Good News

Ever since my stroke, I worry. About everything. Something could happen to my kids. Something could happen to my wife. When I'm driving, something could go wrong, an accident maybe.

Just a worry wart.

I used to live in New York where worrying is what everyone does.  I now live in Orlando, actually a leafy, quiet, suburb of Orlando, but still I worry. "Is the front door locked? Should the kids play out front, without Dad? You know, there could be bad people out there!" My wife laughs at me and reminds me that those kinds of things are less likely here.

Yeah, but...

I return to my stroke and how that experience has me on alert 24/7, anyway. Because something did go wrong, I worry that something will go wrong. It's the old 'life can turn on a dime' thing.

I know, I know, decaf...

I wonder if it's the same for other stroke survivors. I  think of that terrible time and hope I never see it again.

Let's move on to good news.

There's something you should know about, something that was just released.  A Harvard Medical School Special Health Report. It's titled Stroke: Diagnosing, treating and recovering from a "brain attack."

My story leads it off.

How I went to Maryland to see my friends and family and how a massive stroke changed my life. How I almost died and the aftermath of that stroke. It brings you up to date on my return to television and my life today.

It goes on to tell people how to spot a stroke FAST and covers the phases of treatment. It talks about how to manage post-stroke pain. It goes over rehab and discusses virtual reality and biofeedback.

There's even a section that covers lifestyle changes to help prevent strokes.

Chapters cover: what is a stroke?, treating ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes, recovery, medical problems like atrial fibrillation and diabetes that increase stroke risk, and more.

The last chapter is about life after a stroke.

All this is information a person should have.

Why is it good news?

It's another brick in the wall to help us understand strokes and help do away with them. Wouldn't it be great if stroke was something that was? Past tense.

We live in a good time. Years ago, if you suffered a stroke, that was pretty much it. Now, there are stroke survivors who go on to have rich, fulfilling lives.

The old saying is that knowledge is power. It's a report like this that helps people with that.

And helps me to stop worrying.



To get a copy of this Harvard Medical School Special Health Report go to www.health.harvard.edu or call toll free 877-649-9457.





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