"Being that sick made me Jessie J"
Stroke survivor, The Voice judge and British singer/songwriter (<<responsible for the song that projected Miley Cyrus to fame as an adult with her particular song-writing talent), Jessie J, who had a stroke when she was 17 due to an irregular heartbeat (known as Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome - a syndrome that was tested for promptly after Kitty Stroke 1 in mid-2012 as it has an increased rate of sudden death), losing
sensation on her right-hand side (Kitty Kat Stroke 1 stylin'!), which meant she couldn't move her body for some time whilst the brain rerouted around the stroke's infarction.
Above: Jessie J - stroke sister - during the immediate aftermath of her brain attack that struck whilst still in her teenage years.
Let's hope stroke survivors can transform into glorious butterflies after experiencing a restrictive life post a stroke striking.
Stroke rehab in a nutshell
- or rather, in a cacoon! You know I love my butterfly analogies.
Talk about a metamorphosis!
Let's hope stroke survivors can transform into glorious butterflies after experiencing a restrictive life post a stroke striking.
Stroke rehab in a nutshell
- or rather, in a cacoon! You know I love my butterfly analogies.
Talk about a metamorphosis!
The positive to experiencing a massive stroke or few (+ their prolonged, ongoing rehabilitation)? Many of yesterday's weaknesses have consequently transformed into today's strengths.
Hindsight, you beauty!
Stroke sister, Jessie J, also appreciates the life lessons in losing a decent dose of your grey matter whilst in your prime.
Attitude - both that of a stroke survivor and their supporters - has to be one of the most imperative attributes for the stroke survivor + their rehabilitation journey (in my humble opinion). This was discovered promptly when impending death (stroke is the 3rd leading cause of death for women - 5th leading cause of death for men *<<a recent drop in rank from fourth*) - or at the very least, vast brain damage with severe impairments (stroke is the leading cause of adult disability) - was looming at just 26 years of age. The attitude swiftly adopted was that I was not going to give up. No way Jose`! Despite letting go (temporarily - here's hoping) of my identity, freedom, independence, life progression and even pride, the tenacity, quick wit and passion fortunately still thrive (thank my particular brain later, alligator!) and even better news, the strokes have continuously offered remarkable, fresh insight into the world and its people. The brain attacks have contributed to who Jessie J and myself + countless other stroke survivors are at present day - we ought to celebrate! The focus is not on what I and my cherished, sincere supporters have lost nor the many negative experiences we've encountered in the two strokes' wake - they are simply negative experiences. We've accepted what has tragically and callously happened, been proactive in progressing in life and strived to focus on who I essentially am, with that particular part of my being fortunately still here (growing in strength with every day) - how ecstatic it feels to hear a darling buddy + former colleague say they love my wicked sense of humour which has fortunately (for you and myself!) been cherished post brain 'fires' and also to hear their familiar and highly contagious laugh (it's in the brain's long term memory bank too = important!) upon a long-awaited (three years in the making) reunion in London (Queen B!), for it means my true self is still shining (making others laugh + being reminded how one giggles is incredibly therapeutic). The people who genuinely appreciate such are at the forefront, shining like never before. Shine on, you crazy diamonds - Pink Floyd style!
When you're considerably unwell it needs to be remembered that who you are and the things that you encounter are not connected - they are just that - things.
Hot Kitty Tip that has certainly assisted in maintaining a healthy perspective despite incredibly unhealthy nervous + circulatory systems and the harmful by-products of such.
Kitty Stroke One struck the back of the brain's Left Hemisphere in July 2012, (a severe headache that forced myself to lie down in a handy little sick bay whilst at an end-of-school party - alarm bells for this typical firecracker!) resulting in some loss of sensation, strength and balance on the body's right-hand side, with the torso, in particular. Fortunately, this particular stroke effect is only evident (in my particular case) when being assessed by medical professionals who are able to notice a slight right-hand side weakness (Hemiparesis - weakness or inability to move one side of the body which affects roughly 4/5 of stroke survivors) and it is brought to my attention due to a constant (yet painless) pins and needles sensation. Such an effect of brain damage has varying intensities, although it is fortunately dulling with time. Initial 'Stroke Rehabilitation' included kind supporters tickling my torso and arms to soothe the intense Paraesthesia (altered sensation like that of slight pins and needles - you'd experience similar to such when sitting on your leg at an awkward angle for a little bit too long blocking the blood flow, for instance), in particular *insightful >>sensation quiz<< to test your stroke smarts!*. Yes to those fresh neural pathways on the clear 'Brain Highway'!).
Given my first stroke was at the back of the brain, medical pros have particularly assessed my own Sensory Cortical Map, which entails (what seems like) a bunch of children gently poking you with a pen until you giggle uncontrollably.
Considering a stroke can swiftly steal your balance, strength (including movement of your mouth and/or eyes), co-ordination, continence, sensation and even temperature control + eyesight (<in Kitty Stroke 1's '50% blind' instance) has meant I've never complained about the few physical limitations post strokes (the mental ones surely have made up for such - just being fair!).
*Physical limitations do not include my spatial navigation - an effect from my strokes that has been one of the most challenging aspects of my day-to-day life and independence.
While Act FAST is generally used to remember and identify the most common symptoms of stroke, BE FAST also incorporates balance and eyes (two symptoms I was particularly experiencing with Stroke 1, yet was dismissed by most, including medical professionals, as tired and/or inebriated).
Recognition of stroke and promptly seeking emergency assistance will determine how quickly someone will receive appropriate treatment for the 'balloon (neurons) popping party' that is going in one's mind after a stroke strikes (and before appropriate medical help is administered).
Furthermore, swiftly getting to a hospital and receiving medical help (for a stroke) will more likely lead to effective rehabilitation and progress in one's brain power and capabilities.
