3 weeks ago as some of you know, my dad, had a stroke. My sister and I had never really dealt with a real live person with a stroke. We didn’t know what to expect and I suppose we still don’t really. Every day is a new challenge.
In the scheme of things, his stroke was not catastrophic. He has good and bad days and two good days in a row we celebrate.
He is like a child again and has to be retrained in things we take for granted. We look for the little things that show we are still going forward. His stroke was in the right side of his brain and therefore his left side was affected. He “neglects” it.
We started taking him out in his wheelchair for a walk around the facility and to their outside porch. We pointed out trees and cars and the hospital across the way. He perked up some. That was a good move. Who knew? He seemed so out of it and we just let him be.
Today he went to a new facility. A sub-acute rehab center. When I talked to him over the phone (we have to hold our cellphones up to his ear with the speaker on) he told me about the move and what number his room was and that my sister had gotten him a window bed. He wasn’t there last weekend. There is more hope. We have to learn to re-stimulate him in an interest in his life and future as it is not his time to go.
We have a long road still ahead of us, but now we feel he has an interest in that road and will slowly walk it with us.
Tessa – advocate for mental health and invisible illnesses, also devout Christian
Author – http://www.finallyawriter.com (this blog contains my old work), new work is on this blog http://www.tessacandoit.com
