l
I reported. As part of my stroke. That I experienced a peculiar state of euphoria while I was in the hospital rehabilitation center and upon my return home. I found this to be a unique experience. As it turns out, it isn't! This is an interesting account by a doctor who was a neuroscientist and stroke victim.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
FREE BOOKS for the reading impaired -- seriously!
.
I have mentioned elsewhere on this blo that one of the side effects of my stroke is that I find it very difficult to read. When I first had my stroke, I could not read it all. I could spell and I could tell you what word was if you spelled it to me, but visually, letters on a screen or page were just pretty pictures.
I have found an amazing service! Do you or someone you know suffer from an affliction that makes it impossible or difficult to read? Second, does that person like science fiction or fantasy? If so, have I got a deal for you!
And bullocks and its sister publishers have a site called http://www.webscription.net/ and have a really cool service for people like us. They give away electronic copies of their books -- all of them -- free! Just go to the homepage and you'll find a link on the left side. Just give them the doctor's name, and you're in!
Happy reading ... And, now that I think of it, happy Halloween!
psssst... read the post after this one too.
I have mentioned elsewhere on this blo that one of the side effects of my stroke is that I find it very difficult to read. When I first had my stroke, I could not read it all. I could spell and I could tell you what word was if you spelled it to me, but visually, letters on a screen or page were just pretty pictures.
I have found an amazing service! Do you or someone you know suffer from an affliction that makes it impossible or difficult to read? Second, does that person like science fiction or fantasy? If so, have I got a deal for you!
And bullocks and its sister publishers have a site called http://www.webscription.net/ and have a really cool service for people like us. They give away electronic copies of their books -- all of them -- free! Just go to the homepage and you'll find a link on the left side. Just give them the doctor's name, and you're in!
Happy reading ... And, now that I think of it, happy Halloween!
Friday, October 29, 2010
An interesting citations
I read this quotation in the book that I was reading yesterday. It really struck me as very true, so I thought I would record it here for posterity.
Note: The elipses (...) indicate superfluous text that I have deleted.
"There are two things no commander—and no human being—can ever control ... You cannot control the decisions of others, and you cannot control the actions of God. An intelligent officer will try to anticipate both of those things and allow for them, but a wise officer will not blame himself when God comes along and screws up a perfectly good plan with no warning at all ... it's that God has a very peculiar sense of humor . . . and an even more peculiar sense of timing."
-- David Weber, Echoes of Honor
Note: The elipses (...) indicate superfluous text that I have deleted.
Preface ... Brain Storm: The Story of A Stroke and Recovery.
Did you ever look outside on a summer evening and watched the awesome display of nature as bolts of lightning arced but crossed the evening sky, incandescently illuminating the surroundings before plunging back into darkness? The display is both terrifying as well as beautiful, inspiring both fear and wonder simultaneously. One wonders how such a tremendous display of nature's power can also wreak such lethal havoc.
It makes you wonder. Is lightening good or bad? Lightning kills people. Lightning burns forests to the ground. However, for every tree in burns to a cinder, it allows the seeds of that tree to reach for the light of the sun, thrive and grow as new life. Lightning is destruction as well as renewal. Good? Bad? Are those concepts relative to the observer?
I was 53. I had a crippling, paralyzing stroke that left me three months in the hospital and years in recovery. In fact, I am recovering still. Quite frankly, it was personally devastating, or so it seemed at the time. However, I have been an analyst for many years. The experience of the stroke and the life changes that ensued, in retrospect, are fascinating.
I read motivational books about the personal epiphanies that stroke victims experience. I have read books about the science and medicine of strokes. However, the stories of personal revelation and the stories of the science and medicine of strokes were never in the same book. It is as if the two were unrelated. But they are not. When looking at the stories of stroke victims, the emotions, thoughts, feelings and mental actions as of stroke victims had as much to do with the speed and success of recovery as the science and medicine. I wanted to write a book, tell a story, report the science in a holistic way since they were inextricably linked to successful recovery.
