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| Rebecca Dutton Home After a Stroke |
Employers give spouses and adult children time off from work to care for stroke survivors when we get home from the hospital. Employers won't do this indefinitely. Grace's post about going to the doctor by herself for the first time made me realize that my confidence when traveling alone comes from four strategies. These strategies emerged gradually over the seven years since my stroke.
Using Context. Speech therapists forget they are sitting in offices that don't provide contextual clues to guide a conversation. Talking to strangers after my stroke taught me that service people who have to deal quickly with lots of people want a minimum of information. At the gas station I say "regular, fill it, cash." At a Subway sandwich shop I say "turkey, 6 inch, wheat." Have pity on the poor person who stands at the return desk and has to listen to thousands of people who begin by saying "I want to return this."
Rehearsal. When I'm nervous about going out in the community I rehearse. Silently rehearsing an address while waiting for a cab is not a compensatory strategy for stroke survivors. Steve Jobs rehearsed for 10 hours before he gave a 10 minute presentation at the annual Apple convention. A rehearsal run to an unfamiliar concert hall gives me information that tells me what I need to change when I make the trip for real.
Handling Money. As I stand in the checkout line I estimate my bill, get out money, and place the bill(s) next to my wallet. I throw the receipt and change I receive into my purse. I return the money to my wallet when I can sit down for a moment or get home. I'm faster than able-bodied women who don't start digging through their purse for money until after their purchases are bagged.
Timing. Good timing makes a trip go more smoothly. I schedule appointments between the hours of 10 and 3. People who are not rushing to work are more patient and give me more physical space to maneuver. If people want to see me before ten I tell them it takes me 90 minutes to get ready. Unless I'm traveling close to home I refuse to travel alone during rush hour.
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