You have been given a special gift. A second chance at life. And there's a guide for all this; to be the best you can be, no matter the obstacles. Injury or hurt, illness or surgery, stroke or cancer, bones or body, whatever the medical trauma.
Who am I to talk of such things? No one special. But what I have to tell you is because I died, and came back to life. I went through it all and can now share, the 'why' and the 'how.' It was hope that helped me through. It was my roadmap to recovery. It guided me to find out what's involved, what's necessary for the recovery I was facing. I learned how to come out of it all, a whole and better person and lead a better life. Everyone can experience personal growth and the satisfaction of a return to life, as a functioning, contributing member of society, after suffering any illness is a triumph. Nothing is hopeless. You can work miracles -- if you know how.
I share my story in the hope to inspire, help and motivate others. I treat this perplexing matter with factual and positive attention. Telling the tale of practical experience that identifies the problems, tells what's involved, what to expect, and how to solve each. It's about how to cope and conquer, and how to live a real life.
The psychological, emotional and physical traumas of battling any illness or injury is difficult. It's all about survival. And to get informed and get help. Making the right choices and directions and that necessary hope.
You've been abruptly taken from a life that was and summarily thrust into a new challenge, battered about, maybe rejected, experiencing powerful emotions, learning how to fight and live and learning a great deal about life and people.
Let's take a look at stroke. That's where I come in. I had a stroke, a Cerebral Hemorrhage. The odds of survival are minimal. Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death in this country and the leading cause of long-term disability. A stroke strikes every 45 seconds -- that's about 800,000 people. There are some 7 million-stroke survivors in this country, struggling just to live. I'm one. I'm not paralyzed (I was.) I function (though sometimes I wonder how effectively.) I live a life and a good life.
For many years, medical dogma decreed, that brain cells, once gone are gone forever. Other parts of the brain take over function, but it's never enough. But, medicine only used the first part of this limited theory. The second and long-ignored part stated that it was up to the science of the future to change this dire prognosis. Well. they have. And, the same would apply to the great strides made in heart surgery, and care, cancer knowledge and increased survival. And, with other afflictions and diseases. Control and correction.
But the area that science and medicine cannot fully diagnose and treat is that of the emotions, the personal actions and reactions, that impact on bodily function on the path to wellness. While there are guidelines and direction, the individual challenges remain: how one reacts to illness, adversity, operation -- the demands on the body and mind, and how to deal with them to effect a recovery,
Simply put, you're sick, medicine, therapy, exercise, regimen can make your body well. What does it take to make your mind, your being, your life, you, well. There's free lunch. You've got to do it yourself!
The experiences and remembrances of your life, your being in survival and recuperation can often be humorous, other times sad, some glorious, some unconscionable, some perhaps boring. But necessary. Moments of humor and laughter are important because they are essential elements to recovery. The ability to laugh at life, particularly yourself, brings with it ultimate triumph and the ability to rise above all the "small stuff."
On my journey, I discovered a new perspective on how to manage life and make a positive difference. I hope to inspire and share my wisdom from a survivor, who went through, what you and/or your loved one has or may be going through. "Through" because you come out the other side -- recovered, better.