Tag: Stroke

carotid, Effects of stroke, Moving through the world, Retirement, Stroke Recovery and Background1 Comment

TIAs and Aphasia

rbspecht

TIAs and Aphasia are not to be confused with Tiaras and Asparagus. TIAs and Aphasia are serious indications of something going wrong in your brain. Let me ask a couple of questions to put this in context. Have you ever found yourself short of words?  At a loss for words?  Have you ever had trouble thinking of the right word, or any word that will get your thought across?  And when you couldn’t string together three or four words that you could actually say, not even an “F” bomb, did you panic? That’s aphasia!  What happened?  Were you having a … Continue reading TIAs and Aphasia

Moving through the world, Retirement2 Comments

Hitting the creative wall in retirement

rbspecht

The creator part of me has hit a wall in retirement. It may be more of a speedbump than a wall. I just need to figure out how to move forward. Got any solutions for hitting the creative wall in retirement? I’ve got a lot of ideas, I just can’t get them done. There’s a lot of reasons for it. Its not inertia. I’m overwhelmed and it shows up as procrastination. I have an active retirement. Some activities are are driven by family and friends, and the necessities of a new retirement career. Some activiites are leftovers from my working … Continue reading Hitting the creative wall in retirement

cognitive model, Effects of stroke, Heart and Stroke, Moving through the world, Stroke Recovery and Background, Watching The WorldLeave a comment

Weaponizing Language; Using the "D" word

rbspecht

We learn very early in life how to weaponize language. School yard taunts, the verbal abuse we hurl at our siblings and our peers, the calculated assaults by our bullies begin to show us how language can be a weapon. Sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me. “ –English language childhood rhyme How very wrong we are. Missteps and misuse of language can have serious consequences and unforeseen repercussions. Current culture shows us how language can be politicized and weaponized. Here are a couple of links to sites that discuss it; Weaponizing language historically … Continue reading Weaponizing Language; Using the "D" word

Effects of stroke, Heart and Stroke, Moving through the world, Observations, Stroke Recovery and Background, Stroke TimelineLeave a comment

Stroke Recovery Distress

rbspecht

The most emotionally devastating emotional pivotal point in stroke recovery is the moment when you discover what’s been truly lost and the realization that its not coming back. For family and friends this is a heartbreaking ‘call to action’ that so many are not equipped to answer. For the stroke victim this is a devastating epiphany. Things will never be the same again. A simple truth, yes, however, becoming aware of it and knowing it to be true shapes the future. Continue reading Stroke Recovery Distress

Effects of stroke, Moving through the world, participate in your own life!, reaction time, Stroke Recovery and Background, Stroke Timeline, Watching The WorldLeave a comment

Just a speed-bump, not a full stop

rbspecht

I took a break from my ‘day’ job, and the re-deployment effort for this blog for a while there.  Why?  Because for a while there, it wasn’t coming as easily and the white noise was overwhelming. What wasn’t coming easily? ; My ability to get things done from a cognitive point of view.  Huh?  What does that mean? Here’s a somewhat snooty answer to the question “What wasn’t coming easily?”: Responding to complicated instructions with a sense of comfort, and in a demonstrably confident, repeatable, concise, clean manner was becoming clumsy; Holding up my end of a detailed conversation, assimilating … Continue reading Just a speed-bump, not a full stop

cognitive model, Effects of stroke, Heart and Stroke, self-talk, Stroke Recovery and Background1 Comment

Behaviour Amplifications as a result of stroke

rbspecht

I’m just giving some serious thought to the amplified behaviors I’ve experienced as a result of my hemorrhagic stroke and the embolization used to stop the bleed in my brain. I’m still fighting some of those amplified behaviors, desperately working to wrestle the bad ones into submission while trying to coax the good ones  into becoming the representative ‘me’ which the real me hides behind. I’ve tried to find some sage articles on the subject that may be lurking in the corridors of the internet, but without a lot of success. There seems to be a passing nod of acknowledgement  and validation  given … Continue reading Behaviour Amplifications as a result of stroke

Effects of stroke, Moving through the world, participate in your own life!, Stroke Recovery and BackgroundLeave a comment

Outside looking in…

rbspecht

I have these moments when I feel like I’m on the outside of my life, looking in… a peeping-tom trying to catch glimpses of the real me, and the real parts of my life. I sometimes imagine that I am walking along a darkened street, glancing in the windows of the houses I pass, the windows framing the activities of life and living.  I wait for the bits where its me doing the living, but it feels like they are few and far between.  I generally feel disconnected from forward momentum of my life. I’m not sure when this started … Continue reading Outside looking in…

Moving through the worldLeave a comment

It doesn’t need to be this difficult

rbspecht

Moving through the world should be an almost effortless thing.  There are so many people there to help, so many ‘things’ available to help remove obstacles.  Why does it feel more difficult then it needs to be? I find myself struggling lately. It all feels very much like that running through thigh high water kind of struggling.  I just can’t seem to get any real traction on so many things, yet I know I’m moving forward, but with great difficulty, and I am getting wet so I must be accomplishing something more than just expending energy.  I suppose that the sensation … Continue reading It doesn’t need to be this difficult

Eat Well, Move With Purpose, My Cancer Journey, Sleep Well, Stroke Recovery and BackgroundLeave a comment

Eat Well, Sleep Well, Move With Purpose

rbspecht

In my experience, looking forward and behind me from where I now find myself, trying to understand the different paths my various journeys have taken me along, I’ve come to believe that the road to recovery, and the maintenance of whatever balance you need to find with your body and your mind is predicated on a simple mantra that can be applied to how you live your life at every stage; Eat Well, Sleep Well, Move with Purpose. Yes, I know its been said before in many different ways. The one phrasing that comes to mind and is closest to the … Continue reading Eat Well, Sleep Well, Move With Purpose