Stroke and PseudoBulbar Affect (PBA) by Perry

I had a stroke 11+ years ago and have PBA. It makes my mood happy, even when it shouldn’t. TV news shows dead people; I am sorry, but I still smile. 

Watch TV, PBA commercial (https://www.pbainfo.org/) is good, some 3-4+ years have stroke. It was creating mood. The PBA commercial is stroke and brain injury. You are happy when TV has a bad story, and you cry when it is a great time.

For instance: Ex-wife before divorce, and I told her that I have PBA. The ex-wife’s mother died, and I was in a happy mood. I could smile, stand up for receiving line at funeral.

The practicing doctor is clueless. I can’t speech. I don’t see my neurosurgeon anymore. The Stroke Comeback Center was not telling, and realized my mood was happy and cry. Physical Therapy didn’t realize my mood. My family, parents and sisters, were normal. I am normal mood (I can’t speech). The 4+ years was heavy PBA, and no drugs for PBA (23 results - https://www.pbainfo.org/pba-quiz). I am minor PBA today (9 results).

Kids were young: The actions is I might be, and I can change the mood quickly. My kids are rock strong, and I can thank you. Kids/Young adults (college freshman): THANK YOU!! Thank you!! I love you!! Thank you! 

Flying Down by Pat

So this made flying very good, then bad. On St. Patrick Day, Patty, my nephew Austin, and I flew to Sarasota, FL. I had called the TSA two weeks before and gave them my information. I told them my VetDog (WILSON) was coming. Two weeks later we went to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. We flew on American Airlines. Patty and I sat at the bulkhead. We sat there because Wilson is a big dog. He weighs 100 pounds. They let Austin sit in the first-class. It was easy and relaxing.

 

It was nice in Florida. We stayed at my mom's house and my sister, Mary, showed up. And the weather was beautiful everyday. It was about 75 degrees outside. After five days we went home. It was time to go back to reality.

 

We used Delta Airlines to go home. We were going to Atlanta then Reagan. I realized the airport was not huge in Sarasota. I thought there were nice people from Delta. So I did not call the TSA. First we asked about Wilson when we checked in. They told us to ask the gate agent. They said they would try to fix it. Then they started boarding. So I started getting mad and went over to ask here. "What's going on?" "Can I sit in the bulkhead?" They told me they were still trying to figure it out. They told me Wilson and I were in the 30th row. We went back there and Wilson couldn't lie down. He and I walked next to the back bathroom and waited. A flight attendant asked if I knew to go. "I told him that my VetDog and I can't fit in our row. I told them that I needed to be in the bulkhead. What to do now?" At the end, they did. Well, Delta is strange! The back the rows are tiny.

 

We waited for about 15 minutes. Then Wilson and I got a row at the bulkhead. While I was walking up, tons of people were Tweeting on Delta. "Do your job in the beginning!!!" 10 minutes later we flew to Atlanta. I was still mad! (The Irish come out of me sometimes...) I got my ginger ale and started to relax. There was a doctor sitting next to me. He liked Wilson and he helped people's brains. When the plane landed I got out of the way.

 

I got out and was figuring out where to go. Somebody was waiting to give me a ride to the next airplane. It became nice again. I hope that airplanes can be nice all the time. Now I know I need to call the TSA two weeks before I am going somewhere!

Music by Denise

I have two musical instruments that I play, the flute and the piano. The flute was my first study. I practiced the flute for at least four hours per day. There was little that I could not accomplish. I was a well accomplished flutist by the time I was ready to retire. It was a perfect time for playing the flute. I played the music for a long time. When it ended I was already a person in need of a new instrument. I bought a perfect piece, a beautiful piano. The piece was involved in all parts of the study. I cannot give a complete account of efforts during the years studied. But I will say that I was with a growing use of my hands.

Today I am struggling with notes, using only the notes that are played from one hand. My right hand is completely paralyzed. And I have only one hand to use. Work is slow.  You want to meet all of the notes on each line.  There is one more difficulty, and that is with the use of the language or words.

I will work with the one hand available to me.  This will bring all the notes from one hand. I have a friend who was a teacher and will bring me some things to practice. I am at the very beginning of learning, and it will take a long time to learn. I intend to be very happy with this work.

People Can’t See Aphasia Disability by Perry

I am aphasia speech – not digits and words. Society: Aphasia is not important – society (handicapped people: wheelchair, cane walk, walking/seeing dog and speech. I am speech aphasia. Society can people see wheelchair and cane walk.). I go to Stroke Comeback Center. We run the gamut - technical, financial, high school and/or college student, and President of companies, etc. The people here have aphasia, disabled from speech.

