YouTube: Broca's aphasia - Sarah Scott

Standard YouTube License @ SymphUK's channel

Sarah had an unexpected ischemic stroke when she was 18. She now suffers from aphasia, a
communication disorder.  A million people in the USA have aphasia, and 250 thousand in the UK.  Every 11 minutes, in the UK, 3 people will have a stroke. One of them will have aphasia.

More young people are suffering strokes. The probable reason for Sarah's stroke was a PFO, a hole in the heart. This was only discovered after the stroke, when Sarah had a barrage of tests to try to find the cause. The hole was closed using an amplatzer device, in November 2009.

We hope that this video might help other young people in a similar situation. I spent hours and hours online, looking for support and answers in the darkest days when Sarah was in hospital.

Please feel free to contact us if you want to!



Standard YouTube License @ SymphUK's channel

Second video showing Sarah's progress after having a stroke at the age of 18.  She still has problems with numbers, reading and writing, as well as speech.   We hope this will be useful for anyone living with aphasia, please feel free to get in touch as we remember what it was like in the early days when we were looking for answers online.



Standard YouTube License @ SymphUK's channel

Sarah recorded this video on 13th May 2011, exactly two years after she suffered a stroke at the age of 18 when she was reading aloud in an English class at school. Sarah has Broca's Aphasia which affects speech, reading and writing. This is the third video showing Sarah's progress so far.

Saturday Comics - January 28, 2012

For Better and For Worse  by Lynn Johnston /2006-09-29  

(This a serious topic of stroke but with a very nice cartoons. It is all about Grandpa Jim had a stroke and 88 further cartoon "strips" that happened to Grandpa Jim [4 of the series stroke of 88 -- every week])

Click Me!

 "and mom? ... I'm so sorry."   

Dilbert               by Scott Adams / 2012-01-21

(Pick The Best Of The Week for your good humour)

Click Me!

"Now that I'm a top one-percenter, ..."

Garfield            by Jim Davis / 2012-01-26

(Pick The Best Of The Week for your good humour)

Click Me!

"Do you mind if I gaze into your eyes, ..."

Pickles                 by Brian Crane / 2012-01-23

(Pick The Best Of The Week for your good humour)

Click Me!

"Do you ever wish you were young again, ..."

* I tried to get low or free price at the people http://www.UniversalUclick.com/ for the images for the cartoons.  It was too high for Stroke Survivors Tattler i.e. we are not a regular newspaper and our budget is very low.  Fortunately, you will have to do only 1-click more to see the cartoon image, it is legit and it is free using  GoComics.com and Dilbert.com.

TechTalk, I CAN Centre for Assistive Technology

Friday 20 April 2012, 9 - 3:30 pm
AAC EXPO 12
Location: Conference Room A,
                Glenrose Hospital,
                Edmonton, Alberta,
                Canada

Plan to attend this special one-day event at the I CAN Centre. We have invited all of the key manufacturers and suppliers across Canada to participate in this full-day event. Product demonstrations will take place throughout the day so plan on attending for the full-day. Display areas will be set up in Conference Room A so that you can meet individually with representatives and have your questions answered.

Come and meet representatives from: Saltillo, Prentke Romich Co, DynaVox, Bridges, Insight Media and more.

This day will be of interest to families, professionals and educators who would like to learn more about AAC technology.

Registration required - No Fee
Registration Deadline: 06 April 2012
Read the full article: TechTalk, I CAN Centre for Assistive Technology.

SRAE Chinese New Year Party - Year of the Dragon

Cold Hemiplegic Arm

Recently on one of the stroke lists, many stroke survivors have been complaining about feeling cold on their hemiplegic side.  My physiotherapist said that after stroke the hemiplegic side is often several degrees cooler because of lack of movement. She said she sometimes judges how much recovery is occurring by observing whether the temperature difference between the two sides normalizes.

This old article actually measured the temperature difference between the hemiplegic arm and the unaffected arm.  So if you are experiencing a temperature difference between the two sides of your body, you are not dreaming—or having unusual symptoms.  Feeling cold on your hemiplegic side may be common after stroke.

See an article The Cold Hemiplegic Arm by Peter Wanklyn et al.

