INSPIRATIONAL STORIES

MAXIMIZING LIFE AFTER STROKE

Betty's Story .....In 1977 Betty entered my professional life and she became a positive influence in my career.  Her spirit evolved my approach to helping patients and their families. A primary goal was how to best help them attain a quality of life despite their limitations and support their families, friends and caregivers.

I was privileged to be Betty’s speech-language pathologist when she was first discharged home and then when she entered outpatient treatment. In 1985 I chose her to be one of the inspirational interviews for a videotape series( now in DVD format) created for speech therapy wordv and phrase practice.  

Through the years I would check in on her to see what was happening in her life. She never ceased to amaze and inspire me! Learn how one amazing woman, despite such challenges as personal losses, speech difficulties, and paralysis, managed to create a meaningful life full of hope. Her story...

 
Jane's Story..... I met Jane a few years ago and was her speech-language pathologist for a short time when she moved to an assisted living. Jane was able to write better than she could speak. When she showed me the story she started writing (with the help of spell check) on her computer  I felt she was probably a good candidate for a communication device. Since I am in that facility frequently, I get to see her and have observed her progress. Enjoy her story in her own words - she is truly an inspiration! Her story....

Tips from Mom   

My mom experienced increased memory loss and since she was a woman who took great pride in her verbal, written and organizational skills, this was a source of great frustration to her. Her influence brought me to the place where I do the work that I do today and she became my teacher in a whole different way. I can still see myself at the kitchen table as a grade school student working on projects, playing games like Scrabble etc. She gave me permission to share some of the strategies she has been using as she dealt with her increased frustrations with memory loss. Perhaps you will find that these tips will be helpful to someone you know who is becoming more forgetful. Tips...