Support

If you are stroke survivor you already know the importance of support.  What you may not know is having a support team is even more important.  Let me explain.

I have by good fortune and some luck amassed a support team that nurtures my mind, body, spirit and soul on a regular basis.  My mind is challenged by my colleagues in Portland that allow me to work on key projects for their company. Also for my mind, I read everything I can get my hands on, do word puzzles, converse, and socialize. My mind wants to keep learning…it needs to keep learning

For body, I swim, ride a recumbent bike, lift weights and attend outpatient rehab four hours a week. Also essential for me is a focus on nutrition to keep my weight down in the event Bob or a caregiver would have to lift me.

For my spirit, I need to entertain my mind and keep my body healthy and strong, or my spirit starts to diminish and fade.  My spirit yearns for adventure. I have a wonderful group of girlfriends who have stuck with me since the worst part of the stroke through today. They constantly boost my spirit. About eight of us who have known each other since high school get together to celebrate our birthdays.  For my birthday, I requested we do something different and have a pool party. When I made this request I thought it was safe, because I never thought they would agree.  After all, the two most feared words in a woman’s lexicon are “pool party”!

My soul is fed through Bob, my parents, six siblings, their children, Bob’s parents and his three siblings.  They are a giant recurring source of support, love and encouragement and have been there with me from the beginning. That’s a support team.