THE FAITHFUL CAREGIVER - Vol. 34, June 2008 by Linda Schoenmann
A STROKE OF INSIGHT 
Jill Bolte Taylor was only 37 years old when she had a stroke. This Harvard-trained brain scientist observed her own mind completely deteriorate to the point where she could not walk, talk, read, write, or recall any of her life. It took 8 years for her to heal completely. I read her fascinating book “A Stroke of Insight” about the revelations she learned from the experience. Although the stroke left her mentally disabled at the time, she remembered everything that happened because she was not unconscious. She’s convinced her stroke was the best thing that could have happened to her!
Although stroke is the #1 disabler in our society, and 4 times more strokes occur in the left half of the brain which impairs language, Jill was saddened by the inability of the medical community to know how to communicate with someone who had a stroke. She responded positively to professionals who connected with her gently and calmly. Those who did not connect with her sapped her energy so she protected herself by ignoring their requests. She wants people to know: “Yelling louder does not help me understand you any better! Don’t be afraid of me. Speak more slowly. Enunciate more clearly. Please try again! I am in here. Come find me.”
The brain is the ultimate authority on what it needs to heal itself. Sleep is the brain’s way of taking a “time-out” from new stimulation. To protect her sleep, Jill used earplugs and turned the TV and phone down low. Unfortunately, it’s not common for stroke survivors to be permitted to sleep as much as they would like. When she was awake and had energy, Jill worked hard on therapy until she became tired. Then she honored the healing power of sleep.
Jill responded well with monkey-see, monkey-do behavior. She needed people to have faith in her ability to learn, heal, and grow; to focus on her ability, not her disability. She celebrated her daily triumphs because successes inspired her.
Jill advises we need to teach ourselves to tend carefully the garden of our minds. Because we have not learned how to more carefully manage what goes on inside our brains, we remain vulnerable to not only what other people think about us, but also to advertising and/or political manipulation.
Jill learned she is not in control of everything that happens to her, but she is in control of how she chooses to think and feel about those things. She believes that paying attention to our self-talk is very important to our mental health. Making the decision that internal verbal abuse is not acceptable behavior is the first step toward finding deep inner peace.
Another good book I read is “Living With Stroke: A Guide for Families” by Dr. Richard Senelick and Karla Dougherty. Since one family in 10 is touched by stroke, we should all be more educated about this major disabler. We should know the risk factors to help avoid stroke: high blood pressure (it’s the single biggest factor), smoking, obesity, high cholesterol, heart disease, heredity, diabetes, age, and taking birth control pills. Watch your weight, eat sensibly, and exercise regularly. Get regular checkups of your blood pressure, blood sugar, and heart beat. If you’re on hypertension medication, take it like clockwork.
To save a life…maybe your own!...this acronym may help you remember the stroke warning signs: S - speech or sudden confusion or trouble understanding; T - tingling or any sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body; R - remembering difficulties; O - off balance or sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination; K - killer headache with no known cause; E - eyes or sudden blurred, dimmed, or complete loss of vision in one or both eyes that lasts longer than a few seconds.
These warning signs might also mean a person is having a TIA (transient ischemic attack). They’re like mini-strokes but don’t leave permanent damage. TIA warning signs usually last 15 minutes, but can last up to 24 hours. Call 911 immediately, even if the symptoms go away. Quick response may prevent a full-fledged stroke. About 25% of people who have TIAs will have a stroke within 3 years unless their symptoms are treated.
If a person has a stroke and suffers loss of function, it does NOT mean loss of intelligence. Society tends to falsely depreciate the value of those who are not physically whole.
As my faithful readers know, my mom had a stroke March 30. More of her wonderful personality shines through each day. She has become a favorite at Stonehill Care Center in Dubuque, Iowa! Staff and residents alike enjoy saying "Hi" to her in order to see her beautiful smile in return. Although she can say only a few words at times, she’s able to communicate pretty good by pointing, nodding, and her very expressive expressions. She has her share of tears due to pain and frustration, but she has even more moments of joy.
Morgan (11), daughter of my sister Pam Wheelwright, has a special gift for working with her grandma. As a result of this experience, Morgan wants to become a Speech Therapist at Stonehill! For stroke survivors, it’s often easier to sing than talk. When my sister Diana Taylor celebrated a birthday recently, my mom was told to sing “Happy Birthday” to Di over the cell phone. My mom was able to sing several words clearly to give her daughter a most memorable birthday gift!
ALZHEIMER’s SUPPORT GROUP
The next meeting of the Iowa County Alzheimer’s Support Group is Wed. July 16 at 2:30pm at Bloomfield Manor.
In the Bible, the word ‘support’ means “to increase one another’s potential.” So increase your potential by joining our next get-together!
Until next time, keep up the good care for your loved one and take good care of yourself, too!