating a dream

Recently my sister-in-law and her husband perpetuated a dream of mine while challenging me physically by giving me a trip to Costa Rica last month. My dream is to one day speak Spanish fluently.  I started fulfilling this goal several years ago in Mexico while staying at a friend’s ranch for two weeks and taking daily lessons; where I learned the basics.   After this period I knew it was important to keep practicing so I attended meetups in Austin where we spoke Spanish over coffee and I had lessons via Skype three times a week.   In December 2016, I visited Guatemala for a total immersion experience. The Costa Rica trip was one month after Guatemala and I was anxious to see how and if I could apply my teachings.  It was the pinnacle because for the first time I was actually able to apply what I learned. Prior to the trip, most of my interactions were classroom based. I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to apply it.  Here are reasons this trip was so special and influential:

My sister-law arranged for Spanish-speaking only guides

·        We were on a bird-watching trip as well and this allowed me to significantly increase my vocabulary

·        To get to some of the locations required getting into small planes and boats so I was constantly challenged physically.

·        I am maintaining Spanish with the lessons via Skype to continue my journey.

As Dull as it Gets

Never in my wildest dreams did I think I could go to Antigua, Guatemala for 3 weeks for a total immersion Spanish school, but I did.  Why didn’t it cross my wildest dreams?  Because:

I had a severe stroke 10 years ago that left me unable to walk unassisted or use my left arm

I cannot walk on rough terrain

I cannot carry my own bags

I’m often forgetful and lose things

My husband worries about me too much.

I not used to being away from Bob and my family over the holidays

I was very fortunate that the timing of my classes coincided with friends needing to be in Antigua.  They helped me navigate the terrain while in my wheelchair. (Walking was not an option when outside the school; while in the wheelchair, I had to be in a constant wheelie to get over the bumps.)My friends were wonderful and I could not have done this without them.

When I arrived at the school, I got to my room with no towels, no toilet paper, and no phone at midnight, I immediately thought, I can’t do this.  These things were all fixed by morning.  I was there to learn Spanish and nothing was going to deter me from this goal.  The cost of the program included 4-6 hours of Spanish, and 3 meals a day, and my room.   When we were not attending class we were studying, eating, playing games such as Spanish Scrabble, enjoying the Antigua nightlife: restaurants, shopping, and attending cultural events,

An important point is Central America, like many places outside the U.S. is not at all handicap friendly.  At the school’s Christmas party, one of the students walking with a cane asked me if I knew how tough the terrain was in Antigua before I visited.  I indicated, “Yes, I had heard.””  And she said, “Boy are you brave.(That was a good moment. )

Thanks to this trip I have a big time travel bug, particularly outside the U.S. Fortunately, one month later is a planned trip to Costa Rica, thanks to my sister-in-law who understands my need to continue practicing Spanish. 

Anticipation

It’s a good thing.

I’m anticipating two big events.

The first is two weeks in Guatemala at a Spanish immersion school over the Christmas holiday.  I was invited by a friend who attended the same school several years ago.  At first Bob and I went through the reasons why this may not be good idea such as:

What if you fall

What if 5 hours of class a day is too much for you

What if you get homesick after the first week? (Why not consider one week vs two)

How will you shower?

What if you get sick from drinking the water?

What are you going to do in this country the other 14 hours when you’re not in class?

Walking will be very difficult due to the cobblestone streets

The school was wonderful in addressing all my concerns.  For this reason and my mother-in-law, I am now going to Guatemala in December.  Fortunately for me, she is in a “Just say yes. mode and persuaded Bob that we should do the same. It has been a goal for as long as I can remember to speak Spanish fluently.   

The second event is a trip to Costa Rica in February An early 60^th birthday gift from my sister-in-law and her husband. The timing couldn’t be better as it will allow me to immediately reinforce the Spanish after the school

My family and friends are helping me fulfill my lifelong goals. They see the whys and aren’t intimidated by the why nots. It takes a village….

"No distance for a handicapper"

I try to write about how I feel living as a disabled person but it is difficult for me, since I am not a professional writer.  Every once in a while a professional does articulate how I feel.  A case in point, the October 5^th article in The New York Times titled “A Disabled Life is a Life worth Living.”

Ben Mattlin, the author, is correct in stating, “We seek fair treatment, rightful access to everything in society — jobs, and romantic prospects, and so on. Highlighting the downside of disabilities seems counterproductive and self-pitying”.

Mattlin comments that living with a disability is to understand the fragility of life. Most of my friends are as Mattlin goes on to say, “at the pinnacle of their careers, and I’m just getting by. I shouldn’t complain, I tell myself. Unemployment among disabled people is crushingly high”.   Today, my work, which used to define me, is limited to volunteer work.  The work is satisfying but not rewarding.

I continue to evaluate the bright side of a disability. I am a “problem solver’ as Mattlin points out. I have found devices to help me cook, which is my passion. I have Hope, which allows me to walk, unaided by a human. I can also write with my non-dominant hand. Transportation is no longer an issue thanks to Uber, Bob, and my assistant, Donna.  I problem-solved my way to get to Guatemala for Christmas to attend a Spanish immersion school

It is a hassle to devise alternative methods to complete simple activities of living, a “so called normal life”. But when I figure alternatives out, I am liberated.

Thanks for listening.

Read the article for more insight

"noting ventured nothing gained" chapter 2

To date I have participated in 3 East End Sunday Farmers Markets with minimal success.  Minimal because even though we sold out of cookies, we did not make a profit; we did break even.  We are using the market as a test lab and so far I have learned, tying it to the 4Ps of marketing

Price: We initially had three different quantities and price points and now we only   sell a $5 with 6 regular cookies or $5 for12 mini rookies testing has proved this to be an acceptable price point and simple.

Placement: Our pop-up booth is often located close to other popular booths; In fact we were fortunate in our placement two weeks ago when customer invited me to participate in the grand opening of his motorcycle and coffee shop the following week which we did also with minimal success.

·        Position:  The best chocolate chip cookie in the East End – I continue to test the credibility of this.

·        Promotion: our only promotion is my sign an Facebook page  Facebook was used to invite customers to the coffee shop grand opening and it was standing room only or 3 hours

·         

·        The test lab also provides

·        -approximate quantities I need to bake each week

·         

·        Packaging:  we adjusted after 2 market tests to 6 vs 5 regular cookies per bag,

·        customers like “mini” food; hence the packaging adjustment

·        Recipe test customers really like my spicy cookies  as we coined them  “cookies with a kick” 

·        having samples is essential to selling; customers want to try the product

I stated in my previous blog that this venture helps put me on the track  to return to a  busy and meaningful life  the past couple of months were wonderfully busy and allowed for “dusting off” my marketing skills