Freedom

After my husband broke his shoulder, we were pretty much home bound for about two months.  Frequent visits to the orthopedic surgeon were about the extent of our excitement.  Feeling a little better, he suggested he would like to take a trip to the store.  It was November and the hustle and bustle of the holiday shopping did not seem like a jolly time to get out in those crowds.

After the first of the year turned out to be a good time for an outing.  A grocery store was close by, and a good place to see how he would fare.  He managed to use the affected hand to push the cart, and get into the store.  Not being sure he could manipulate the controls on the motorized cart, it was worth a try.  After positioning himself in the cart, we reviewed the forward and backward levers for his use.  He was no more in the cart, we turned our heads, he was off, and disappeared around a corner.  Fortunately, I had a caregiver with me that was able to keep up with his pace.

The affected hand that could hardly manipulate a utensil, or a toothbrush, was now able to push the levers to freedom.  After his fall, he was not able to drive the car.  Now he was in control.  He was in control of the steering, the brakes, and where he was going to go.  Fortunately, he kept his speed where no one was harmed, and no displays were toppled over.

As the caregiver frantically watched my husband disappear corner after corner,  I was able to do my grocery shopping.  When I finished, I had difficulty locating either one of them.  When I finally approached my husband I told him I was through shopping, and asked if he was ready to go home.  The answer was an emphatic No.  Twice I had to return the frozen vegetables to the freezer lest they begin to thaw even before we checked out.

Never underestimate the power of the simple things in life.  A motorized cart, in a local store, gave an 84 year old man freedom after suffering a wicked fall. and a broken shoulder.

What To Do?

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be married to one person, and engaged to another at the same time? Along with the aging process, and accumulated health problems, there is the possibility of suffering a stroke, an interruption of the blood supply to the brain. I had the unique opportunity of being a co-founder, and then served as administrator of a facility that provided recreational therapy to stroke survivors. Often left to fend for themselves with family members at work, it was a place where they could feel comfortable with others in the same situation, and help them in their efforts to regain independence, through various speech, and learning programs.

 The question was often asked, "Is there life after stroke?" In the thirteen years as administrator I witnessed this every day, that there is, and can be life after stroke. One of my favorite stories to come out of my experiences is the story of Rita and Mike. Rita was left to live with her mom after her husband divorced her after the stroke. She also lost her ability to speak. She enjoyed coming to the facility daily, and her favorite activity was playing rummytile. Shortly after her arrival, and after much coaxing from his wife, a fellow by the name of Mike began attending. It was difficult for Mike to make the adjustment from being his own boss, to attending a rehabilitation facility. He soon learned to adjust to the fact that he needed rehabilitation. While playing rummytile Rita and Mike formed an attachment, being able to communicate in spite of her speech loss. Having lost the use of his right arm prohibited Mike from returning to his work, a truck driver. Little by little they became better acquainted, eventually becoming romantically involved.


 To complicate matters, they were not of the same social standing, which was an irritation to Rita's highly sophisticated mom. Then to everyone's surprise, Mike presented Rita with a diamond ring. About six months later, Mike suffered a more debilitating stroke. As he lay in his hospital bed, his question to me was, "What am I going to do, I am married to one, and engaged to another?" Unfortunately, his condition worsened which caused him to have to return home to his wife. Rita continued her days playing rummytile with other stroke survivors. So, yes, there is life after stroke. And where there is life, there is hope.