I don’t say “verbs” in my speech, and/or I don’t speak “objects” and “people” speech, etc. The society are waiter/waitresses, people and computer scientists, managers can talk I -- I can speak. People and Society can not know my disabled aphasia people. The highest aphasia, and never speak and forget words – society can know. The number is severe aphasia (I am several years), not words, or words (aphasia “xyzzy”: but “I am sorry” I would say!) not feeling but subject and object (I am now later), or story locally …. Most people is short time, and extra time.

(St Patrick Day I can walk to an Irish bar. The drink is Irish beer. I talked bar waiter, and I order the whiskey, and see I point third bottle on top. I speak to waiter: “I want the beer” but I should “I want whiskey, third bottle whiskey – not iced”. The waitress brings beer. The waitress can’t understand!! Right in my brain, not speech!!)

Because: Aphasia people is time and extra time.

The most important thing for people in society is time, time, and TIME!!!

With time, and I can talk.

Foster's Grille by Randy

The Stroke Comeback Center received a phone call from the manager at the Vienna Foster’s Grill. They asked if the center would be interested in doing the Dining for Dollars. Apparently they have seen many survivors from the center come in for lunch.

 

Foster’s Grill is located in Florida, Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia. When I was a UPS Driver, I used to have lunch at the one in Herndon. Back in the day, a burger for lunch was one of my favorite weekly rituals. It was a great time to catch up with my UPS buddies. Now as a stroke survivor I was happy to learn that Foster’s was located in Vienna. I know have my weekly ritual of having a burger at Foster’s with my stroke survivor buddies.

 

20% will be donated to the SCC. We are using this monthly. Dining for dollars will be used every 4th Tuesday of every month. We did it for the first time on January 24, 2017. 

 

The center gets a check from Forster’s Grill every month. That is awesome for the SCC. Foster’s Grill is a fantastic neighbor! Just as they support our community, let’s support Foster’s and the SCC by Dining for Dollars next Tuesday!! 

Foster's Grille of Vienna
Vienna Shopping Center
138 Maple Ave W
Vienna, VA 22180

Super Slippers by Christie

Wouldn't you like to wear slippers in your house? For 10 years, I have struggled to try to find slippers to wear around the home. I've tried many different shoes without luck. I needed slippers that have heel support and grips and won't twist my ankle when I walk.

 

I think I solved the problem. I found a shoe that has the support I needed. It's called Mahabis and it's made in London, England. It has a sole which protects walking around the house and taking Kona outside as well. It's relaxed and comfortable but feels like slippers.  Here is the website if you interested:  https://mahabis.com/pages/classic-slipper  

 

This is the style I chose:

 

 

ALIVE for 10 years! by Pat

Today is the start of 2017 and I need it. The beginning of 2016 was great. Then in the summer I got sick. My body was in charge the rest of the year. I didn't do the Army 10 Miler. Then I went to see a lot of doctors. I just was not having fun.

But I am mad. I can only say, "Thank You!" When I got hurt, I lived. I am ALIVE... July 7, 2017 will be Alive for 10 years. Think about it. I am retired. There are two things that needed to happen.

1. Exercise! I need to walk often (WILSON, he loves walking) and use my trike. I read that walking is better than running on your brain. And I need my brain to be working on the time.
2. Speak! For my friends, you know I has gotten better speaking. That is incredible. But let's keep going. Do you remember these words? Every year it has gotten better. Talking, listening, reading and writing.  

Since I got hurt I met so many great people. I need to thank my doctors, nurses and the military friends. I went to different places: RIC Chicago, Casa Colina, University Michigan Aphasia Program, Walter Reed and the old NNMC, Bethesda, Stroke Comeback Center and Learning RX. My PT, OT and speech teachers have been incredible!! (There are 3-4 that Were bad. So, it is possible that 95% of therapists fixed me back together.)


It is the last thing I need to tell you, "Thank You!!!!!!!" Friends, you came to see me right away in the hospital. Now hundreds of you have come for the Army 10 Miler race. Then they really love the party! My family as been good, also. If you know the Horans they are quiet. But they showed up and they never let me quit.

 

Finally my wife, Patty, has change my life. Doctors said I was going to die, she told herself that I would get better. I was able to go to a really good hospital. The speech therapist said I would never speak and got a DynaVox. Two years later she gave it to the speech class at Walter Reed. When I was in Walter Reed I did PT, OT and speech too. She knew 3 hours was not enough. She found different therapists and programs. I didn't know what I was doing. But I got better. And after 10 years I wake up in the morning, thankful I am still alive and my wife made me better than I ever was supposed to be. I LOVE PATTY because she saved me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!