There are subtle changes in the way the world perceives a stroke victim, and, the way the stroke victim views the world. I really wanted to capture that subtle but interesting dynamic. I also realized that this interplay between the stroke victim and the world can have a profound effect on both the stroke victim’s recovery and the lives and perceptions of those he meets.
I didn’t realize this, but strokes don’t just happen to the elderly. A stroke can happen to anyone. Anybody can have a stroke, any time. However, as devastating as they are, it is possible to view the stroke is a rebirth, a renewal, a way to change directions in your life. Mine was. I didn't know the signs and warnings. This could have been avoided. If only I had known what to look for! I think you should know.
This may sound rather strange, but at this point, I'm not really sure that my stroke was a totally negative experience! In fact, the stroke may have been a blessing in disguise. I would certainly never wish a stroke upon anyone else. However, my pre-stroke life, in retrospect, certainly left much to be desired. There have actually been many positive life changes that have resulted from my two year incapacitation. There is both my positive experience, and, some positive lessons.
I have divided this book into five types of information, in an attempt to achieve something that none of the other books on the subject seem to have accomplished. The existing literature appears to be either a scientific account or a personal story. In this account, I have defined five types of messages are trying:
1. Medical Fact. There is a great deal of information available on strokes and TIAs, or transient ischemic accidents. my objective here is to interlace this clinical information in lay terms, and exemplify the clinical information through personal experience.
2. Personal Account. I want to tell my story. From my understanding, it is not necessarily typical. However, I believe, or at least hope, that you’ll find it interesting and engaging. It also helps to exemplify the clinical facts.
3. Personal Observations. After having experienced a stroke, and talking to many many also have, as well as their family and friends, I think it’s fair to say that I can draw some solution both about the stroke experience and about the way we live our lives -- based on pre-stroke and post-strokeas experiences.
4. Other People’s Perceptions. I have learned much about what other people think of strokes and stroke victims which I will describe here.
5. Conclusions or Questions. No doubt, experiencing a stroke has created certain conditions and left me with certain observations and conclusions which I will share with you. But as often as not, many questions are raised for which I still have no answers and I am still searching for enlightenment.
It makes you wonder. Is lightening good or bad? Lightning kills people. Lightning burns forests to the ground. However, for every tree in burns to a cinder, it allows the seeds of that tree to reach for the light of the sun, thrive and grow as new life. Lightning is destruction as well as renewal. Good? Bad? Are those concepts relative to the observer?
I was 53. I had a crippling, paralyzing stroke that left me three months in the hospital and years in recovery. In fact, I am recovering still. Quite frankly, it was personally devastating, or so it seemed at the time. However, I have been an analyst for many years. The experience of the stroke and the life changes that ensued, in retrospect, are fascinating.
I read motivational books about the personal epiphanies that stroke victims experience. I have read books about the science and medicine of strokes. However, the stories of personal revelation and the stories of the science and medicine of strokes were never in the same book. It is as if the two were unrelated. But they are not. When looking at the stories of stroke victims, the emotions, thoughts, feelings and mental actions as of stroke victims had as much to do with the speed and success of recovery as the science and medicine. I wanted to write a book, tell a story, report the science in a holistic way since they were inextricably linked to successful recovery.
There are subtle changes in the way the world perceives a stroke victim, and, the way the stroke victim views the world. I really wanted to capture that subtle but interesting dynamic. I also realized that this interplay between the stroke victim and the world can have a profound effect on both the stroke victim’s recovery and the lives and perceptions of those he meets.
I didn’t realize this, but strokes don’t just happen to the elderly. A stroke can happen to anyone. Anybody can have a stroke, any time. However, as devastating as they are, it is possible to view the stroke is a rebirth, a renewal, a way to change directions in your life. Mine was. I didn't know the signs and warnings. This could have been avoided. If only I had known what to look for! I think you should know.
