Tag: Mental health
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Finding Joy in the Little Things
Life has a funny way of dealing you a hand you never expected. Sometimes it’s a Royal Flush; other times, it’s a handful of mismatched cards that don’t have any synergy at all. eight years ago, at just 22, life dealt me the latter. I suffered a stroke that wiped…
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Coping with Post-Stroke Depression
When the Silence Gets Loud There is a specific kind of silence that settles in after the hospital doors slide shut behind you. In the hospital, there’s noise. Beeping monitors, the squeak of nurses’ shoes, the constant prodding and testing. You are a “patient.” You have a job: survive. But…
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Re-Learning Everyday Tasks After a Stroke
If you’ve ever tried to brush your teeth with your non-dominant hand, you know it feels like trying to write a sonnet while wearing boxing gloves. It’s clumsy, it’s frustrating, and you mostly just end up making a mess. Now, imagine that feeling applied to everything. Tying a shoelace. Buttering…
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Restoring my independence after a stroke
If you were to graph the trajectory of a typical 22-year-old’s life, the line usually points up and to the right. You are acquiring skills, you are gaining freedom, and you are acquiring the ability to eat a sandwich without thinking about the complex biomechanics required to lift it to…
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Understanding the Impact of a Stroke
Seven years ago, the universe decided to play a very dark, very confusing practical joke on me. I was 22 years old. I was healthy. I was almost as invincible as any 22-year-old assumes they are. I was worried about typical 22-year-old things: career paths, dating, and whether I could…
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My top 3 things abled-bodied people should know
As a stroke survivor, there are a few things I wish non-disabled people knew. A stroke can happen to anyone, at any age, and it can change your life in an instant. Here are the top three things I want non-disabled people to know about stroke: In conclusion, stroke can…
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(5) things I’ve learned living with a stroke
That you can’t do everything yourself I was always fiercely independent before my stroke, and I wanted to be that way after, but unfortunately it was not meant to be. My life has made me rely on others, and for the most part I have. It’s made me see that…
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Strokes and Stereotyping
Being a stroke survivor at a young age is not an easy experience. When people hear that you have had a stroke, they often assume that you are weak, fragile, and unable to live a normal life. This stereotype can be frustrating and demoralizing, especially when you are trying to…
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Masculinity and Stroke
Rule 1: Be strong. Rule 2: Fix things. Rule 3: If you are hurt, rub some dirt on it and walk it off. Rule 4: Under no circumstances should you ever, ever admit that you are scared. For twenty-two years, I followed this script. I was the protagonist of my…
The Long Road Ahead 