On Strength

Sometimes, when somebody tells me they think I’m making a remarkable recovery from my stroke, I answer in this way:  Well, it didn’t kill me, so it must have made me stronger. I think most people have probably heard a version of that quote: what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger. I always thought I (more…)

Stroke Facts: Unusual Causes Of Stroke

A few days ago I was web surfing and ran across an item about a man named Josh Hader that got my attention. Josh had a bit of a kink in his neck, so he did that thing some people do, where they put their hands on their head and twist, trying to get rid (more…)

In a Flash: The Moment I Realized I was Recovering from a Stroke 

Maybe you could call it a flash of insight, an epiphany, or a sudden realization. Whatever you want to call it, I just had one, about my recovery, and I want to tell you about it.  I have to kind of build up to it, though. The other day I was out walking, minding my (more…)

Brain Injury Doesn’t Mean Social Isolation

One thing I’m glad about is that my brain injury rarely made me feel isolated and alone, like with so many other brain injury survivors. I did feel it briefly a few times, but that was because soon after I was discharged from the hospital in St. Paul I was shipped to Tacoma, where I (more…)

Rust Never Sleeps

A long time ago, Neil Young put out an album called Rust Never Sleeps and went on tour. I was in the audience when the tour hit my area. I’ve never known just what he meant by rust never sleeps, but I always saw it as a warning to keep moving ahead, that to stop (more…)

My TBI & Jury Duty

You hear about it happening to people all the time, including people you know. And you’re left to wonder whether it will ever happen to you as well. And then one day, out of the blue it happens: a summons to report for jury duty.  It happened to me recently. I’d actually been hoping it would (more…)