Quite often, stroke is painless (Stroke 2 style), so while a sudden severe headache was a symptom of my first stroke, it's not always a symptom a stroke sufferer may experience (and having a headache doesn't necessarily mean you're having a stroke either).
Be stroke smart, BE FAST.
The Brain -
Left Vs Right
Do hone in on that and complement your way of thinking!
This Kitty Kat is pretty much a 'leftie' (despite decent dose of dead brain in the Left Hemisphere).
"How we learn and retain is not yet fully understood"
"How we learn and retain is not yet fully understood"
- learn more about your mind's 'memory reception', Hippocampus
Dory - a Kitty Kat spirit animal.
Lacking cute mind-seahorse, 'reception of memory' Hippocampus and therefore,
short term memory void as well + I'm just too funny for my own good!
Such a Dory!
It's not the destination. It is the journey.
Riding the giant love wave from devoted, always witty Klubbers + regaining lost brain traits and abilities & sacred independence, along with satisfying purpose + presenting insightful TEDx Talks (including late night chitty chats to mates/newfound besties) with a supportive sister + getting all the blokes ('give and take' is what I'm all about. Do Join!)
= What an extraordinary journey it has been!
TEDx ('just act natural') Toast to our 'Curiosity' themed talk with a diligent plus one!
TEDx Opening Night
May 2015
Kitty's Hot Tips To Avoid Experiencing A Bloke-Luring Stroke -
Part 2
Please Note: Upon acquiring such a severe brain injury as stroke whilst in your prime, not only may you experience excessive bloke luring, but you may also have to deal with the ramifications (permanent and/or here's hoping, temporary) of your brain's inability to think/act/be like yesteryear and be your typical, true self (I always reflected on moments when I was aware of an altered state of mind as progress in my damaged brain's rerouting to create fresh neural pathways, as I was gaining a more precise sense of self. Boom to our grey matter!). My deductive reasoning tells myself that despite getting all the blokes due to my strokes, an efficient noggin (with no strokes to its name) is your best ally so do follow the tips below to encourage a healthy, happy brain. Meow!
Get some exercise
While I've shared a range of evidence to suggest yoga is mind (+ heart) medicine and can reduce your stroke risk as well as cardiovascular disease, another form of mind therapy works just as well - being active in general! Even if it's just walking for 30 minutes a day (minimum). You can do it! If that's just not feasible, you could always break it up into two 15-minute sessions - boom! Too easy! Exercise does seem to be worth it and it's especially helpful if you do it in a swift manner (shake that butt!). According to a decent study of nearly 40, 000 women, conducted over a 12-year period (= rather serious surveying right there!), walking at least 2 hours a week can cut your stroke risk by 30%. Walk briskly (able to chitty chat, unable to do falsetto) and your chances are reduced by 40%. Physical and mental health working together in harmony!
Have the right amount of sleep
Set your alarm to ensure 7-9 hours of sleep each day - make it a priority. Yes! You know I'm a big advocate for a healthy balance of rest and play! Get on board for your mind's sake. Do keep in mind, more than 10 hours a night getting shut eye may increase your stroke risk by up to 63%, compared with the recommended 7-hour stretch, switched on (<<for 17 hours a day, that is!) scientists at Harvard claim. Forty winks!
Get some exercise
While I've shared a range of evidence to suggest yoga is mind (+ heart) medicine and can reduce your stroke risk as well as cardiovascular disease, another form of mind therapy works just as well - being active in general! Even if it's just walking for 30 minutes a day (minimum). You can do it! If that's just not feasible, you could always break it up into two 15-minute sessions - boom! Too easy! Exercise does seem to be worth it and it's especially helpful if you do it in a swift manner (shake that butt!). According to a decent study of nearly 40, 000 women, conducted over a 12-year period (= rather serious surveying right there!), walking at least 2 hours a week can cut your stroke risk by 30%. Walk briskly (able to chitty chat, unable to do falsetto) and your chances are reduced by 40%. Physical and mental health working together in harmony!
Have the right amount of sleep
Set your alarm to ensure 7-9 hours of sleep each day - make it a priority. Yes! You know I'm a big advocate for a healthy balance of rest and play! Get on board for your mind's sake. Do keep in mind, more than 10 hours a night getting shut eye may increase your stroke risk by up to 63%, compared with the recommended 7-hour stretch, switched on (<<for 17 hours a day, that is!) scientists at Harvard claim. Forty winks!
2016 = an innovative mobile app, Blue Light Therapy App, generates a blue light to help counter fatigue. Dr David Roland, a psychologist, stroke survivor, author (including his book on the intriguing cognitive rehabilitation + journey as a stroke survivor, How I Rescued My Brain) and fellow 2015 Stroke Foundation's Creativity Stroke Award nominee (+winner of such - boom!), talks to another stroke survivor about BLTA (even more impressive than a decent BLT!) in this insightful piece on International Day of People with Disability (3 December).
Don't ignore irregular heartbeats
Despite approximately 15% of all strokes (roughly one in seven) occurring because of Atrial Fibrillation, you very well could be living with such and not paying much attention to it. Atrial Fibrillation is a condition affecting the heart, making it beat faster and out of rhythm which can lead to stroke. Merely having Atrial Fibrillation means someone is 5 times more likely to suffer a stroke (than the wider population) if they leave such untreated. The concerning issue is that people generally aren't aware of this condition.
Don't ignore irregular heartbeats
Despite approximately 15% of all strokes (roughly one in seven) occurring because of Atrial Fibrillation, you very well could be living with such and not paying much attention to it. Atrial Fibrillation is a condition affecting the heart, making it beat faster and out of rhythm which can lead to stroke. Merely having Atrial Fibrillation means someone is 5 times more likely to suffer a stroke (than the wider population) if they leave such untreated. The concerning issue is that people generally aren't aware of this condition.