This may sound rather strange, but at this point, I'm not really sure that my stroke was a totally negative experience! In fact, the stroke may have been a blessing in disguise. I would certainly never wish a stroke upon anyone else. However, my pre-stroke life, in retrospect, certainly left much to be desired. There have actually been many positive life changes that have resulted from my two year incapacitation. There is both my positive experience, and, some positive lessons.
I have divided this book into five types of information, in an attempt to achieve something that none of the other books on the subject seem to have accomplished. The existing literature appears to be either a scientific account or a personal story. In this account, I have defined five types of messages are trying:
1. Medical Fact. There is a great deal of information available on strokes and TIAs, or transient ischemic accidents. my objective here is to interlace this clinical information in lay terms, and exemplify the clinical information through personal experience.
2. Personal Account. I want to tell my story. From my understanding, it is not necessarily typical. However, I believe, or at least hope, that you’ll find it interesting and engaging. It also helps to exemplify the clinical facts.
3. Personal Observations. After having experienced a stroke, and talking to many many also have, as well as their family and friends, I think it’s fair to say that I can draw some solution both about the stroke experience and about the way we live our lives -- based on pre-stroke and post-strokeas experiences.
4. Other People’s Perceptions. I have learned much about what other people think of strokes and stroke victims which I will describe here.
5. Conclusions or Questions. No doubt, experiencing a stroke has created certain conditions and left me with certain observations and conclusions which I will share with you. But as often as not, many questions are raised for which I still have no answers and I am still searching for enlightenment.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
The Exploding Pill: A bit of humor.
I presume that someday this story to find its way into Brain Storm, but, it actually happened much earlier, and is only tangentially related. But it is funny!
I have had a condition known as gout, for years. I was first diagnosed when I was about 17 years old by a doctor who was also a family friend. Prior to that, I have complained of pain in my knee for about two years and had the diagnosed with all kinds of strange ailments. None of them actually turned out to be true. . However, my mother sent me off to her friend. Knowing my history, he smiled the minute I walked in. You have gout! That's what he told me. He didn't even ask me any questions or look at my knee. My mom had filled him in on the symptoms. Of course, he had to do some blood tests to verify. He was right.
That was back in the 1970s. The treatment of choice for gout, at the time, was a pill called Colchicine. I took it every day. However, I was warned, take it with food. Well, I was late for work. I popped the Colchicine, hopped in the car and started to drive to work. Suddenly, I had indigestion. It wasn't bad, just a little uncomfortable. Then I burped! Blue smoke came billowing out of my mouth accompanied by a horrible aftertaste! I had no idea what was, but the discomfort when away, and I didn't think about it for a while.
A couple of weeks later, I was relating the story to a co-worker. I hadn't figured it out, but driving to work I mysteriously belched blue smoke! I cited the smoke and the foul taste. And she immediately started laughing. I agree, it was funny. But not that funny.
I have had a condition known as gout, for years. I was first diagnosed when I was about 17 years old by a doctor who was also a family friend. Prior to that, I have complained of pain in my knee for about two years and had the diagnosed with all kinds of strange ailments. None of them actually turned out to be true. . However, my mother sent me off to her friend. Knowing my history, he smiled the minute I walked in. You have gout! That's what he told me. He didn't even ask me any questions or look at my knee. My mom had filled him in on the symptoms. Of course, he had to do some blood tests to verify. He was right.
That was back in the 1970s. The treatment of choice for gout, at the time, was a pill called Colchicine. I took it every day. However, I was warned, take it with food. Well, I was late for work. I popped the Colchicine, hopped in the car and started to drive to work. Suddenly, I had indigestion. It wasn't bad, just a little uncomfortable. Then I burped! Blue smoke came billowing out of my mouth accompanied by a horrible aftertaste! I had no idea what was, but the discomfort when away, and I didn't think about it for a while.
A couple of weeks later, I was relating the story to a co-worker. I hadn't figured it out, but driving to work I mysteriously belched blue smoke! I cited the smoke and the foul taste. And she immediately started laughing. I agree, it was funny. But not that funny.
