“I had a very bad stroke at 48 and I have never recovered but I have upgraded myself although that took about five years. I had a very dense right hemiplegia and sensory deficit on the right side. Also I had expressive dysphasia and was dependent for all activities of my daily living. My speech was gone but I could hear it all in my head though I couldn’t speak it! After a week the odd word came back although very faintly but that continued to date so I can know speak about 75%. My reading age was about 11 years old but I brought that up to date in the five years.
I was in rehabilitation for 4½ months having all sorts of help.
I lost most of my computer skills but I was determined to get them back. I started College for a couple hours a week for the first year, then more the second year until full time the last three and I even took the HND in computers. I was so proud. The College provided me with someone to take notes and push me around. Did I say I was right handed! It took a year but I can now write with my left hand although I can write much better on the computer than with a pen!!! And it is easier to write things down rather than try and speak them.
After three years I found the courage to start driving again so I found a disabled learner driver who gave me lessons. I had to have an automatic car with adaptions for my hand and foot pedal. Although difficult at first it soon became easier and then I was off!
I am 65 years old now so I have had the stroke for 16½ years and I still become frustrated because I can’t do many of the things that I liked doing although I have found a way of doing many of them another way but some of them I will never do. Still, look on the bright side. I help many people with their Ancestry and I do various things on my computer as a volunteer for several groups. The things I used to like to do I can’t so I make the most of what I can do. C’est la vie!