The best way to describe such is to imagine a wet kitchen sponge as a heart's atrium where short squeezes would result in only a little water expressed, regardless of how many squeezes, yet if you were to do one squeeze in one fell swoop, it would empty the sponge (heart) more efficiently.
Like stroke survivor, Jessie J, who had a stroke as a teenager due to Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome, you ought to pay attention to palpitations especially if such heart flutters occur with shortness of breath, fatigue, light-headedness and/or even chest pain - those are all signs of Atrial Fibrillation (AF).
Your heartworking heart and mindful brain, although forever fighting with each other's decisions, are long-term buddies so we ought to pay attention to their synchronicity and nurture their health.
Your heartworking heart and mindful brain, although forever fighting with each other's decisions, are long-term buddies so we ought to pay attention to their synchronicity and nurture their health.
Because the blood is not efficiently being pumped through the heart, there is the opportunity for blood to pool, increasing the likelihood for clots to form in the atria, which then block the blood supply to the brain, causing a stroke. This type of stroke is called an embolic stroke or cardioembolic stroke (this was tested after both my strokes *to be safe* with an electrocardiogram, as you may recall, when NHS provided a heart monitor annnnd self-addressed return envelope for sending the heart monitor + its week's recordings upon return to school when I was an outpatient back at full-time work *<<that always allowed myself to go to such outpatient appointments - three cheers for the kind support, dear Twickenham teachers!* in the immediate months following Stroke 1). Not even I can forget that I 'got to' receive a complimentary heart massage (to examine the heart, far more medical than I *like to* make it sound!) as well! NHS kicking goals in looking after your ole ticker!
Risk factors for Atrial Fibrillation include -
•Lung cancer
•Pulmonary embolism (blood clot in a lung's artery)
•Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid)
•Pneumonia
•Diabetes (which further increases your stroke risk)
•Sleep Apnoea
•High blood pressure (which again, further increases your stroke risk)
•Coronary Artery Disease
•Mitral Valve Disease (caused by Rheumatic Heart Disease *RHD*, valve problems at birth, or infection)
•Congenital heart defects (abnormality of the heart present, yet not always identified, since birth
Mind the migraine
Those extra-special headaches - particularly the ones that come with flashes of light and blind spots - appear to be linked to a higher stroke risk in women and as an added bonus, most migraine-sufferers are female (we suffer migraines three times as often as men - take note), thanks in part to hormonal fluctuations + medications. We have gotta pay attention to our minds and attend to them! Obviously, I'm no pro, so it's best to have chats with a doc - I've discovered that they can prescribe preventative meds or they may suggest stress management techniques. Definitely avoid NSAIDS such as Naproxen, Celecoxib, Diclofenac and the most known, Ibuprofen - I now only use paracetamol or simple aspirin when a painful mind shows its ugly face as they do not seem to pose the same threat to your circulatory system as NSAIDS. Kitty Hot *researched* Tip right there! Unfortunately, I have had to learn the hard way to avoid Ibuprofen (linked to a 40% increase in not only strokes, but also heart attacks) in particular, which - at the time of my strokes - I was regularly using to combat my frequent headaches (silly, uneducated Kitty of yesteryear not appreciating mental health Registered Nurse Mother Duck's wisdom + paracetamol infatuation and her ibuprofen disgust). It pays to pay close attention to the brain aches and what you use to ease such - take it from this hindisght-is-golden stroke sufferer (and all the research + medical sorts).
Switch to a healthier diet
Various credible investigations have shown that healthier eating habits have a causal link with reduced stroke risk and also heart disease - what a simple step to be proactively stroke smart. Some may be surprised to hear that my particular diet was assessed and considered fine (all that stroke smart porridge, fruit, green tea and dark chocolate *endorphin-based benefit too!* counteracting the cheeseburgers and booze! Perfect cholesterol annnd perfect anatomy *exact words, remember?!* as I've told you + anyone whom I share eye contact with in public countless times!) so my particular diet has not been altered significantly in the strokes' wake, but it surely has been enhanced in the 'brain food' department. As previous blog entries of Strokes Get The Blokes have shed light on, if you want to actively be stroke smart, 'they' say to get more coffee, potassium-rich tomatoes & bananas, general Mediterranean Diet focus, unrefined foods (sweet potatoes, beans, nuts, spinach, vegetables, papayas, dates, bananas, raisins and tomato paste), dark chocolate, green tea (two or more a day) and lean meat such as fish (you know I love my deep sea stroke smart salmon the most) into you! Furthermore, students at Osaka University (study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition) have found fizzy drinks double the risk of stroke with the sugary nectars raising a woman's odds of suffering a stroke caused by a blood clot in the brain (in particular, the study found men are only mildly affected by such, but ditching unnecessary sugar seems like a goer).
Eat potassium-rich food
On top of a stroke smart, Mediterranean influenced diet, dark chocolate (who can forget this one - not even I, Dory-in-real-life, can!) + decent cups of coffee and green tea, research suggests we ought to chomp down on unrefined potassium-rich foods (more than just because they make you feel full!) in order to bring our cholesterol levels down to a healthy level. High cholesterol levels restrict the blood vessels' blood flow to and throughout the brain, increasing your chances of stroke, so proactively reducing such with a healthy dose of potassium seems to be incredibly stroke smart for you! BJM Group published an intriguing study which revealed potassium, an essential nutrient that maintains body fluid volume, acid and electrolyte balance + ensures normal cell function, was associated with a 24% reduction in your stroke risk. This is due to potassium reducing blood pressure in people with hypertension + improving the integrity of blood vessels (it was my blood vessels' particular mechanics *not the blood itself* that were *<<operative word! No longer are* the issue) and also reducing the 'stickiness' of blood platelets.
