(In August of 2023, Nikki and Trent went to Stroke Camp, a division of United Stroke Alliance in upstate New York. There, they met more inspiring stroke survivors, and we are honored to share some of their stories over the next several weeks. Please reach out to us if you would like to share your story.)
Richard's story (as told by his daughter, Miriam)
Dad suffered his first stroke while vacationing on the Big Island of Hawaii in early 2000. It may have been triggered by a spike in his blood pressure after staying in a hot tub too long. Fortunately, he received immediate medical treatment and was given tPA. He was flown to a hospital in Honolulu and after stabilization, he and my mother flew home to New York State. Dad displayed minor deficits from this stroke including heat hypersensitivity in his left hand, loss of sensation to the left side of his mouth and the inability to sing, and it was apparent that his brain required rest as long naps became part of his daily routine. He attended in-person physical therapy for a few weeks to improve his hand dexterity.
Dad suffered his second stroke in May 2018, just before his 86th birthday. He woke up normally and dressed himself, but when he spoke to my mom and brother, they noticed that his speech was garbled. He was transferred to Mercy Hospital in Buffalo, NY but was not given tPA. His doctors felt that this clot-removing medication would not provide any benefit as they were unsure when his stroke had occurred. Neuroimaging determined that he had suffered a stroke involving Wernicke’s region, accounting for his symptoms of global aphasia. His doctors also informed us that his first stroke had involved most of his right hemisphere, and they were shocked that he had been able to drive and function for almost twenty years without major deficits. Dad was very confused during the first few days of his hospital stay and he was restrained to the bed, so that he wouldn’t get out and hurt himself. We were all surprised how strong he was despite his age. He remained at Mercy Hospital for three weeks receiving inpatient rehabilitation including speech, occupational and physical therapy.
Since he could no longer drive and care for himself, our family decided that it would be best to move my parents to Maple Downs, an independent living facility in Fayetteville, NY, where four of his daughters could assist with their medical care. Dad transitioned well to his new home, but we realized how easily he got confused about dates and time. He requires daily supervision to take his medications and groom himself. A speech therapist came to his senior facility for approximately six weeks, but this provided minimal improvement in his speech and cognitive recovery. In the fall of 2018, he was enrolled in a weekly aphasia session offered by the Gebbie Clinic of Syracuse University. He enjoyed socializing and conversing with other stroke survivors and attended weekly classes until the Covid pandemic. Computer programs from Lingraphica also allowed him to practice reading, speech, and comprehensive skills at Maple Downs.
Dad is very sociable and loved participating in the 2020 and 2023 Retreat and Refresh Stroke Camps and the Upstate NY fundraisers that financially sponsor them. He always has a positive attitude and tell us that “he wants to get better.” Although we miss having in-depth conversations with him, we are very fortunate that he does not get frustrated when we cannot understand him, and we’re constantly amazed when he retrieves a difficult word, remembers complicated directions, or childhood memories. His stroke story has been a journey for us all!
Thank you so much, Richard and Miriam, for sharing your story!
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