Monday, October 20, 2014

I am a Stroke Survivor

I am a stroke survivor.

There are those who don’t know what that is and there are those that do. More on the ones that do, later. But for those that don’t it means you went through the fire of having a stroke and lived to tell the tale.

All strokes are like snow flakes-different. Mine was an ischemic stroke, a blood clot stopped the flow of oxygen to my brain. I was in a coma for two days. Can you say bad? My stroke was bad and I almost died.

But didn’t.

I’ll speak later about those early days, the rehab, the dawning that life would be different.  But first, what I do now, nine years later to help get and keep the odds in my favor of never having a stroke again.

The stroke survivors who are out there know that surviving comes with a bit of baggage. Yes, we’re still here but you have to be always on guard, always vigilant about never being in that dark place again.

These are a few tips, a few things I do to help those odds work for me.

Exercise.

People think that means joining a gym. That takes money and if a gym is in your budget, I’m fine with that. If it is, do the elliptical for 30 minutes every other day, if you can. Start with baby steps, I did. 5 minutes at first, then graduate to ten and on and on till you work up to half an hour.  I say that amount of time because you don’t want to do too much, hurt something, and have to sit until that something heals.

Same for the treadmill but keep in mind that the knees come into play with it and they will let you know if something is wrong or if you’re overdoing it. Low elevation is fine but remember you’re not training for a marathon and do what’s right for you. The key is to raise your heart rate. The heart is a muscle and the stronger it is, well, the stronger it is.

One thing, my stroke affected my dominant side. I’m right handed, and my right side doesn’t work like it did pre-stroke. You may be in that same boat but know you have company in there with you. I had to make adjustments and be extra careful so I wouldn’t fall down but it can be done. Don’t let your worries stop you from the help.

Now on to exercise that doesn’t cost anything.

Last time I checked walking was free. Moving is key and walking falls right into that category. Notice I didn’t say power walking just walking. Walking helps the heart, the flow of blood, and helps those odds I’ve been talking about that work in your favor. Start small and work up. You don’t have to walk ten miles, start in front of your house or your apartment. Then maybe go to the end of your street. Then around the block. There is no hurry as you’re not training for anything. Try to get out there as often as you can or as often as you feel like it. But get out there. And keep in mind, out there includes trees, birds, neighbors, fresh air, good stuff. And don’t worry about what people might think or say about this person slowly moving along.


Every stroke survivor knows the date of their stroke. It’s like your birthday, you never forget it.

The day that changed your life.

Mine? November 15, 2005. Sometimes it’s hard to remember how things were before my stroke. That’s because your life was a certain way then and it’s a certain way now. But never forget you have a second chance at this circus called Life.

Let’s continue with some tips that helped me.

Food.

I love, really love, all the stuff that’s bad for you. I just re-read that and chuckled because it’s been that way my whole life. Pizza, cookies, chocolate, french fries, cheesy french fries, the list is a long one and I did my part to keep all of them in the black. Now? It’s a cavalcade of vegetables and fruit and chicken and fish and things that help keep the bug- a- boos at bay.

Reading this you'd think I’m some kind of saint.

I’m not.

But, I’ll say this, having a stroke scared me. Laying in a hospital bed, weak as a kitten, will definitely get your attention. And then you begin to think about what do I do to keep the wolves outside my door in the future.

That’s where change comes into focus.

This being a saint kind of thing won’t fly in that I eat things that aren’t the greatest for you. The key is I don’t do it every day. Let me explain-if you told me I couldn’t eat chocolate chip cookies ever again, I’d eat every one I could find. Today. But moderation is a good word. You can have your treats, just not every day. A good rule of thumb is if you can’t remember the last time you had something, then go ahead and have some.

Not a lot, some.

But go right back to being good.

A few hard and fast rules that I stick to...around where I live is a McDonalds, a Burger King, a Taco Bell, an Arbys. I’ve never, repeat never, eaten from any of them.  I try to never eat any fast food. Well, Five Guys, which should be outlawed, but I eat there rarely.

 Chick-fil-A and Chipotle and Panera Bread make a good salad, but be careful. The key is what you put on that salad. Low cal Vinaigrette-good, high cal Ranch dressing-not so good.  Also try the dressing on the side as opposed to drowning your salad in it.

I haven’t had fried chicken in…I can’t remember when. If you like it try baking it. All fried foods are a no no. Try to avoid them, as well.

Serving size, portion control is also very important and was hard for me to get used to. I've been 'jolly' most of my life and over eating was just what I did. Well, guess what? It's a new day and portion control has moved up in the line. It's fine to be full but not stuffed.

These are some of the rules I live by.

All of this is like putting money in the bank.


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