•Lung cancer
•Pulmonary embolism (blood clot in a lung's artery)
•Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid)
•Pneumonia
•Diabetes (which further increases your stroke risk)
•Sleep Apnoea
•High blood pressure (which again, further increases your stroke risk)
•Coronary Artery Disease
•Mitral Valve Disease (caused by Rheumatic Heart Disease *RHD*, valve problems at birth, or infection)
•Congenital heart defects (abnormality of the heart present, yet not always identified, since birth
Mind the migraine
Those extra-special headaches - particularly the ones that come with flashes of light and blind spots - appear to be linked to a higher stroke risk in women and as an added bonus, most migraine-sufferers are female (we suffer migraines three times as often as men - take note), thanks in part to hormonal fluctuations + medications. We have gotta pay attention to our minds and attend to them! Obviously, I'm no pro, so it's best to have chats with a doc - I've discovered that they can prescribe preventative meds or they may suggest stress management techniques. Definitely avoid NSAIDS such as Naproxen, Celecoxib, Diclofenac and the most known, Ibuprofen - I now only use paracetamol or simple aspirin when a painful mind shows its ugly face as they do not seem to pose the same threat to your circulatory system as NSAIDS. Kitty Hot *researched* Tip right there! Unfortunately, I have had to learn the hard way to avoid Ibuprofen (linked to a 40% increase in not only strokes, but also heart attacks) in particular, which - at the time of my strokes - I was regularly using to combat my frequent headaches (silly, uneducated Kitty of yesteryear not appreciating mental health Registered Nurse Mother Duck's wisdom + paracetamol infatuation and her ibuprofen disgust). It pays to pay close attention to the brain aches and what you use to ease such - take it from this hindisght-is-golden stroke sufferer (and all the research + medical sorts).
Switch to a healthier diet
Various credible investigations have shown that healthier eating habits have a causal link with reduced stroke risk and also heart disease - what a simple step to be proactively stroke smart. Some may be surprised to hear that my particular diet was assessed and considered fine (all that stroke smart porridge, fruit, green tea and dark chocolate *endorphin-based benefit too!* counteracting the cheeseburgers and booze! Perfect cholesterol annnd perfect anatomy *exact words, remember?!* as I've told you + anyone whom I share eye contact with in public countless times!) so my particular diet has not been altered significantly in the strokes' wake, but it surely has been enhanced in the 'brain food' department. As previous blog entries of Strokes Get The Blokes have shed light on, if you want to actively be stroke smart, 'they' say to get more coffee, potassium-rich tomatoes & bananas, general Mediterranean Diet focus, unrefined foods (sweet potatoes, beans, nuts, spinach, vegetables, papayas, dates, bananas, raisins and tomato paste), dark chocolate, green tea (two or more a day) and lean meat such as fish (you know I love my deep sea stroke smart salmon the most) into you! Furthermore, students at Osaka University (study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition) have found fizzy drinks double the risk of stroke with the sugary nectars raising a woman's odds of suffering a stroke caused by a blood clot in the brain (in particular, the study found men are only mildly affected by such, but ditching unnecessary sugar seems like a goer).
Eat potassium-rich food
On top of a stroke smart, Mediterranean influenced diet, dark chocolate (who can forget this one - not even I, Dory-in-real-life, can!) + decent cups of coffee and green tea, research suggests we ought to chomp down on unrefined potassium-rich foods (more than just because they make you feel full!) in order to bring our cholesterol levels down to a healthy level. High cholesterol levels restrict the blood vessels' blood flow to and throughout the brain, increasing your chances of stroke, so proactively reducing such with a healthy dose of potassium seems to be incredibly stroke smart for you! BJM Group published an intriguing study which revealed potassium, an essential nutrient that maintains body fluid volume, acid and electrolyte balance + ensures normal cell function, was associated with a 24% reduction in your stroke risk. This is due to potassium reducing blood pressure in people with hypertension + improving the integrity of blood vessels (it was my blood vessels' particular mechanics *not the blood itself* that were *<<operative word! No longer are* the issue) and also reducing the 'stickiness' of blood platelets.
Potassium-rich magical mind meals include -
*beans including lima beans
*sweet potatoes + potatoes (more vegetables in general) with their skin (sorry kiddos!
*nuts such as almonds + walnuts (<<also has the most impressive antioxidant, lycopene)
*spinach
*omega-3 deep-sea fish (you already know I'm a big advocate for stroke smart salmon and tuna, in particular)
*papayas
*dates
*bananas
*tomatoes
*oranges/orange juice ('orange' you happy about this one, citrus fiend?!)
*rockmelon ('cantaloupe to those not from Down Under) & honeydew melon
*grapefruit and prunes + their juices (reminder from 'those in the know' - fresh grapefruit and grapefruit juice can interfere with some prescription and non-prescription drugs)
*halibut
Perhaps not all on the same plate, but individually, on a regular basis, seems to be a goer, as potassium is an important mineral that controls the balance of fluids in the body and significantly lowers blood pressure - a diet rich in foods with this particular nutrient may reduce stroke risk by 20%.
A banana a day keeps the doctor away!
*beans including lima beans
*sweet potatoes + potatoes (more vegetables in general) with their skin (sorry kiddos!
*nuts such as almonds + walnuts (<<also has the most impressive antioxidant, lycopene)
*spinach
*omega-3 deep-sea fish (you already know I'm a big advocate for stroke smart salmon and tuna, in particular)
*papayas
*dates
*bananas
*tomatoes
*oranges/orange juice ('orange' you happy about this one, citrus fiend?!)
