“Are you ready? It will just be a little prick,” my physiatrist warned. “Thanks for the heads up,” I joked. Prick, and the needle penetrated my left trapezius. My doctor turned the switch on the funny little contraption sitting in front of us, which started to hum faintly. “This is how we figure out whereContinue reading “Fast Fwd: The Fully Recovered Mindset”
Author Archives: maddistrokeofluck
A new Thanksgiving tradition
Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays. My mom’s side of the family drives up to our house in Chatham from Maryland, and we all celebrate Thanksgiving together. I love spending time with my family and enjoying a delicious meal. My dad fries a turkey outside and smokes another (and it’s delicious!). MyContinue reading “A new Thanksgiving tradition”
Mind the gap
This past weekend, I hit another major milestone. I took the subway by myself for the first time post-stroke. Which may not seem like a huge deal, but trust me, it is. And, in retrospect, is probably still not the safest thing for me to do, but I needed to prove to myself that itContinue reading “Mind the gap”
World Stroke Day 2019
Today let’s celebrate the gift of life.
London calling
I woke up in a cold sweat the night before my flight to London. There was a lot on my mind: what if I couldn’t manage traveling on my own? What if I got lost in the city and couldn’t find my way back? Since having a stroke, I had never traveled anywhere without myContinue reading “London calling”
They tied the knot!
The 5th of October, 2019 began for me like any typical Saturday morning as of late: breakfast, weight bearing, get dressed, chug some coffee. Except it wasn’t any typical Saturday morning, because today one of my very dearest friends was getting married. It felt like Christmas; I was so excited for this day, and couldn’tContinue reading “They tied the knot!”
Use it or lose it!
The huge bucket of ice water sits across from me, filled to the brim. It’s my first of three weeks at the Taub Clinic at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and I have no idea what I’ve gotten myself into. My occupational therapist for the next few weeks returns with what appears to beContinue reading “Use it or lose it!”
A new competitive advantage
Ella Sofia, a fellow stroke survivor and habit coach, is constantly asking, “How can I turn a bad experience into a competitive advantage?” I think about this question a lot since my stroke. How can I turn this shitty situation into my very own competitive advantage, or the greatest thing that ever happened to me? ***Continue reading “A new competitive advantage”
My Story: Part 2
Upon waking up paralyzed on the left side of my body post-surgery, I spent a grueling 15 days in the ICU, mostly laying on my back. It took all my strength to just sit up in a chair for five minutes. I wasn’t sure how I could possibly bounce back from this, if at all.Continue reading “My Story: Part 2”
Redefining possibility
A good friend once told me “pressure is a privilege,” and I couldn’t agree more. It is a privilege to have the opportunity to work hard. Suffering through an experience as traumatic as a stroke has an interesting way of putting life into perspective. When I woke up from a coma in the ICU, IContinue reading “Redefining possibility”