New Year's Resolutions for Everybody

Joyce Hoffman
The Tales of a Stroke Patient

Dec 19, 2015

I think of myself as more "normal" now, not altogether damaged by the stroke, thanks to the help of my therapist, Theresa, who says, "Everyone is damaged. It's called 'being human.'" I believe her now. And thus, even though I write the blog "The Tales of a Stroke Patient," I'm not as damaged as I thought. I now say, "Damage is a state of mind." I believe that, too.

I call this post "New Year's Resolutions for Everybody" because I think of myself as just a human now, one of the bunch, not especially damaged, struggling with life's obstacles put in my path to make me stronger. "Deal with it," I now say to myself. "Get over it." "Stop it." Expressions like that. So now, having my life almost in order (I'm still seeing Theresa though), on with my resolutions! As my mindset has changed, I promise myself:

#1: to revise my bucket list to include things, with assistance, like shopping and visiting favorite people in New York and traveling across the United States. In fact, I'm going to travel in the spring, headed for Nashville again, my favorite place to be with the Grand Ol' Opry's headliners, musicians filling the streets on Broadway, and southern cooking everyplace.

Every Day I’m Shufflin’

Pamela Hsieh
StrokedUP

24 December, 2012

A video a week is definitely overstretching, at least during this saturated holiday season. Not to mention I’m overloading my computer’s hard drive with so much stuff these days, what with my photography practice (more on that later) and all the audio programs I seem to buy every five minutes. (No regrets — audio programs and books are awesome.)

My friend got me an awesome
new neck strap for Christmas!

So, sorry, everyone, I’m going to commit to regular videos at least on a biweekly basis. As I write this, I’m already overwhelmed with all the footage I have to go through in order to stitch together a worthwhile first video montage for you — but I’m not going to quit!

Anyway, in honor of the upcoming holiday, I wanted to announce my Christmas gift to myself: an iPod Shuffle. They were on sale at Best Buy this week, and I had bought one ages ago to “lend” to my former boyfriend to replace the iPod I’d gotten him for Christmas that was later stolen. I say “lend” in quotes because it was understood that I was really giving it to him with no expectation of getting it back.

My Current Christmas Thoughts

Diana Smith
Beyond Reality

December 8, 2013

Thank you to my neighbors that put their pretty lights on their home and evergreens. I love lights. I can’t be bothered to hang mine on my porch, I feel they will highlight the unfinished bits from construction and mess of leaves and other gardening debris. I also don’t plan on being home around the holidays. I plan on staring into the lights of my grand- daughters eyes. I have been thinking today of how strange it is anyway since I have evolved into an Atheist. Decorating is an expression of art to me, so will hopefully decorate my home next year with lights. I am not even going to dig out my little fake trees. I am buying no gifts this year, instead I am giving money or IOUs.

What has really been bugging me is the need for others to feel that people are unfortunate if they don’t have a pile of gifts under a tree. This country is the land of excesses. Other peoples excesses have always made me feel ill.  I have a warmish house, new roof over my head and some of my underwear and socks are not ripped and threadbare. I am alive, hopefully for several more years. I am not in a home or rehab center, so I feel free. I will be with all my children for the “Holidays” and I could not ask for anything more.

See the original article:

My Current Christmas Thoughts

in

Beyond Reality

Putting It All Together

Marcelle Greene
Up Stroke

Friday, December 18, 2015

Last summer I “tried my hand” at rowing a boat. My husband Ian and I were staying with family at the Hood Canal in Washington State. I picked my way carefully over the pebbled beach and climbed into the rowboat while Ian held it steady. He rowed away from shore and handed me the oars – one at a time, of course, because I had to position my affected hand on the left oar.

First uncoordinated attempt: note different oar positions.

I tried to row the boat. The left oar flailed.

I needed to help my affected side through a few strokes so it could get the feel of the circular motion. I gave the right oar to Ian and placed my right hand over my left, guiding myself through the motions -- dipping and pulling, pushing and leaning.

When that felt comfortable, I traded oars with Ian. Now I observed my right side doing the same motions. I felt how the oar pushed on my thumb as I reached forward, and pulled on my index joint as I leaned backward. When I had that sensation locked in my mind, I took both oars.