*rockmelon ('cantaloupe to those not from Down Under) & honeydew melon
*grapefruit and prunes + their juices (reminder from 'those in the know' - fresh grapefruit and grapefruit juice can interfere with some prescription and non-prescription drugs)
*halibut
Perhaps not all on the same plate, but individually, on a regular basis, seems to be a goer, as potassium is an important mineral that controls the balance of fluids in the body and significantly lowers blood pressure - a diet rich in foods with this particular nutrient may reduce stroke risk by 20%.
A banana a day keeps the doctor away!
Heart and Mind Medicine
Stroke Smart Recipes (<<link your way to a decent dinner)
for you stroke smarties!
Be familiar with your blood pressure + proactively adopt ways to reduce such (if necessary)
Stroke Smart Recipes (<<link your way to a decent dinner)
for you stroke smarties!
High blood pressure (140mmHg/90mmHg or 140 over 90 or above is considered high) reflects the force of blood against the walls of arteries and is the leading cause of strokes (not the cause of all - my particular brain attacks were not caused by high blood pressure). Journal, Neurology, published a US study based on the correlation of stroke and high blood pressure and found that the threat of stroke occurring for middle-aged and younger people is raised by 80% if they have high blood pressure. This is concerning if only for the lack of awareness of an individual's blood pressure levels - a decent chunk of society simply aren't aware they are living with this silent killer.
Stroke smarties - time to get a FREE medical check-up!
Please do lock it into your long term memory bank (says forgetful ole me!) -
Please do lock it into your long term memory bank (says forgetful ole me!) -
Australia's Biggest Blood Pressure Check is on from 8 April to 4 May 2016 at
Priceline Pharmacies & selected Westfield shopping centres
During the month-long campaign (8 April - 4 May) Down Under's Priceline Pharmacies have teamed up with Stroke Foundation to offer Australia's Biggest Blood Pressure Check - complimentary stroke risk analysis at over 280 participating pharmacies and community sites nationwide!
Stroke Foundation's aim is to check 50 000 people Down Under, so get cracking Aussies - most strokes are preventable (a whopping 4 out of 5 *mine, in particular, was the 1 out of 5 that wasn't*, but it starts with having a proactive approach).
Do get checked pronto - some pharmacies now offer free blood pressure checks all yearlong - even complimentary cholesterol readings to ensure you are in the know (grab some of those delicious glucose jelly beans for myself while you're there!).
Stroke Foundation's aim is to check 50 000 people Down Under, so get cracking Aussies - most strokes are preventable (a whopping 4 out of 5 *mine, in particular, was the 1 out of 5 that wasn't*, but it starts with having a proactive approach).
Do get checked pronto - some pharmacies now offer free blood pressure checks all yearlong - even complimentary cholesterol readings to ensure you are in the know (grab some of those delicious glucose jelly beans for myself while you're there!).
An offer not to be sneezed at - now is definitely the time to be stroke smart
Australia's gentleman of morning TV, Mr Larry Emdur, gets his blood pressure checked during this year's launch.
MR L.E.'s blood pressure levels certainly were right - just like 'the price' hehe!
Australia's Biggest Blood Pressure Check Locations - visit one of the hundreds of sites registered during the stroke smart campaign. Yes!
Tips To Lower Your Blood Pressure
1. Eat less salt
Too much salt raises your blood pressure (as your body retains more water if salt intake is high), so it is important to eat as little salt as possible. In fact, some people with high blood pressure may be able to avoid blood pressure medicines by cutting down on salt.
Most of the salt you eat is not what you add to your food, but is in prepared foods like bread, breakfast cereals and ready meals.
Most of the salt you eat is not what you add to your food, but is in prepared foods like bread, breakfast cereals and ready meals.
Don’t add salt to food when cooking or at the table. When shopping for food, check the labels and choose low-salt options when you can. The brain is built mostly of healthy fats, including the most important of them, Omega-3 fatty acids. In order for the brain to repair itself and keep its neurons firing properly, you must provide it with the right raw materials. Omega-3s are found in many types of fish and nuts.
More on how to eat less salt
More on how to eat less salt
2. Eat more fruit and vegetables (potassium rich sorts, like stated above would be even better!), Omega-3 fatty acids (walnuts, flax seeds, flaxseed oil and leafy vegetables for instance) + dark chocolate, nuts, seeds, milk, fish, chicken and bread
Consuming more fruit and vegetables helps to lower your blood pressure
(as they contain vitamins, minerals and fibre).
Experts reckon adults should eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day.
A portion is 80 grams or roughly the size of your fist.
Too easy, Campes-e!
(as they contain vitamins, minerals and fibre).
Experts reckon adults should eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day.
A portion is 80 grams or roughly the size of your fist.
Too easy, Campes-e!
Those in the know suggest trying to eat a range of different fruits and vegetables - bananas (especially for women!), asparagus, spinach (<<improves your eyesight, reduces heart attack risk, provides skin protection & has anti-cancerous benefits + promotes stronger muscles - as Popeye can attest to - the list certainly goes on with this green grub!) and tomatoes are this Kitty Kat's favourite stroke smart fruit & vegies.
There's plenty more too - get on board!.
Dried, frozen and tinned are fine, but watch out for added salt, sugar or fats.
Hey, chin up! -
you can still have that odd (<<operative word!) bit of healthy dark chocolate
- its flavonols + bitter antioxidant compounds are heart healing, blood pressure lowering and anti-inflammatory activity increasing, which ultimately protects your heart against disease (reputable research care of A. Di Castelnuovo, PhD, aka my new bestie!)! Good ole A.D.C. found dark chocolate to improve your intelligence, increase your mood levels and reduce your stroke risk.
you can still have that odd (<<operative word!) bit of healthy dark chocolate
- its flavonols + bitter antioxidant compounds are heart healing, blood pressure lowering and anti-inflammatory activity increasing, which ultimately protects your heart against disease (reputable research care of A. Di Castelnuovo, PhD, aka my new bestie!)! Good ole A.D.C. found dark chocolate to improve your intelligence, increase your mood levels and reduce your stroke risk.
