Stroke recoveryA year later...It has been a year since I received the phone call telling me my husband had suffered a stroke, was being transported to hospital and I was needed. Also, a year of stroke recovery.
I was working on a gulf island off Nanaimo B.C. as a paramedic, about an hour from home. The week had been very warm and my husband was in the garden when he had a seizure. He eventually found his way to our neighbor for help where she looked after him and called me. The first sight of my husband sent chills through me. His left hand was flailing in the air, he didn't recognize me, had no recollection of his name or where he lived. I remember making a small crooning sound as I phoned my daughter who lives in another city. This is a second marriage for both of us and it is based on a strong love and respect for each other but also a companionship that is woven into one. Little did I realize how our lives would be effected. Days later he returned home and we would begin the long arduous task of stroke recovery. We had loved fishing, golfing and long walks by the ocean. We entertained a lot, all of which now was put on hold. Our days were filled with therapy for wounded hands, trips to doctors, teaching my husband to dress again and the simple task of putting in his dentures. I too had to learn how to cope with his frustrations, the weepiness that occurs the endless hours of trying to explain medications and why this had happened. I soon realized that a different lifestyle was imminent for us and I had better stop snivelling and get on with it. Short trips to have a coffee in a special cafe or taking advantage of senior activities in our community during seasonal holiday festivities, have become routine. Music was always a part of my husbands life and it has helped to bring back memories of his past. Many nights I grieve for the handsome man I love so much and my heart swells with pain. Somehow my family and my faith helped me through the first months and gradually I notice small improvements in Norman's (my husband) ability to care for himself. Where are we today? After a year of stroke recovery, Norman still gets frustrated, I still get angry, we laugh more now and our lifestyle has totally changed. We have a lovely garden where Norm can work and our family comes home more often to visit. We have much to be grateful for. When we are young we take so much for granted and never truly see ourselves as elderly until we experience a collapse of our health. We worry about financial portfolios but we neglect the importance of dealing with our elderly age and health issues. When we do suffer a major trauma, and are faced with stroke recovery, we are caught by surprise, but our senior years are filled with patience and a wonderful knowledge of how to cope and to love. It is a whole new world out there.
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