Then she told me that she had a similar experience. She asked me if I had gout. I said yes, of course. Then she asked me if I was taking Colchicine. Yes, I answered unexpectedly. She advised me that she also had gout, that she had been prescribed Colchicin, that they told her to take it on a full stomach -- and she didn't. The consequence was that pill blew up in her stomach causing her to belch blue smoke, have a lousy taste in her mouth, and, since she was obviously smarter than me, call a doctor! He told her what happened, said she was lucky, and told her not to take the damn pill on an empty stomach. anymore.
Now they use a drug called allopurinol. Although Colchicine has very rare uses -- it is also called the horse pill because then as now, it is used on thoroughbreds who get sore ankles! It's still a veterinarian's dream.
Now they use a drug called allopurinol. Although Colchicine has very rare uses -- it is also called the horse pill because then as now, it is used on thoroughbreds who get sore ankles! It's still a veterinarian's dream.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
I'm baaaack.
Hello all!
Well, it's been quite sometime since I've posted to this blog. Since my stroke things have been very busy. I am actually in the process of several, simultaneous writing projects. My friend Chalotta actually suggested that I write my biography.She works in the health care profession in Australia, and has told my story to many of her patients/clients (although never using my name). It turns out, many, many people found the story of my stroke, recovery, and life sentence to be a compelling, interesting and surprisingly, even inspiring story. I never thought so. However, I started to write, with my three collaborators Chalotta, Mimi and Arnie. As I sat back and read what I was writing, looking at it as a dispassionate observer, the story was actually quite compelling! Like seems to be a blur when you are living it, and it is only through retrospection that it actually comes into focus.
Well, it's been quite sometime since I've posted to this blog. Since my stroke things have been very busy. I am actually in the process of several, simultaneous writing projects. My friend Chalotta actually suggested that I write my biography.She works in the health care profession in Australia, and has told my story to many of her patients/clients (although never using my name). It turns out, many, many people found the story of my stroke, recovery, and life sentence to be a compelling, interesting and surprisingly, even inspiring story. I never thought so. However, I started to write, with my three collaborators Chalotta, Mimi and Arnie. As I sat back and read what I was writing, looking at it as a dispassionate observer, the story was actually quite compelling! Like seems to be a blur when you are living it, and it is only through retrospection that it actually comes into focus.
Brain Storm: The Story of A Stroke and Recovery.
This is my initial post on the subject of Brain Storm, the autobiographical story of my struggle after my stroke, the progress of my recovery, and some very, very surprisinglessons that I learned from the experience and surprising conclusions to which I have come.
Who would be interested in Brain Storm?
Clearly, one audience is anyone who's had a stroke. I'm sure that friends and relatives of stroke victims will also find it interesting. But, as it's also a story about life, revelation, and figuring out why the heck we're here. The stroke lead me the time to think about those things, to study them. My conclusion startled even myself! If you're looking for anything inspirational or thought-provoking -- I'd suggest you give it a try.
Each of the chapters or sections of the book falls into one of the following categories. Because, initially, it will be published as an e-book, the idea of having multiple threads of thought and multiple paths through the material is intriguing.
Chapter Categories:
0002 Table of Contents
https://docs7.google.com/document/edit?id=1ENVBY2ewYAx79FUq6PUukccF8ILnfuD0thFcl8feQUs&hl=en#
0005 Preface
https://docs1.google.com/document/edit?id=1DyLC9kk4oBRCxurgyOjY0Kp7fbgVxPogkFmuhhc4exc&hl=en#
0010 Does God play dice?
https://docs1.google.com/document/edit?id=1Zv1p36ybgMLKBdHao1uawdDQ6vZ_11JP0NvELa5xRbo&hl=en#
0020 the DEW line
https://docs1.google.com/document/edit?id=1AY4OQEXaVKJJ51iy9j-9UVv3VSx-Y5Zsklky9tJxNZc&hl=en#