Cherry Ripe chocolate bars (stroke smart fruit + dark chocolate = it's simple science + stroke smarts) for everyone!
3. Keep to a healthy weight
Losing weight, if you need to in order to reach a healthy body, will help lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk of health problems, including Atrial Fibrillation (<<stroke risk!). The best way to lose weight is to choose more low-fat and low-calorie foods and increase your physical activity.
Set yourself realistic goals. Make small changes to your eating habits and activity levels that you can keep to for life.
4. Drink less alcohol
If you drink too much alcohol, your blood pressure will rise over time. The current recommended limits are 21 units of alcohol a week for men, and 14 units a week for women.
A unit is roughly 240 mL - which approximately measures half a pint (aka 'pot' in good ole Queensland!) of beer or cider, a small glass of wine (i.e.: stroke smart red wine!), or a single bar measure of spirits.
If you keep to the recommended alcohol limits, this should help keep your blood pressure down.
5. Get more active
Being moderately active for 30 minutes five times a week can keep your heart healthy and manage your weight, but did you know it can also help out your mind by lowering your blood pressure and stress levels too?!
We should always find the time!
Think about how you can be more active in your daily life and start that now for both your brain's + heart's sakes. Any activity that leaves you feeling warmed up and slightly out of breath (at least 30 minutes each session) should do the trick according to the wise guys.
6. No more antiseptic mouthwash
Not only do researchers at Queen Mary University of London, along with the journal, Free Radical Biology & Medicine, claim antiseptic mouthwash increases your risk of heart attack, they also suggest such increases your risk of stroke as chlorhexidine kills the good bacteria that helps blood vessels relax. Frankie Goes To Hollywood style!
"A woman is like a teabag - only in hot water do you realise how strong she is"
- Former US First Lady, Nancy Reagan, also knew her own impeccable strength
Just a 'little tea cup' (...short and stout) of brewing strong stroke survivor (refreshing!) acquiring yet another admirer (what's new?!) whilst waiting for public transport =
This lad may now need his blood pressure checked
(compliment or insult to myself?!)
Strokes Get The Blokes
London, U.K.
December 2015
Australian National Stroke Foundation's Stroke Risk Factors - prevention is key.
What is your stroke risk?
Take this quick questionnaire.
40 Foods That Help Lower Blood Pressure -
What do you know?! They tie in nicely with potassium-rich, stroke smart bites!
BOOM!
- Former US First Lady, Nancy Reagan, also knew her own impeccable strength
Just a 'little tea cup' (...short and stout) of brewing strong stroke survivor (refreshing!) acquiring yet another admirer (what's new?!) whilst waiting for public transport =
This lad may now need his blood pressure checked
(compliment or insult to myself?!)
Strokes Get The Blokes
London, U.K.
December 2015
Australian National Stroke Foundation's Stroke Risk Factors - prevention is key.
What is your stroke risk?
Take this quick questionnaire.
40 Foods That Help Lower Blood Pressure -
What do you know?! They tie in nicely with potassium-rich, stroke smart bites!
BOOM!
Best to be in the know -
Be your brain's best mate with some nurturing medical mind checks!
URGENT.
Be your brain's best mate with some nurturing medical mind checks!
URGENT.
STOP.
Wandering patient.
Please don't let any PATIENTS FOLLOW you out of ward.
This intriguing sign is a familiar element of hospital neuro wards, take it from this Kitty!
Your (supposed) pride can go out the window when you have a stroke, that's for certain. It can feel like you are a child again and that's not always (<<operative word!) a positive - always being led around and the hospital staff (here's hoping they were employees!) constantly asking when you last 'dropped the kids off at the pool' (<<a far better way to address such an important query by the medical team *that delivery of such a graphic question was successfully changed during my hospital vacay* than the initial graphic wording of 'have you emptied your bowels today?').
Your (supposed) pride can go out the window when you have a stroke, that's for certain. It can feel like you are a child again and that's not always (<<operative word!) a positive - always being led around and the hospital staff (here's hoping they were employees!) constantly asking when you last 'dropped the kids off at the pool' (<<a far better way to address such an important query by the medical team *that delivery of such a graphic question was successfully changed during my hospital vacay* than the initial graphic wording of 'have you emptied your bowels today?').
*Please note: During the month+ in hospital following Stroke 2 when I thought I was in actual fact, dead (or at the very least, in a coma), I was 'that' wandering patient (in a locked ward - for obvious reasons) the hospitals clearly warn you about!
Thank you to all the kind + patient 'pital employees, family and mates who profusely reassured my agitated self of my very real, current existence and details of such (job/home/travel arrangements/options etc) + steered an unwell Special K back to my unfamiliar hospital bed (or once discharged, at their homes) just a few metres around the 'alien' corner from the bathroom I had gone to just a few minutes earlier throughout the course of 1.5 months stuck in the Neuro Ward. Such a selfless gesture is in my long term memory bank :) - be proud of yourselves, dearest pumps.
Australia's SBS recently presented an insightful story on their TV program, The Feed, about young stroke sufferers, addressing the common misconception that strokes only happen to old people.
One of the young stroke survivors in the article above discusses being forced to write their will whilst close to death in their 20s - a confronting, eerie experience in itself that I too had to endure as part of the aftermath of the two strokes where further brain damage + death was on everyone's radar and considered likely...Likely that I would endure recurring brain injuries which would make my mind incapable to fend + think for itself, or be part of the (approximate) 1/3 of stroke sufferers that die within the initial year of the stroke striking (approximately 2/3 of stroke sufferers die within five years post brain attack).