Fitting In

Amy Shissler
My Cerebellar Stroke Recovery

December 29, 2014

Christmas Day was a long, long day for me.  It involved a lot of acting as normal as I can and trying to fit in as much as I can in front of a bunch of different people at 3 different houses.  And I was absolutely exhausted by the end of the day and needed 2 days to recover.  AND a comment was made in jest about my intelligence and I’m extra super ultra sensitive about that so I got extremely p***** off.  A lot of people probably think “it’s been almost 4 years, why is it still such an issue?”  It is still very much an issue, and I’m assuming always will be.  My brain isn’t like ‘normal’ peoples’ brains, it is majorly different and affected and I can’t do certain things and now that I look quite normal and sound kinda sorta close to normal, no one gets it.  It was much easier to get people to understand that I can’t do certain things or need lots of breaks when I looked and sounded terrible.  But I don’t now.  My introverted personality made days like this exhausting for me before the stroke, but now….well now I get anxiety about it beforehand and it takes a few days to recover and feel ‘normal’ again.  Ah well, c’est la vie.

See the original article:

Fitting In

in

My Cerebellar Stroke Recovery

Pinoy Pasko 2011 and Christmas Song Medley

Ramon Florendo
Life After a Stroke

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Video Medley, Photos of Filipino Christmas Tradition With Christmas Song Medley, Christmas Music Video, Filipino, Philippines.

Ackowledgement: I do not own any copyright nor patent to these pictures and songs.


Standard YouTube License @ Robert Reintegrado

See the original article:

Pinoy Pasko 2011 and Christmas Song Medley

in

Life After a Stroke

Eclectic Stuff

Definition: Eclectic (noun). A person who derives ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources

Preventable Strokes and Treatment - Finding Answers, Saving Lives

Jeff Porter
Stroke of Faith

Thursday, December 17, 2015

Photo from Pete via Flickr

I'm sold on stroke prevention. It saves lives and it gives society more resources to battle health problems.

An interesting research take about 'preventable' strokes and treatment:

▶ Three out of four strokes could be avoided, and one in four are "highly avoidable," according to a study assessing stroke preventability. It also found that strokes considered the most treatable were the most preventable. 

Pain is a Great Motivator

Rebecca Dutton
Home After a Stroke

December 16, 2015

My PT made me realize the gluteus maximus (GM) muscle on my hemiplegic (paralyzed) side was as soft as unkneaded bread dough.  This buttock muscle is called a hip extensor because it extends the leg behind the body.  Only ballerinas and runners use the GM in this way.

I am worried about this weak muscle because the GM helps other hip muscles keep the pelvis from wobbling as we swing our leg forward to take a step (1).  If the GM does not help stabilize the pelvis, low back muscles have to do it.  With my history of back pain, my GM has to get stronger.

He’s Back – And He’s Cranky

Tim Seefeldt
Brain Food Cafe for the Mind

Posted December 21, 2015

You may have noticed that it’s been a while since I’ve served up a dish of brain food. At least I hope that you’ve noticed.

This brain food fast ends today.

Stuff – which I’ll blog about soon – just sort of sucked the words out of me.  More on that in the next dish.

Today another birthday is here for me.  And, as they often do, the words of my high school English teacher have come back to haunt me. Words in the form of a letter he wrote me in grade 12. It was all about wasted time.

Me and my dad, Lee, at about the time Mr. Rollings’ letter was
haunting me! The fireplace is his work — bricks were to him
like words are to me. Accept

It took me a while to really get what Mr. Rollings was on about in that letter.   Birthday’s often nagged me in my 20s until, little by little,  I felt that I’d gotten my crap together in a way that would satisfy Mr. R. For the most part, I think he’d be happy with my post high school path.

But there’s still one thing that nags when I think of his letter.  The book thing.

So my birthday vow — between God and Blog Nation – is to have a book on shelves or in cyber space before I put another notch on my birth certificate.

Stay tuned.

-30-

See the original article:

He’s Back – And He’s Cranky

in

Brain Food Cafe for the Mind

Does the Speech Language Pathologist fix Aphasia with Speech Therapy?

Mark A. Ittleman
The Teaching of Talking

December 17 / 2015

Does the speech language pathologist have the time to really fix a severe speaking difficulty caused by aphasia?  An interesting course from fellow expert in the field of speech language pathology, Dr. Audrey Holland.   She is frequently called upon to address aphasia groups, and speech language pathologists.  This is what she said:

"We are still “shaking off” our history, (as speech language pathologists) with its focus on impairment & wishfully thinking we have enough time to fix the speech impairment.” (aphasia)

"WE DON'T!" Even if we see a client every day for a year for ONE hour, that is 365 hours out of a likely awake time of 4,380 hours. That ’s just 1/12 of his or her time."

