July 19 - overcoming a challenge

After I had a stroke, there were many challenges, both physical, cognitive and emotional, to deal with. Part of the reason I write this blog is to give hope to those who experience similar challenges. I am not particularly special. I am resourceful, tenacious, stubborn, and motivated.

One of the major challenges my family and I had to deal with when I came home from the hospital was swallowing. I didn’t know it then but I had dysphagia. The hospital discharged me without giving me the more extensive swallow test as the a SLP told me and my sister. But my sister wasn’t there when they were discharging me and although I wanted desperately to tell them, I had no voice. The nurse at discharge only told my husband to thicken my liquids. How helpful was that!

My family had to try what they could and my job was to be extra careful and not choke. Somehow we made due until the visiting nurse came a few days later.

Only now I know that if we did the wrong thing, I could have aspirated or had pneunoma.

Of course that is not the only major challenge I had when I came home, it’s only the potentially dangerous one.

I am lucky. I can now eat most anytime I want. I still do have to be cautious when eating rice, spaghetti and taking the Eucharist at mass on Sunday.

I’ll tell you more about when I got home from the hospital in future posts.

until next time…..