Strokedaze

When We Strokies Mourn, Our Bodies Grieve

Like many stroke survivors, I initially had marked foot inversion on my recovering paralyzed side. A foot brace, lots of physical therapy and tincture of time overcame this problem, slow but sure. I was able to abandon the foot brace and walk without difficulty when using a Rollator.

Then a set back following the death of my sister. The problem of inversion returned and I returned to my wheelchair.

I fretted about this until my physical therapist told me to use the wheelchair as much as I needed and not to worry about it. "You are engaged in a period of intense grief. That is all your body can handle right now."

So the bottom line is this: Grief --> physical regression.

I continue to grieve but as acceptance of my loss grows, the problem of foot inversion diminishes. Soon I'll be out of the wheelchair and walking about on my Rollator.

 

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Life on the Other Side of the Bedrail

Abraham Verghese, MD, author of the delightful book, Cutting For Stone, noted that his stint of working as an orderly while waiting to obtain his medical license was quite valuable: "I got to experience first hand what happened on the ward the other 23 hours of the day."

 

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