my left side was paralyzed, I had to learn to walk again, don't use the cane much now. my voice muscles are still weak for singing, but I never lost speaking voice. A couple little miracles, I'm moving my arm, though still a little weak, a couple days ago, and last night, I can move my fingers and thumb a little. It's a big deal to me,lol, because I haven't moved my left arm or fingers since dec 30th. I had to learn to button and zip my pants and snap my western shirts and put on my socks one handed. they recommended in therapy sweat pants and tshirts or polo shirts, but that's not what I wear,lol.
I suppose the biggest thing I've learned is that necessity is the mother of invention. I've managed to pretty much quit smoking,
follow a diet for the first time ever,lol. it's not out of fear but of necessity, and for the diet, my taste is off a little, the only thing that really tastes the same as before is meat, fruits and vegetables. coffee is different, so I only brew 1 cup at a time.
I didn't have any intervention, no shot, no angioplasty because the clot was a small one deep in the brain and they thought they would do more damage than good, so they just let the affected part of my brain die. I think that maybe the reason I did so well in rehab was because my traumatic depressive event in life wasn't the stroke, but during the great recession when I lost everything. Certainly after seeing the hospital bill, I wasn't depressed any longer from that event, because I would have ended up in the same place anyhow,lol! So I suppose I learned something about depression, mainly why be depressed, it doesn't accomplish anything other than preventing something else that should be depressing, from being depressive.
I've smoked a few cigarettes, i had some papers and tobacco left,lol, they were really quite enjoyable. I'm out of papers, and I really can't imagine myself smoking anymore, and I think that's probably the biggest thing and secret to quiting, just not picturing myself smoking and not having papers available anymore to tempt me,lol.
I've rambled a bit, I just hope that anyone who reads this will understand that it ain't over until it's over, and not to throw in the towel unless it's into the washer to be laundered, or you get a new towel.
