Stop and Smell the Roses

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In my hospital bed the view out the window was fantastic. It was February and the hospital is on the shore of Lake Ontario. Waves crash onto the beach making mountains of ice which continue to grow until the sun sets and the show I can see is over till tomorrow.

There's lots of people who don't like hospitals. I neither like or hate hospitals but I'd rather be visiting one than be a patient. This time I'm a patient so I'll just have to go with that. I could complain about the food or the paint on the walls or just complain about my situation but I don't. The one thing I noticed that makes the biggest difference to me is something that's invisible.

Which side of the glass do I want to be on?

The glass is the window I looking out of and looking out on the world. That world continues weather I'm a stroke survivor in a hospital or someone who had a stroke but didn't make it. It doesn't pass judgment. This invisible piece of glass gives no thought to which side I 'm on. It's just a portal, a viewing screen to the other side. I know which side I want to be on.

There's no doubt I need a plan, a goal, a way to judge my recovery but all I can think of is spring. The world renews itself. The air smells fresher. The soul feels the new possibilities. It's all very poetic but what it comes down to this, I want to be on the other side of that glass. I know it's there or I'd be very cold up here on the 6 floor of the hospital. It seems to be the only barrier between being a patient or a visitor.

On the other side of that glass is my life. Freedom to do what I want. So what did I want to do? Everything had changed in a split second and so did I. Looking out that window was different. Now I not only saw the waves I felt them crash onto the icy shore. This realization had me thinking. What else changed?

Getting better was a must. I want to feel the warm spring breeze on my skin and the warmth of the sun on my face. Hear the birds chirping in the trees and smell the grass as it grows again. Spring is just a few month away. There's something more to all of this that I must have and won't give up.

What I won't give up is that “New” must have. Time. Time to realize that I'm still here. Appreciate that I still have a life to live. Feeling that I'm apart of all this and that it's time to stop and smell the roses.

The only way to do this is to get better and be on the other side of the glass. We all have to choose which side of the glass we want to be on.

Miracle Work

I just received an E Mail from Rhonda in the state of Washington. Her father has had a stroke and wondered if there was any hope for him? The doctors report was gloomy and filled with reality. It's all a part of the job to inform the family of the situation. What the family or Rhonda does with that information is entirely different.

Now the doctor indicated there was Little Hope, not No Hope. This caught my attention immediately. Some peoples reaction would be to assume the worst. It's easier to give up and call it a day. As you know that's just not me or I suspect Rhonda because she went looking for answers on the net and wrote to me.

If a door is closed and locked but I can see light around the edges coming from the other side there's a Little Hope not No Hope. Notice how I put an “a” in front of the “Little” and used it as a positive statement. All I need is a “Little Hope” keep the “No's” to yourself. My friend was told by the doctor I wouldn't live overnight. I had the rest of the night to change that outcome. Must have worked, I'm still here!

So what's the chance of recovery? Is there a possibility of a Miracle happening? Let's look at that. The way I look at things you're either recovering or you're passed away. Since you're not passed away you're definitely recovering. There's some good news! With this in mind what are you willing to do to recover? This is mainly up to the survivor to decide.

One little step at a time. Not the Miracle of suddenly being “back to normal” in the blink of an eye. We all hope for that but it mainly comes one little step at a time. Survivors need to realize this and plan in their minds what they'd like to work on today. An example would be talking. So you can't talk, can you slur? Can't slur? Can you make a single sound? What does it sound like in your mind? Does it sound like the beginning of a word you remember? How many different types of sounds can you make? So practice them because they're the beginnings of speech.

For the family caregiver you must be encouraging to the survivor. Tell them what a good job they're doing with each new thing they do. They're starting from scratch so everything is new again. Make sure you help them and don't do things for them that they could do themselves. You want them to keep trying not giving up. You don't want them to let those around them do everything for them.

You're both at the beginning. If you've asked the question, “do you want to get better?” and he nods yes or you can tell by the look in his eyes, the journey has begun. Miracles start with thoughts of hope and Work is what you both put into it. That's why it's called Miracle Work!