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YouTube: Jennifer Drawdy's Stroke Testimonial

YouTube: Jennifer Drawdy's Stroke Testimonial

Did Jennifer notice that a stroke was about to happen to her?

No, it was early in the morning. She had been reading in bed and had made herself a cup of coffee. She had just got up to let her dogs go pottie and was  getting another cup of coffee and going back to her reading.

The lesson here is that Stroke CAN strike ANYWHERE and at ANY TIME.

How many stroke signs did you notice?

1. On the Left side of her body,
2. Paralysis to the point of collapse and unable to get up,
3. One side of her face drooping,
4. Passing out.

Did she know what was wrong?

       No, she didn't recognize the signs of stroke.

Did she call 911?

       No, she called friends and family.

Would you know what to do?

Would you call 911?

Learn the SIGNS OF STROKE and if you or someone near you is showing any of the signs,  CALL 911.  STROKE is a  MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Knowing this basic information could save the life of you or someone you love.

5 warning signs of stroke.  If you or someone near you experience:

• Trouble seeing in one or both eyes,
• Numbness, weakness of face or limbs,
• Bad Headaches,
• Difficulty walking, loss of balance,
• Difficulty speaking or understanding speech - Call 911!!!

Stroke is a medical emergency...

Author by Gary Gray of Prince Edward Island Stroke Recovery

Saturday Comics - January 21, 2012

For Better and For Worse  by Lynn Johnston /2006-09-28  

(This a serious topic of stroke but with a very nice cartoons. It is all about Grandpa Jim had a stroke and 88 further cartoon "strips" that happened to Grandpa Jim [3 of the series stroke of 88 -- every week])

Click Me!

 "What happened exactly?"   

Dilbert               by Scott Adams / 2012-01-18

(Pick The Best Of The Week for your good humour)

Click Me!

"Is it my imagination or ..."

Garfield            by Jim Davis / 2012-01-17

(Pick The Best Of The Week for your good humour)

Click Me!

"I think I look good ..."

Pickles                 by Brian Crane / 2012-01-14

(Pick The Best Of The Week for your good humour)

Click Me!

"Where've you been, Opal?"

* I tried to get low or free price at the people http://www.UniversalUclick.com/ for the images for the cartoons.  It was too high for Stroke Survivors Tattler i.e. we are not a regular newspaper and our budget is very low.  Fortunately, you will have to do only 1-click more to see the cartoon image, it is legit and it is free using  GoComics.com and Dilbert.com.

The Quality of Stroke Care in Canada / 2011

by the Canadian Stroke Network

Stroke is a leading cause of death and adult disability. Of all chronic diseases in Canada, stroke is among the most impactful. Sixty per cent of people who have a stroke report that they need help afterwards and 80% have restrictions to their daily activities. In 2005, the Canadian Stroke Strategy set out to ensure every province in Canada was organized to deliver the best possible stroke care. Over six years, progress has been achieved nation-wide.

Despite the impact of stroke on Canadians and the progress to date, there has never been a comprehensive pan-Canadian report on the quality of stroke care. For this reason, the Canadian Stroke Network collected data representing 38,210 patients admitted with stroke from 295 hospitals across Canada over the period 2008-2009. This data, supplemented with data from national health databases, resulted in The Quality of Stroke Care in Canada. The purpose of this report is to describe the quality of stroke care being provided to Canadians and to make recommendations on how it may be improved. Key findings and recommendations from are described on the web: Quality of Stroke Care in Canada.

Isolation is Harmful to Your Health

Isolation and having very few friends are harmful to your health.   Lack of social relationships with other people may actually hasten death. Over two decades ago (1988), after reviewing five studies on social support and health,  sociologist James S. House concluded that “Social relationships, or the relative lack thereof, constitute a major risk factor for health—rivaling the effect of well established health risk factors such as cigarette smoking, blood pressure, blood lipids, obesity and physical activity” (House, Landis, and Umberson; Science). Recently, in Bowling Alone, Robert Putnam noted that the quantity social relationships in the United States have steadily declined since the  1960’s. Trends reveal more mobile, dual-career families with less time and fewer social ties to friends and communities.   In some studies, up to 20% of people are isolated and lonely.