Weekly Columnists

Definition: Columnist |ˈkäləmnist| (noun). A blogger or a journalist contributing regularly to a blog or newspaper

Musing: Walking on Ice

Dean Reinke
Deans' Stroke Musing

Sunday, December 28, 2014

Over Christmas I was at home with my parents and two blocks away is a lake that I've spent a lot of time on fishing, ice skating, swimming. It was frozen at least 4-5 inches and on my walk to get to 10,000 steps for the day I decided to walk a couple hundred yards on the lake with 1/8 inch of fresh snow over the slick ice. With a fair amount of hubris I decide that this would be no problem at all. Forty yards in I crashed on my affected left hip, cap and glasses flying off. Stood up and with little diminished hubris set off walking again. Made it 30 yards before again crashing to the ice the exact same way. Finally learned my lesson and made my way to the shore and walked along the frozen sand. Don't do this, I really push myself and no one should follow my example. Ended up with a stiff neck from preventing my head from slamming into the ice. I guess I won't be trying ice skating anytime soon.

See the original article:

Walking on Ice

in

Deans' Stroke Musing

Sunday Stroke Survival: Some Days I Think I'm Fine...

Jo Murphey
The Murphey Saga

Sunday, December 20, 2015

I haven't talked much about my grieving widow side. That's about to change. Some days I think I'm fine and handling my grief okay, and then something happens that makes me fall apart like my beloved's death was yesterday. Yes the first year is toughest and a huge transition! It's hard. The least little thing will upset my calm. It's always unexpected.

For instance... Hospice called and asked if I could come and hangs my husband's angel on their remembrance Christmas tree. At first I said yes. Then as I was showering, I realized that I hadn't even been to his graveside since the funeral. I started crying and couldn't do it. It sounds like such a little thing to do, but for me it was impossible right now.

I was driving to physical therapy and a Christmas song came on the Christian radio station I listen to while driving. "A Different Kind of Christmas" by Mark Schultz.

Standard YouTube License @ MarkSchultzMusic1

It was the first time I've heard it. The tears started rolling down my cheeks so bad that I had to pull over.

Caregiver: Bob's 1981 Drawing Is Restored, Matted & Framed!

Diane
The Pink House On The Corner

Monday, December 14, 2015

Click to enlarge

And this is my Christmas gift from me to Bob and this is also the Christmas gift from Bob to me....  Thank you, Sweetheart.

See the original article:

Bob's 1981 Drawing Is Restored, Matted & Framed!

in

The Pink House On The Corner

Jester: I Ate ...

Jackie Poff
Stroke Survivors Tattler

TED Talks - Mac Barnett: Why a Good Book is a Secret Door

TED

 Published on Sep 17, 2014


Childhood is surreal. Why shouldn't children's books be? In this whimsical talk, award-winning author Mac Barnett speaks about writing that escapes the page, art as a doorway to wonder — and what real kids say to a fictional whale.


Standard YouTube License @ TED

Rick Mercer Report: Starwars & New Credit Card

RMR

RMR: Rick at Fan Expo

Published on Oct 28, 2015

Rick takes in the pop culture spectacle that was Fan Expo 2015 in Toronto, ON.


Standard YouTube License @ Rick Mercer Report

New Credit Card Designed for Canadians

Published on Dec 2, 2015

Laid-Back Admin: Final the meta-Indexes

Dr. Beagle C. Cranium
Stroke Survivors Tattler

Around September 2013 we started with the Index. At first it will display the Saturday News with Contents with  4 titles - Headline, Comics, Eclectic, and Trailer and that is it.

About the early 2014, it is expanded to titles Contents of This Week, Definition: topic, Video: topic, Headline Blog: topic, Eclectic Stuff, Weekly Columnists, Daily Comics and Future Topics - and the sub-titles articles with each - total about one and half pages every week.

This week, I put the on the left-column All Content By News Section:▶ Indexes i.e. the meta-Indexes of the total of all index from September 2013 to now.  Just click-it and you can see all of the indexes from dated recent Index to September 2013; grouped by page, approximate, 10 indexes.

Dr. Beagle C. Cranium

Stroke Survivors Tattler

Daily Comics

For Better and For Worse
Lynn Johnston

Canada Family Events

Dilbert
Scott Adams

Dilbert Office Events

Edmonton Journal
Malcolm Mayes

Politics Views from Canada

Doonesbury
Garry Trudeau

Politics Views from USA

  

** 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, 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, Dilbert.com and EdmontonJournal.com.