0030 Memory.
https://docs1.google.com/document/edit?id=1LdOyzJnHFsYSSZliZ6--7efZA0A6_KAGEDVFjSw1Nd0&hl=en#
0040 Reconnecting
https://docs1.google.com/document/edit?id=1f5Izb9PHC6PKCEtAPU0rrSB2Rxs-58STgKNS6Tvbrvs&hl=en#
0050 Sleepless in Seattle
https://docs1.google.com/document/edit?id=17xAKYPR3B0vZTjwpD0D22r-i6VKlxM_mx1WqHb6MelQ&hl=en#
0060 Crash and Burn
https://docs1.google.com/document/edit?id=18itCUTKI8ZATcwsZXT-AqdcA5a4IRx3rxjkVFRxxxlI&hl=en#
0070 Stoned again! Redux
https://docs1.google.com/document/edit?id=1-E98bjSqgHObzDY2zvHqfCFrnDJwo-jrqPisHjVWlAA&hl=en#
0080 Practice makes perfect? Or: That’s why they call it the practice of medicine.
0090 Fear of Flying.
https://docs1.google.com/document/edit?id=1_hgu4o-KTyjbRe7lLzPEfk_eh47BszcTPHBjZYoZ5ak&hl=en#
0100 Who said the web is easy?
Who would be interested in Brain Storm?
Clearly, one audience is anyone who's had a stroke. I'm sure that friends and relatives of stroke victims will also find it interesting. But, as it's also a story about life, revelation, and figuring out why the heck we're here. The stroke lead me the time to think about those things, to study them. My conclusion startled even myself! If you're looking for anything inspirational or thought-provoking -- I'd suggest you give it a try.
Each of the chapters or sections of the book falls into one of the following categories. Because, initially, it will be published as an e-book, the idea of having multiple threads of thought and multiple paths through the material is intriguing.
Chapter Categories:
- Medical Fact
- Personal Account
- Personal Observations
- Other People’s Perceptions
- Conclusions or Questions
0002 Table of Contents
https://docs7.google.com/document/edit?id=1ENVBY2ewYAx79FUq6PUukccF8ILnfuD0thFcl8feQUs&hl=en#
0005 Preface
https://docs1.google.com/document/edit?id=1DyLC9kk4oBRCxurgyOjY0Kp7fbgVxPogkFmuhhc4exc&hl=en#
0010 Does God play dice?
https://docs1.google.com/document/edit?id=1Zv1p36ybgMLKBdHao1uawdDQ6vZ_11JP0NvELa5xRbo&hl=en#
0020 the DEW line
https://docs1.google.com/document/edit?id=1AY4OQEXaVKJJ51iy9j-9UVv3VSx-Y5Zsklky9tJxNZc&hl=en#
0030 Memory.
https://docs1.google.com/document/edit?id=1LdOyzJnHFsYSSZliZ6--7efZA0A6_KAGEDVFjSw1Nd0&hl=en#
0040 Reconnecting
https://docs1.google.com/document/edit?id=1f5Izb9PHC6PKCEtAPU0rrSB2Rxs-58STgKNS6Tvbrvs&hl=en#
0050 Sleepless in Seattle
https://docs1.google.com/document/edit?id=17xAKYPR3B0vZTjwpD0D22r-i6VKlxM_mx1WqHb6MelQ&hl=en#
0060 Crash and Burn
https://docs1.google.com/document/edit?id=18itCUTKI8ZATcwsZXT-AqdcA5a4IRx3rxjkVFRxxxlI&hl=en#
0070 Stoned again! Redux
https://docs1.google.com/document/edit?id=1-E98bjSqgHObzDY2zvHqfCFrnDJwo-jrqPisHjVWlAA&hl=en#
0080 Practice makes perfect? Or: That’s why they call it the practice of medicine.
0090 Fear of Flying.
https://docs1.google.com/document/edit?id=1_hgu4o-KTyjbRe7lLzPEfk_eh47BszcTPHBjZYoZ5ak&hl=en#
0100 Who said the web is easy?
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