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Recovery

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  I was in a wheelchair when I left, but haven't had to use it for over a year or more, now I use a walker, cane or rollator. I'm still crushing my goals, even if they are small. One of my goals was to lose weight, I've lost a ton of weight and I'm wearing clothes that I haven't worn since the stroke.     I have Fight Song by Rachel Platton https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xo1VInw-SKc as my theme song because I have a lot of fight left in me. I listen to it once in awhile if I'm having a bad day, then I'm reminded of how far I've come and I move on, don't let the little obstacles stop me from improving.     I have had people tell me that I am an inspiration to them. Thank you, I like to keep a positive mind & attitude and not sweat the small stuff. I have come a long way from where I was five years ago and I'm not done yet. If you are struggling with something, take a break and go back to it, be persistent and don't give up...
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Van Mater

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       It was mid October when I arrived at Van Mater Rehab Hospital.      My first full day there I had Physical & Occupational therapy a few hours each day. Some things were challenging to do with a tube sticking out of your stomach but the therapists made it work until the tube could come out. Pool therapy was my favorite.     When Joe was there, we would go to the dining room for me to practice rolling a ball across the table with my weak hand, I didn't want to but I did it. Some of the other things I had to do were picking things up with my right hand and maintaining a grip, that didn't go so well, still doesn't but it's better than it was. My handwriting is hit & miss, for the most part, it's legible. There was a time when I couldn't hold onto a utensil and ended up using my left hand. I would get mad when I was told to use my right hand but my family was right, it wasn't going to get better if I didn't use it.  ...
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Kindred Hospital

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         I arrived at Kindred Hospital in Sycamore late September/early October. I still had the vent and feeding tube but I was getting better.      When I was off the vent, the nurses had me out of bed sitting in a chair and would wheel me down to therapy a couple days a week. There wasn't a lot I could do, but what I could do they had me do it more each day I was there.It helped.     I had some visitors and phone calls while I was there, that made the day better. One of my Eakas friends, Julie had a card for every day that I was there (maybe longer), I appreciated it and enjoyed reading them. I saved all of them.    Matt & Laura had cookies sent to me but I couldn't eat them because of the feeding tube. Damn, was I hungry for one. I had to wait a little longer before I could eat one.      Joe had returned to work at this point but he would schedule visits with friends and family, and he...
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The Sneeze

     It was September 12, 2015, we were getting ready to run some errands when I sneezed and I had an excruiatring headache after but we still ran errands.      We went for lunch at our favorite restaurant, I think I ate half of my sandwich before feeling naucious, I threw up and the rest of the day was a blur. I was sick all weekend with the headache and nauscea, I couldn't keep anytrhing down, napping didn't help. I was still feeling like shit that Monday (September 14th) so I called off work, called my Dr. and was able to get in that day.             The Nurse Practioner was going to prescribe an antibiotic for a sinus infection but my Dr. stepped in and said I needed a CT scan, there is something going on so off to ER I go. I remember being wheeled to the ER and talking to the nurse wheeling me down there but I don't remember anything from then until I had to cancel a Dr appointment in Peru and call Joe to t...
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