A recent (2010) analysis of  142 studies on the effects of social relationships and death discovered a 50% increased likelihood of survival for participants with stronger social relationships. This finding remained consistent across age, sex, initial health status, cause of death, and follow-up period. The strongest association for survival was social integration.  The entire study is online if you would like to read it.

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One Handed Shoelace Knot

Here's the ideal way to tie shoelaces with one hand: Lace the shoe with the bottom end permanently tied off, then secure the top end with a simple loop knot.

NOTE: The following lacing diagrams are upside-down compared to the other Lacing Methods on this site, as they are drawn from the perspective of tying the shoe.

Step 1:
Start by tying the shoelace onto one of the eyelets nearest the toe (top left in the above diagram). Lace the shoe similar to Straight (Easy) Lacing until the lace is fed into the last eyelet (bottom left in the above diagram).

Step 2:
The loose end (yellow) is now fed across and back out through the opposite eyelet (bottom right in the above diagram). This second pass of shoelace through the eyelet keeps this knot nice and tight.

NOTE: When loosening the lacing to remove the shoe, don't pull this lace all the way out, as it's difficult to feed in each time.



Step 3: 
Create a loop with the loose end (yellow)  ...

Read the full article ....

One Handed Lacing

As an alternative to the One Handed Shoelace Knot, this way of lacing eliminates the need to even tie a knot by leaving one end loose. The friction of the eyelets is sufficient to keep the lacing fairly tight.

Knot sits behind top
right eyelet
Lacing Technique:
1. Take a lace that's slightly shorter than usual and begin by tying a knot in one end.
2. Feed the un-knotted end of the lace from inside the top right eyelet and pull it through until stopped with the knot snug against the eyelet.
3. Zig-zag the lace through the eyelets down to the bottom of the shoe similar to Shoe Shop Lacing.
4. The loose (blue) end can simply be tucked into the lacing to keep it from being stepped on.



Read the full article ....

Saturday Comics - January 14, 2012

For Better and For Worse  by Lynn Johnston /2006-09-26  

(This a serious topic of stroke but with a very nice cartoons. It is all about Grandpa Jim had a stroke and 88 further cartoon "strips" that happened to Grandpa Jim [2 of the series stroke of 88 -- every week])

Click Me!

 "Yes, could you send someone right away ..."   

Dilbert               by Scott Adams / 2011-12-27

(Pick The Best Of The Week for your good humour)

Click Me!

"Congratulations! I'm naming you project leader ..."

Garfield            by Jim Davis / 2011-12-26

(Pick The Best Of The Week for your good humour)

Click Me!

"I'm not going to bite you ..."

Pickles                 by Brian Crane / 2012-01-02

(Pick The Best Of The Week for your good humour)

Click Me!

"I am like a lioness in the grass, waiting for ..."

* I tried to get low or free price at the people http://www.UniversalUclick.com/ for the images for the cartoons.  It was too high for Stroke Survivors Tattler i.e. we are not a regular newspaper and our budget is very low.  Fortunately, you will have to do only 1-click more to see the cartoon image, it is legit and it is free using  GoComics.com and Dilbert.com.

One-Handed Techniques for a Guitar

Playing the guitar doesn't always require two hands. Learn about one-handed techniques for a guitar with help from a music instructor in this free video clip.

Read the full article ...

With One Arm: Special Techniques, ...

... and Tools and Equipment to Fit Your Needs 


Anna Cathryn Yost, Department of Consumer and Family Economics
Bonnie Sherry, Rehabilitation Home Economist, Harmarville Rehabilitation Center, Pittsburgh

A person with the use of one arm can adopt special work methods and adapted tools and equipment to make homemaking tasks easier. They can learn to do almost all household tasks with the help of special techniques and devices. Suggestions for these techniques and devices that are helpful are included in this guide. Use these ideas to devise your own equipment and methods — find a way that works best for you.

People with the use of one arm as a result of a stroke have additional limitations. They may have difficulty remembering how to perform simple tasks that they have done for years. Speech or hearing problems, limited peripheral vision, impaired judgment and lack of arm and leg control may also result from stroke.

Special Tools, Devices, and Equipment ...

Read the full article ....

Learn to Shuffle/Cut Cards with One Hand.

