Eclectic: Regina Price - Helping our Brain - Part 1

Eclectic: Regina

by Regina Price

Have you ever thought how much your brain would change if you took some new courses this year? Well, it will certainly recharge your brain and your enthusiasm about being alive. As well, this could also help your body and your body because it would make you emotionally happy about the aspects of your new life. Dr. Norman Doidge said in his book, ”The Brain That Changes Itself”,  that a famous neuroplastician, Merzenich, has proved through his work,  that our brains are constantly adapting itself—learning new things. That means that whatever we learn and more we try to learn more, our brain will develop more neurons.

Last year, I went to ELLA—Edmonton Lifelong Learners Association—courses in spring (see Part Two next week).  These courses are for seniors and people who are more than 50 years old. And it changed my life forever! I had a brain aneurysm  (a brain explosion stroke) 5 year ago and starting to go to classes through ELLA last year. That did have a huge difference for me and hopefully, to anyone else during the two years. Although the classes, which run for three weeks in May, went from 9:00 a.m. until 3:50 p.m., people don’t need to take all four classes.  They could start with one or two classes and then go for more the next year. People who can’t work and are disabled because of a stroke or other illnesses or other effects, all pay for a yearly membership of $20.00, and then write a letter and ask for a cheaper rate than others -- the normal courses are about $250 for four or less.

ELLA has helped me more that I can count. Because of my brain aneurysm, a kind of stroke, I lost my ability to speak and couldn’t cook, count money or count to 10. I couldn’t spell and couldn’t play scrabble at first. At first, I was at the University Hospital for one month and then sent to the Glenrose Hospital for two months. I was very depressed because I couldn’t speak and I loved my previous job—working with kids in two schools. Over time, I came to understand that I had lost my ability to continue being a psychologist because sometimes I could say things that weren’t needed or helpful and I couldn’t write notes accurately or precisely. It was devastating! My world changed completely.

I started thinking about things that I needed in my future life and how I could implement them. I started walking my therapy dog, Dougal, which helped my body exercise daily. I then decided that we needed a garden—I believed that healing comes from gardening--I could to that with help from my husband building raised boxes. So we started to build a garden on our acreage with fruit trees and saskatoons and raspberries, etc. and the raised boxes for vegetables. During this time,  I went to see a speech therapist every week, I couldn’t drive yet, but would in the future. Then I decided I could take a yoga teachers course which took a year--which helped my brain and my body. I also took three courses in art therapy—at the time I thought I could work with people through art with my psychology training—then it occurred to me that the courses helped me to understand my new life and be grateful and happy about it.

If you are interested about my brain aneurysm, my husband started writing a blog about my experience at the hospital:  http://reginapricenews.blogspot.ca/