When I was admitted to PA Hospital earlier this year for my brain aneurysm (270-ish something days since CT’d it) I was just thinking of the ‘usual’ operation for this sort of thing discovered by ’normal’ people. I was only expecting around 5 days in hospital, getting out early, only 3 months my driver’s licence was medically suspended, then back to normal life. I had no idea what happened to me in my surgery. Sometimes I feel like I was cut open wrong, I bled, and I have my own future problem. I spent 6½ weeks in PA. I have now been out of PA for 3 months, have had some OT and Speech therapists, and still have at least another 3 month before I can even start driving again – if I pass my assessment.
Today I attended an
invitation by my new Health Service, Redcliffe, to the North Lake Health
Service meeting about stroke, run by the Community Based Rehabilitation Team
(CBRT). I had to work out how the buses would get up there, and caught the 690
into Redcliffe and swapped to 680 for a drop off at North Lake. I reached the
Health Service half an hour early and was given directions to local cafés where
I could get my lunch. There only seemed to be two smallish cafés within walking
of the hospital, but I had a long afternoon meeting after my 1¼ hour bus and I
was hungry.
Taking a small long
black back across the road and into the large meeting room was – for me –
essential. We would have afternoon tea provided but later, after another 2½ hours.
The group attending
was fairly large, most of the people who have had a stroke appeared to be there
with their partners. I was on my own, but didn’t feel left out as the people
who sit beside me chatted to me. Our first host speaker was from CBRT and
introduced a whole raft of information for the ‘experienced’ strokers and the partners
and a video info which she played for us. We received the Stroke Foundation
booklet. Did you know what caused a stroke? One was “a blocked artery”, called
an ischaemic stroke. The other was “a bleed in the brain”, known as a
haemorrhagic stroke. The booklet said: “This causes blood to leak into the
brain… stopping the delivery of oxygen and nutrients” and “…can be caused by a
number of disorders which affect the blood vessels, including… cerebral
aneurysms.” This is what I suffered from
during my aneurysm operation.
Sometime during my
post-operation I was asked, at PA, if I would be interested in Aphasia
Association. I was given a few of business cards which I could have handed out if
I was having problems with my words. These have stayed in my bag and just didn’t
get used. I never really had any info about them, until today. The CBRT gave a
lot of info about that association to the meeting, and it sounds certainly
worthwhile for ringing and getting some answers. Sometimes I think of myself as
being okay with my words, but most days, when I talk to others, I realise I am
a long way behind my original speech. It’s
very frustrating.
Before our afternoon
tea the chap who was introduced was, three years after his stroke, speaking
about his speech deficit. Whenever he forgot what he had tried to say I was
reminded about myself. I could feel my tears running down, as I felt frustrated
that I was in this same psych problem. This guy drives and rides his Harley
now. I am hoping I will pass my assessment. Three months to go, please let me
be okay!
This CBRT has reminded
me of my history and my lost future. This week, the 8-14 September, is a National
Stroke Week set up by Stroke Foundation. The meeting provided us all with a
whole heap of writing: “Know the signs of stroke”, “High cholesterol and stroke”,
“Take the challenge”, “Call to action – Fight Stroke”, “Do you know your stroke
risk”, and “Information sheet- Dream, Believe, Achieve – the Stroke Self
Management Program”. Aphasia also included an advertisement and a sheet that
said “10 Things people with Aphasia would like you to know”. This stuff is definitely
good for everyone needing to know, even if you don’t have a stroke or know
someone who has had it.
Whatever I end up
with, I need to thank the CBRT and Aphasia and, generally, all therapists who
have worked with me. Whatever I have to succeed in the future, I guess I will
just have to do whatever I can do. It’s mine. Anyone can offer.
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