---------

Saturday News

Contents of This Week Saturday News ▶︎ December 19th / 2015

• Definition: CADASIL Syndrome

CADASIL ("Cerebral Autosomal-Dominant Arteriopathy with Subcortical Infarcts and Leukoencephalopathy") is the most common form of hereditary stroke disorder, and is thought to be caused by mutations of the Notch 3 gene on chromosome 19. The disease belongs to a family of disorders called the Leukodystrophies. The most common clinical manifestations are migraine headaches and transient ischemic attacks or strokes, which usually occur between 40 and 50 years of age, although MRI is able to detect signs of the disease years prior to clinical manifestation of disease. A longer definition comes from Wikipedia.

• Video: CADASIL Syndrome

      - CADASIL Documentary
      - C.A.D.A.S.I.L - A Familys Story in Less Than 5 Minutes.
      - Faces of CADASIL
      - CADASIL Explained
      - What is CADASIL Syndrome?
      - CADASIL - A Families - Fox 9 News
      - CADASIL Thoughts of Patients and Families
      - I Just Found Out I Have CADASIL
      - No one Cares About a 11 Year old who is Sick
      - What is a Rare Disease?

• Headline Blog: CADASIL Syndrome
• Brain White Matter Changes Increase Dementia Risk

• Eclectic Stuff: Many articles from many Guest Bloggers about Stroke
• The Devastating Statement in Aphasia Therapy: “You have reached plateau.”
• Reflections
• Day 14 Positive Affirmations
• You Can't Turn Back Time
• 50 Shades of Naughty Foods
• One More Way to Potentially Speed Treatment

• Weekly Columnists
• Musing: Incidence of Stroke or Systemic Embolism in Paroxysmal Versus Sustained Atrial Fibrillation: The Fushimi Atrial Fibrillation Registry
• Sunday Stroke Survival: Adventures in Christmas Baking
• Caregiver: Caregiving Consequences
• Jester: Bear Remover...
• TED Talks - Harald Haas: Forget Wi-Fi. Meet the new Li-Fi Internet
• Rick Mercer Report: Bird Banding & Parliament's Back
• Laid-Back Admin: Copyright © 2010 thru 2016 Stroke Survivors Tattler

• Daily Comics: For Better Or For Worse, Dilbert, Mayes, Doonesbury

• Future Topics in SSTattler

     Saturday News | Future Topic
     --------------+---------------------------------------------
     Jan/16/2016   | Bobath (NDT - Neuro-Developmental Treatment)
     Jan/09/2016   | iPad Pro & Apple Pencil
     Jan/02/2016   | Emotional Recovery
     Dec/26/2015   | Christmas - A Cappella Quartet / Quintet

Definition: CADASIL Syndrome

CADASIL Syndrome From Wikipedia,
      the free encyclopedia.

SSTattler: See as well http://www.cadasilassociation.org/ and www.CADASILfoundation.org ...

Brain MRI from patients with
CADASIL showing multiple lesions.

CADASIL ("Cerebral Autosomal-Dominant Arteriopathy with Subcortical Infarcts and Leukoencephalopathy") is the most common form of hereditary stroke disorder, and is thought to be caused by mutations of the Notch 3 gene on chromosome 19. The disease belongs to a family of disorders called the Leukodystrophies. The most common clinical manifestations are migraine headaches and transient ischemic attacks or strokes, which usually occur between 40 and 50 years of age, although MRI is able to detect signs of the disease years prior to clinical manifestation of disease.

Signs and Symptoms

CADASIL may start with attacks of migraine with aura or subcortical transient ischemic attacks or strokes, or mood disorders between 35 to 55 years of age. The disease progresses to subcortical dementia associated with pseudobulbar palsy and urinary incontinence.

Ischemic strokes are the most frequent presentation of CADASIL, with approximately 85% of symptomatic individuals developing transient ischemic attacks or stroke(s). The mean age of onset of ischemic episodes is approximately 46 years (range 30–70). A classic lacunar syndrome occurs in at least two-thirds of affected patients while hemispheric strokes are much less common. It is worthy of note that ischemic strokes typically occur in the absence of traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Recurrent silent strokes, with or without clinical strokes, often lead to cognitive decline and overt subcortical dementia. A case of CADASIL presenting as schizophreniform organic psychosis has been reported.