As I've shared on countless occasions, my particular individual stroke risk (<<take two minutes to do such for yourself today - it can't hurt) was previously considered low (by medical professionals) and I had, not one, but two massive strokes (3 months apart) at age 26, which cause of such, despite extensive (and expensive!) testing, has never been technically identified (an otherwise clean bill of health!), merely deduced in December 2012 as an autoimmune disease (that unfortunately meant subsequent brain damage in July and October 2012 respectively) by the various London hospitals' medical experts (several hospitals all across the capital city had their diligent staff execute various tests and operations on my unwell being with none coming back with a definite cause - they 'got to' hear my repertoire of clever jokes so not a complete waste of time!). Talk about one Special K Head Case!
Because of my particularly young age (which actually shouldn't come into it - approximately 20% of strokes occur in people under retirement age in Australia and 25% in U.K. & U.S.A respectively - babies also have strokes) and previously low stroke risk, both my substantial strokes were initially dismissed (when time + appropriate stroke treatment were essential) and in late 2012, I too, like other stroke sufferers, had a spinal tap (aka lumbar puncture *<<unfortunately, I didn't 'get to' show off my decent 'birthday suit' during this procedure like the animation's patient - at least I don't remember doing so heh! Blog regular, Dr Angelo, didn't 'get to' do this procedure either :(* to assess whether I had an infection of the brain given sheer extent of short term memory loss *the worst the medical team had ever encountered - I haven't yet received an acknowledgement ribbon for such though!*) upon admission to London's renowned St George's Hospital's Kent Ward. Unfortunately, this was done before an extensive MRI of my brain (finally performed after the initial basic CT scan) to identify the dead (+minuscule) Hippocampus deep within in the brain's Limbic System, wasting crucial time and forever losing sacred neurons.
Making others laugh has always been in the foreground of my intentions after the strokes and while such has 'bit me on the bum' (perhaps like the camel did to Mr Brian Fellows, below) in a few instances (where some don't understand the severity of the mind's woes, the extent I haven't always coped with the life of a bi-acquired brain injured soul and how much I simply need their sincere support), being joyous surely has helped lift my spirits and that of others during this journey. It's easier said than done and like old mate, Tracy (<<seen here on Oprah), I surely have my bad days/years when I forget things (/everything), but we persevere - with jokes on hand to assist and complement my mind's cherished capabilities.
"I'm Brian Fellows!"
What I particularly appreciated in this short skit (apart from elegant Lizzie The Camel) is that Tracy doesn't hide the memory concerns he acquired after his traumatic brain injury (experienced after a devastating motor vehicle accident that killed some of his friends) in 2014 and openly asks for the camel's name again after he was told moments earlier.
We're kindred spirits, Tracy (mainly because I'm just as funny as he is *don't/do laugh, it's true*, but also because his short term memory was compromised by brain damage, so let's make light of such with humour).
Tracy's undeniable wit and clever delivery make him still as much of a unique and buzzing human being as he was prior to his brain injuries (perhaps even more so - progress!).
T.M. hasn't let damage to his mind own him, but rather, he owns it.
What an endearing and hilarious man!
Plenty more where that came from -
Tracy Morgan on SNL
October 2015
October 2015
Because of my particularly young age (which actually shouldn't come into it - approximately 20% of strokes occur in people under retirement age in Australia and 25% in U.K. & U.S.A respectively - babies also have strokes) and previously low stroke risk, both my substantial strokes were initially dismissed (when time + appropriate stroke treatment were essential) and in late 2012, I too, like other stroke sufferers, had a spinal tap (aka lumbar puncture *<<unfortunately, I didn't 'get to' show off my decent 'birthday suit' during this procedure like the animation's patient - at least I don't remember doing so heh! Blog regular, Dr Angelo, didn't 'get to' do this procedure either :(* to assess whether I had an infection of the brain given sheer extent of short term memory loss *the worst the medical team had ever encountered - I haven't yet received an acknowledgement ribbon for such though!*) upon admission to London's renowned St George's Hospital's Kent Ward. Unfortunately, this was done before an extensive MRI of my brain (finally performed after the initial basic CT scan) to identify the dead (+minuscule) Hippocampus deep within in the brain's Limbic System, wasting crucial time and forever losing sacred neurons.
Why is stroke still not a strong possibility on people's (of all ages & expertise) assumption list?
It needs to be addressed and symptoms of stroke need to be well known -
I had absolutely no control nor ability in both of my strokes' instances, so
even if you regard yourself as low risk of stroke, you need to be familiar with the varied symptoms in the event one strikes you out of nowhere + in order to help others who may experience a stroke whilst in your company (yet also not thinking every headache you have is a stroke).
The Feed's insightful story makes the point that stroke is sudden and also that people generally aren't on the lookout for a brain attack when someone who is young is experiencing such - this mindset obviously needs to change - and fast.
The Feed's insightful story makes the point that stroke is sudden and also that people generally aren't on the lookout for a brain attack when someone who is young is experiencing such - this mindset obviously needs to change - and fast.
Here's hoping Strokes Get The Blokes is opening the eyes of many, especially among my peers.
Even if you think you couldn't possibly have a stroke (well, actually you very well could - anyone can have a stroke), you may be in the presence of someone experiencing a stroke where Acting FAST by all is essential for the survivor's survival + optimal stroke rehabilitation . Boom!
Do check out this uplifting Good Samaritan story about a mate of mine's Aussie Battler of a fascinating father who recently had a stroke whilst sitting in his parked vehicle in a car park and instead of dismissing old mate, Ken, a 28-year-old Good Samaritan, Josh Collins, came to his aid (strokes get the blokes yet again!), ultimately saving the life (and limiting the effects of stroke on the brain) of the legendary Double-K by Acting FAST.
Such a STROKE SMARTIE should be Australian Of The Year!
"You know that Monday morning feeling? That's me every single day"
- Stroke survivor, Emma Gaffey, who had a stroke a few years ago at 19 years of age, precisely describes just one aspect of being a stroke survivor.
