Hello, I have a Great-Nephew who is waiting for double lung transplant. He is 36 years old and has Cystic Fibrosis.
I love him very much and am interesting to know all that I can about his disease. He also has Diabetes.
Hello friends. 9/15/06
I’m sure you received a packet from the National Stroke Association of America, listing those who wish to become penpals and reach out to those who suffered a stroke or has experienced a TBI event.
I’m not an official spokesperson of the N.S.A.A. But as a stroke survivor at the age of 37 (I had my “event” when I was 35) with nothing to do, I pretty much though I would take it upon myself to get this ball rolling and reach out to anyone that I can.
Now, I don’t claim that I’ve conquered a stroke. There are no, seven steps to a speedy recovery on my part. So please don’t send your checks to me. All I can offer is my philosophy. That’s it. My pitch is what you are reading now.
For those of you familiar with the N.S.T.A Web site, there is a section where you can read on the latest statistics. So, the latest figures show that there are 5.5 million people in the US who will suffer and survive a stroke this year. If you divide that by 50, that’s 1.1 million people, per state. My dearest friends, what this means that on any given day, in any state, there will be 30 stroke survivors to add to our exclusive but crowded group.
When I had my stroke Back on June 10th, 2005. I spent days in ICU. I spent six months in rehab just to get me fit enough to go home. All that time I asked myself, “okay, I had a stroke, now what?” What is my purpose? Am I to be a burden to someone for the next 35 years? Why did you, leave me like this?
A couple of realizations I made. First, I will never ever become a burden to anyone. It’s one of the many mantras’ I say. And in time, I learned that asking for help is not becoming a burden. And most importantly, I think the reason why I am here, is for the 30. I think we can say we all were once were bipeds just like anyone else. But it was that one clot, or that spike in the blood pressure that changed us from everyday people. So, I am here for the 30, who will wake up and realize certain limbs won’t work, and tries as they might, the words cannot form. I am here for those that will wake up and say, “okay, I had a stroke, now what?”
With great humility, I submit that I will do my best to greet you as the stroke guru, for lack of a better phrase, and say, “yes, right now, things may look bleak, but in time, you can stand where I am standing now. There are many others waiting to help bring you back to the speed of life.”
Enough pontificating. In time, you’ll see I have a very roundabout way of getting to the point. I invite all of you to write back, share your thoughts, provide suggestions or vent your frustrations. If you know someone who might need this, by all means, I invite sharing. I know that I don’t have all the answers, but I hope I can point you in the right direction.
With that, I thank you very much for your time, for inviting me into your home, and allowing me to join a very exclusive group of the most extraordinary people.
John trani- Brooklyn, NY
37, stroke survivor and perpetual work in progress.
i have depression for a long time i am 39 and i live in nc, i have 2 kids, married 15 yrs i have heart replacement, metal vavle, 2 stroke, hearing loss
I am age 65 and suffered a cerebullar stroke on 9/12/2004. I have regained but but there are still damages that have not resolved themselves. I am luck in this respect not to be much worse off than many iwth this type of CVA.
hi there, i work with the careplace team. i think careplace is awesome. i hope it will really help people to share, support eachother and learn. we can all use support and understanding and it is so important for all of us who have experienced difficulties to have a safe and informative forum in which to do so. thanks for visiting - it is really rewarding for all of us to see people reaching out to eachother - it is what careplace is all about.