With the apparent growth in popularity of poker I thought it might be useful to provide some instructions for a couple of simple shuffling flourishes to impress your friends and potential victims with. With enough practice you should be able to absentmindedly shuffle and cut a deck of cards with one hand while sorting your chips with the other. It's also a useful flourish for those interested in card tricks, and just generally for those interested in manual dexterity games.

"Especially you have one-hand disability!" --  SSTattler

Read the full article ....

Playing Cards One handed with a “Device”

Card Holder disks

Lightweight, plastic, spring-loaded discs make it easy for individuals with limited hand function to hold cards.
9436 Card Holder Discs $12.99  at pattersonmedical.com

Card Rack

Walnut-stained fiberboard card rack holds all the cards needed for any game. Grooves are slanted and rack is tiered for good visibility.

9430 Card Rack $21.99 at pattersonmedical.com

Kids Playing Card Holders

Kids hold all the cards, with these neat-and-easy playing card holders! 

by Jobar $5.50  at Amazon.com

Playing Card Shuffler

1 to 4 Deck(s) Automatic.

by Deluxe 4 Deck Card Shuffler  $9.25 at Amazon.com

One Handed for Carrying and Diapering Infants

One Handed Techniques for Carrying and Diapering Infants
Reviewed July 2010
Author: Kylene Canham , MOT, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist
Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago Day Rehab Center - River North

Lifting and placing an infant into a side carrier and performing diapering can be done using one hand. This handout provides a guideline for these activities.

Read the full article ...

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A Real-Life Experience -- Lynn Johnston

Many storylines in For Better or For Worse are snapshots of real events in Lynn's life. Several years ago, Lynn's mother-in-law, Ruth, had a stroke in her home. Ruth was standing at her stove, and was in the kitchen with her husband Tom, her son Rod, and Lynn. She turned to face them, said nothing and simply slid down to the floor. Lynn's recollection of Ruth's stroke has been told through Grandpa Jim.

Because the story about Grandpa Jim's stroke was so true to life, there was not a lot of room for fiction. It was important to research the facts. What resources are available for stroke sufferers? What is a probable diagnosis for Jim and what should be his path for maximizing his quality of life?

Read the article Lynn Johnston drawing comics For Better or For Worse for her Grandpa Jim.

Saturday Comics - January 7, 2012

For Better and For Worse  by Lynn Johnston /2006-09-26  
(This a serious topic of stroke but with a very nice cartoons. It is all about Grandpa Jim had a stroke and 88 further cartoon "strips" that happened to Grandpa Jim [1 of the series stroke of 88 -- every week])

Click Me!

 "Dad! You're scaring us!! Dad? Dad!! .... "   

Dilbert               by Scott Adams / 2011-12-27
(Pick The Best Of The Week for your good humour)

Click Me!

"Good news, Alice. I've decided to be your mentor ..."

Garfield            by Jim Davis / 2011-12-26

(Pick The Best Of The Week for your good humour)

Click Me!

"Run Liz! ..."


Pickles                 by Brian Crane / 2012-01-02
(Pick The Best Of The Week for your good humour)

Click Me!

"At least we're older but wiser, eh ..."



* I tried to get low or free price at the people http://www.UniversalUclick.com/ for the images for the cartoons.  It was too high for Stroke Survivors Tattler i.e. we are not a regular newspaper and our budget is very low.  Fortunately, you will have to do only 1-click more to see the cartoon image, it is legit and it is free using  GoComics.com and Dilbert.com.

(NEW) Comics -- Every Saturday Morning.

I used to read good Dilbert comics then I will publish on the Stroke Survivors Tattler; mostly other Dilbert is rather dull and so I'll just ignore/not publish.  After this Christmas, people told me the comics For Better and For Worse has more than 60 "strips" starting in 2006 about the topic stroke -- it will tell the story "Grandpa Jim" had has a stroke,  went to the hospital, he has physiotherapy, and what happens to him to go home, and many more details; lots emotional problems, lots of love, and lots many people help Grandpa Jim to get better.  I read the whole strips, and I am one of the stroke survivors, and I was convinced for the usefulness of comics.  Lynn Johnston is a Canada author for For Better and For Worse and she is very serious about stroke topic and specially with comics.  So, I will publish:

