1.5 Years Ago

It's been a year and a half now since I had my stroke. I guess that in many ways I have been very fortunate. I am able to see a lot of things have happened in the last year and a half. I really had not had that many bad things happen. Its annoying that I have this ataxia but it could be a lot worse! I have often referred to having a stroke as Ram Dass I says, I've been stroked. Some thing's I I'm not able to do anymore because of the ataxia that affects some stuff on on my right side. 

I can't express enough gratitude for my friends because they've pushed me to do more than I thought I could. They've also encouraged me on this journey. They've not turned their back on me all through this experience  I am also grateful for the people who were my physical, occupational, and speech therapists. They really set the pattern for me to keep working to improve my abilities. The same can be said about the people at the hospital and the rehab center! They really did an amazing job when I consider how bad I was. By the time I came home I managed to do a great deal more than I thought I would! 

I have started to look at an electrical wheelchair now.  I'm getting ready to move on to the next step of being able to go and get involved in doing more things and have a more normal life again!  A lot of this happened in the last year and a half and in many ways I am very grateful because of the things I've experienced. Even though it's been frustrating,  I have had a lot of things to really be grateful for. I don't know how to express my gratitude this. It is kind of going to be one of those things that I will look back on and be very grateful for! It will be like the bankruptcy and the foreclosure of my condo!  They were rough at the time, but I am very grateful that they happened because they instilled the sense of humility and gratitude and many other things. I didn't think would come out of it. I guess it is all part of the game too.  

Many times I just need to realize that!  I need to do some things the same as I used to. Other things I just need to do differently. Many ways I will probably end up more active than I would have before! It's a case of not being willing to sit back and do nothing. Maybe it's a case of having determination, or maybe I'm too dumb to know any different. It is something that I will continue to work on. This is been experience, and all I can do is grow from it. I will keep on becoming being more of what I thought was possible since I was stroked. It just takes time. I've got to admit that only a year and a half isn't long but I see people at The Center differebtly since I am one of them. Many of them have got much more of a problem than I have. It has made me very grateful that I have this comparatively minor stroke! I admit that I will not be able to do a lot of things. I still have the ataxia but it's could be a whole lot worse. I'm able to walk, I'm able to take care of myself, and even drive! That's a whole whole bunch more than I expected only a year and a half ago.