Pathophysiology

Video: CADASIL Syndrome

CADASIL Documentary

Uploaded on Sep 24, 2007

A clip from a BBC documentary relating to CADASIL featuring Jack Shields and other sufferers. WMV from http://www.cadasiltrust.org.


Standard YouTube License @ test

Headline Blog: CADASIL Syndrome

Definition: Blog (noun). Add new material to or regularly update to a blog. (≃1990s: blog shortening of weblog)

Brain White Matter Changes Increase Dementia Risk

Bill Yates
Brain Posts

Posted 27th October 2011

Approximately a year ago, I reviewed some of the growing evidence of the clinical significance of brain white matter intensities or lesions.  Magnetic resonance imaging identifies these types of lesions but their significance had been unknown.

Diffuse White Matter Hyperintentsity
in CADASIL

The review noted that white matter hyperintensities appear to increase future risk for several disorders including stroke and dementia.  Additionally, these lesions have increase mortality rates in some follow up studies.

Now an additional study has examined the effect of these lesions on dementia.  Inaba and colleagues examined the progress of cognitive decline in a group of elderly individuals participating in the Honolulu-Asia aging study.

The study followed 267 men between the ages of 74 and 95.  At baseline, brain MRI scans were rated for the presence and grade level of white matter lesions. A cognitive function test (Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument) was obtained at baseline and five years later repeated.  Significant cognitive decline was defined as a drop of 12 points or more over the five year period.

Eclectic Stuff

Definition: Eclectic (noun). A person who derives ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources

The Devastating Statement in Aphasia Therapy: “You have reached plateau.”

Mark A. Ittleman
The Teaching of Talking

December 16 / 2015

I’ll make this as brief as I can since it is a common occurrence in the rehabilitation field. It involves telling the person who is receiving rehabilitation they have “reached a plateau.” I have seen the devastation of what that can do. I have seen the depression, angst, and feelings of diminished self worth and hopelessness that a client or family member feels.

Often in human endeavors people have said: “That can’t be done.” “It’s impossible,” or there is “no way you will ever walk or talk again!” We have read the stories of people who have overcome adversities and refused to listen to “educated opinions.”  When people don’t want to exert themselves the conversation frequently leads to the opinion that it is not achievable.

I knew of a man who was in such despair after being told that he had reached a plateau, that he took his own life. His wife thought that the “professional should know,” and therefore did not question the recommendation to stop therapy. She later started seeking other professionals to help her husband but unfortunately it was too late.

Please realize that the “plateau” is a common term used when the clinician or therapy institution does not have any more answers. Realize that it could mean you have drained the “knowledge base” there, and that it is time to seek other opinions, institutions, or professionals who may know of other ways to deal with the rehabilitation challenge. To find out more about other alternatives click here: http://teachingoftalking.com/screeningtestanddocs.

Mark A. Ittleman, M.S., CCC/SLP
Senior Speech Language Pathologist
Author:     “Teaching of Talking”
                     http://www.teachingoftalking.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moshe.mark.ittleman

Reflections

Marcelle Greene
Up Stroke

Friday, December 11, 2015

I concealed my affected hand behind a mirror while I watched the reflections of my healthy hand open and close. This tricked my brain: As I watched the reflection of my healthy hand, I had the sensation that my affected hand mimicked the movement! But I couldn’t resist peaking behind the mirror, where I saw the reality of my curled limp hand. For me, that shattered any benefit of mirror therapy.

"Pay no attention to that man behind
the curtain." -Wizard of Oz

What I find more useful is to study my healthy side for clues on how to use my challenged side. When working with SaeboFlex to grasp balls, I sometimes notice my movement feels unnatural. I am approaching the ball in a way that makes it easier to grasp given my disability. I stop and study how my healthy side would do it.  I observe the angle I reach from, the position of my hand, then try to mimic that with my affected side – because my objective isn’t to pick up a therapy ball – but to move my affected side as normally as possible.

Day 14 Positive Affirmations

Diana Smith
Beyond Reality

December 14, 2015

A pic of me taking a pic of my grandsons footprints.  Yikes, I think my buddha belly is growing.

A quote from Twitter:
“We aren’t responsible for what people think about us, but we’re responsible for what we give them to think about us”. -H.B. Eyring…

My response…that song…Let’s give them something to talk about…and think what you will, makes no difference to me, so I say and I am trying not to let anything bother me.

Again affirmation from twitter:
“The universe provides for my every want and need” ……..keep searching for what you need.

See the original article:

Day 14 Positive Affirmations

in

Beyond Reality