1. Friday, Dec/30, an article about Lynn J. wrote For Better and For Worse comics for stroke. She will tell you the details to make a "strip" for the stroke.
2.  On Saturday, Jan/7, I will publish the first "Grandpa Jim Has Had a Stroke".  Every week Saturday in the future,  I will publish the "strip" what happens to Grandpa Jim.  It will take it more than 88+ weeks but I think you will like it.
3. As well, I will publish every week:
• Dilbert - the best "strip" that week - lots of people with a, sometimes weird,  job, personality, bizarre boss, ...
• Garfield - the best "strip" that week - a cat Garfield with human thoughts, a dog Odie, some people Jon, Liz, ...
• Pickles - the best "strip" that week - senior humans, kid humans, ... 
4. If you want other comics, e.g.  I love "Peanuts",  just tell me and I will add every Saturday.  You want to look at various comics then click to GoComics.
5. I asked the people at http://www.UniversalUclick.com/ for free or low cost for the cartoons image.  Unfortunately, the price is too big for Stoke Survivors Tattler  so we stick to the regular direct blog link to GoComics.com and Dilbert.com. See The letter from Mary Suggett at amuniversal.com for details.

Cheers  / John A.

E-Mail: SSTattler. 

Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension

Friday, January 6, 2012. U.S. News & World Report's Best Diets rankings chose the DASH diet as the best diet overall, best diet for healthy eating and best diet (January 4, 2012, November 1, 2011, and June 7, 2011: "Best diet overall" and "Healthiest diet") . Studies of the DASH diet demonstrate that it can lower risk of several types of cancer, heart disease, stroke, heart failure, kidney stones, and reduced risk of developing diabetes. If you have high blood pressure and cholesterol or diabetes it helps to lower blood pressure and cholesterol and stabilize your blood sugar.

The DASH -- Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension --  was originally developed to reduce high blood pressure or hypertension. It has been proven in studies sponsored by the National Institutes of Health to lower blood pressure. The low-salt diet provides additional benefits to reduce blood pressure because it is based on an eating plan rich in fruits and vegetables, and low-fat or non-fat dairy, with whole grains. It is a high-fiber, low- to moderate-fat diet, rich in potassium, calcium and magnesium.

For more about the DASH diet: http://dashdiet.org/

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Living With Aphasia: Carrie Lewis' Story

See Getting on with the Rest of Your Life after Stroke 

and many more articles by the Canada Stoke Network

"Carrie Lewis is a remarkable woman".

This isn’t because she lives in Edmonton, Alberta, or because she’s 49 years old, or even because she has lived with aphasia in the four years since her stroke; what makes Carrie instantly likeable is her sense of humour and obvious enthusiasm for life.

“I am feeling pretty good, now,” Carrie wrote when asked to talk about herself. “I like my independence, being able to walk and drive. Make things, do things like sports, games, talk, see new things, places, people.”

Stroke in Young Women Often Misdiagnosed

By Gail Johnson, June 30, 2004

Lisa Fitterman clearly remembers the Friday night 18 years ago when she woke up on the floor and had trouble dragging herself back to bed. The journalist, who was 26 years old and covering the legislature in Victoria at the time, felt out of sorts and couldn't move the right side of her body. She figured she had some sort of weird flu. By Sunday, she realized she wouldn't be able to make it to work the next day and went to call her office--but she couldn't remember the phone number. The next day, Fitterman got in her car and attempted to drive to the hospital. She didn't have the strength to put her foot on the brake pedal; she went through a stop sign and broadsided another vehicle. When police officers showed up, they were ready to take Fitterman to the drunk tank. Nobody, especially Fitterman herself, thought she had suffered a stroke.

New Year’s Resolution to Eat More Fruits and Vegetables!

Another reason to keep that New Year’s Resolution to Eat More Fruits and Vegetables

 See also:  Total Antioxidant Capacity of Diet and Risk of Stroke                      

and: Delay of Stroke Onset by Milk Proteins in Stroke-Prone 

Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

High consumption of antioxidant rich food seems to lower stroke risk for women with no previous stroke and women who have had a hemorrhagic stroke.

In a brand new study in the journal Stroke, women with higher total antioxidant capacity had fewer strokes.  This study measured total antioxidant capacity, which considers all antioxidants and the synergistic effects between them, not just one antioxidant like Vitamin C, Vitamin A, or Lutein found in leafy green vegetables.