Warfarin Dabigatran/Pradax — Personal Story

by Janet McTaggart

What is Atrial Fibrillation? In Atrial Fibrillation, the heart muscles in upper chambers of heart (atria) do not work correctly. The muscles are not able to force the blood out of these chambers properly. That blood that should be pumped out of the heart, but is left in the atria becomes "sluggish" or ― pools".  Blood clots can form. Those blood clots can be pumped directly up to your brain, block the artery and cause a stroke. Strokes from AF are large strokes.

SRAE Newsletter - April 2011

Alan Treymayne “I decided myself that I wasn’t a safe driver”

Alan was at the height of his career as an Aboriginal educator when he had a stroke. He loved his job. He was making sure that Aboriginal students succeeded in college and university. It wasn’t unusual for him to fly to Ottawa to talk directly to Jean Chretien the Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs to ensure that his students received the education they needed to succeed. He was the person who started the program to ensure that Aboriginal students were able to go to medical school to become doctors,nurses and teachers. Alan was a work-a-holic because he loved his job. So when one hand stopped working, he just kept typing the report with one hand until it was completed. When he handed it to his supervisor, he said, “Alan, I think you should go to the doctor, you don’t look healthy.” “I’m just tired.” was Alan’s response. Alan’s wife knew differently. When he said he was just tired and going to bed, she called a neighbor and took him to hospital.

Edmonton Brain Injury Re-learning Society

The Brain Rebuilding Program serves adults brain injury survivors who have experienced a change in their cognitive functioning (thinking skills) following brain injury.

Physiotherapy many years after stroke

For many years, people were told that recovery was time limited. After a stroke, people recovered for 3 months or 6 months and then recovery stopped. There are several new studies showing that people can continue to recover many years after stroke.

Directory of Senior Services

This 250-page resource guide is FREE! It provides comprehensive information on 450 services, agencies and businesses that serve the older adults of greater Edmonton including:

Help for Aphasia

The Alberta government has created a website to allow learners to hear the stories they are trying to read.

Fresh Local Food Delivered to Your Door

The Good Food Box is a program of Live Local Alberta. The Good Food Box makes it easy for you to enjoy in-season produce, organic beef, pork or chicken and specialty foods you may not be able to find in traditional stores. You don’t have to out to the farmers market — your food box is delivered to your door in a Colman cooler.

Disabled? Free Parking at City Meters

Vehicles displaying the Provincially Issued disabled placard are permitted to park at City of Edmonton (not hospital) parking meters.

Disabled placard holders are permitted to park at on-street parking meters free of charge for the specified duration of the meter: 15 minutes at a 15 minute meter and up to 5 hours at metres that display the 5 hours signage. 

All vehicles must display the disabled placard.

The Find a Ride Program

If you don’t drive, and need transportation , the Edmonton Seniors Coordinating Council has a searchable database of  ways to get  around Edmonton.