Saturday, April 27, 2019

Stroke Recovery Support Group


I remember when I spoke of the tube that went in my belly, and that I had to fill every night, and how filling it by myself was a big step in my recovery. And I remember them all rolling their eyes in acknowledgment. They knew.
     Maybe that was the moment I knew that this support group was going to “work.”
     Though my stroke is different from theirs (cerebellar, about 5 percent, and I always had control of both sides) and their brain injuries had different causes (usually accidents, whereas mine just happened, as is often the case), and they still can’t read, after 8 years (and that 8 took a while to figure out) and I could read after 4 months, they know what I am talking about.
      I learned that each recovery looks different. And knowing 1 Year versus having to figure out 8 is just 1 facet of that.
      And hanging out with people who know what you’re talking about makes all the difference in the world.
     You breathe a big sigh of relief!
     When you talk of a feeding tube, they know what you mean. And that is much bigger than just empathy.

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