What anxiety can feel like - drawing depictions
to assist those who are unable to fully grasp anxiety understand such a raw and crippling emotion
to assist those who are unable to fully grasp anxiety understand such a raw and crippling emotion
 |
| By Buzzfeed U.K. |
Rotary Club of Bombala
"Where is the sun that shone on my head? The sun that shone in my eyes, it is dead"
Rotary Club Of Bombala's intriguing piece shows how a group of Australian stroke survivors have completely owned their aphasia (a devastating effect of brain injuries that affects speech and language at varying degrees) and are making the most of their newfound lives with innovative experiences as part of a unique and wholly refreshing choir where any difficulties with their speech (caused by brain damage from stroke) is instantly lifted through the sheer magic of music (^^including some decent tunes from good ole Queenslanders, The Bee Gees!).
Keep kicking goals, fellow stroke survivors!
Despite what it may seem like to you, the 2012 strokes' effects are still incredibly complex + clearly evident (hard to believe *in hindsight* I sent a mere text message to my supportive boss during our Twickenham school's Half-Term Break on the morning of the second stroke *when the hospital staff wrongly presumed I had acquired a viral infection, known as Encephalitis, which had grossly affected my memory retention, energy levels and controlling of emotions* casually explaining the frightening situation to him along the lines of 'give it a week and I'll be good to go, mate!' - true Aussie Battler style) and they are so too in other stroke survivors (young and old) at varying extents. Stroke Rehabilitation is not black and white - we are still constantly learning about our complex minds + their intriguing traits and capabilities, which fascinates me to no end (it was a keen interest of mine prior to strokes striking, as a primary school teacher and before such, during my own childhood when I started noticing others with different perspectives/habits/logics/personas to my own, in particular). When a brain's hemisphere is damaged (as you may remember from previous blog entries that discussed 'The Monkey Guy', neuroscientist Michael Merzenich), the alternative hemisphere springs into overdrive, rerouting neural pathways in an attempt to make life and living attainable in the wake of loss neurons and this is particularly what is happening to my young bi-damaged mind. What a pity the Special K brain is damaged in both hemispheres - it has its work cut out for it, that's for sure! A true Aussie Battler! Unfortunately, as you may have realised, most of my particular effects from two massive strokes are invisible and such is an aspect that has stripped myself of my former youthful life (imagine losing that from merely waking up one morning during your supposed relaxing week off work and being told in the aftermath you could not have prevented it! #strokcouldhappentoanyone), which makes some not only wrongly critique my abilities (which goes both ways - underestimate and overestimate such), but also judge my current impairments, regard myself as ridiculous and/or incapable, reassess their support ('we weren't really friends to begin with' - as said by one in the strokes' wake despite a close friendship that spanned over 5 years) and consequently, treat me in a manner that I've never experienced until strokes hit - ultimately, when I needed them the most.
The dear souls who have shown continuous support, consideration, patience, inclusion, a keen sense of wit + an eagerness to put a smile on my sad little dial with their unique, kind and refreshingly witty ways have been greeted with absolute rapture in my hour (/years) of need.
Who would instantly (with absolutely no qualms on her part!) cancel a glorious weekend spent abroad in magical Amsterdam (in November 2012 which was booked to celebrate my 27th birthday with local Dam mates too - just weeks post Stroke 2) to instead hang out with a recently brain-damaged (special!) soul (in a hospital's locked neuro ward with strict visiting hours, in an inconvenient zone of London!) who presumed they were dead (in Limbo or Hell - definitely not Heaven) and nothing actually mattered or was real anymore given utter confusion, intense anxiety and severe short term memory loss (Cotard's Syndrome/Walking Corpse Syndrome)?
So therefore, their mate, the stroke sufferer with the brain's dead hippocampus most likely would not retain their generosity, patience, priorities and open mind + they shall repeat the same bloody lame (/hilarious the first fifteen times) joke every five seconds (no exaggeration with time of memory reset & repetitive chat), where they need constant reassurance and comfort that a familiar mate so lovingly provides + around-the-clock assistance in simply finding the nearby bathroom/clean clothes/phone/dignity?
Just the 'Good' ones like this one (below) with such an endearing face, whom I like to repay with affection and jokes (so, shall we call it even?!)!
Dear Miss Great, The Divine,
has been one of my biggest and consistent rocks
(she's an 'Uluru' style of mammoth rock!)
throughout the past 'hour'(/3.5 years) of need.
What a true treasure!
Thank you.
A friend in need is a friend indeed.
Rendezvous during the recent 30th celebrations - we're pretty chuffed I managed to reach such a milestone (considering the head happenings at 26 years of age) and had the divine privilege of being in this spectacular firework's company.
Hand massage for ole time's sake, Miss Great?!
Angel, London, U.K.
December 2015
Being a young stroke survivor + primary school teacher and having to endure various therapy programs over many years isn't too bad (at least I survived << only I, the particular stroke sufferer, can say that, anyone else cannot). The neuro therapy was not where my anxiety has been. It was like I finaaaally got to be back in the 'child hot seat' (free professional development sessions for an educator!) with a range of awfully simple (complex to one missing parts of their mind - and I was aware they were simple - at least there was awareness = brain progress!) computer games, sophisticated phone apps and typical 'real-life public outings' the therapists would carefully prepare (that generally speaking, didn't even feel like they were testing given their simplicity *although I tended to struggle at doing such well due to effects of brain damage*) to enhance my particular mind's skills and abilities post substantial strokes. Virtual reality, in particular, has been present in the medical world since the 1990s to assist patients suffering from phobias overcome their fears - it's 'all in the mind' after all! One specific virtual reality device that has got my attention (more than Back To The Future's prediction too!) as a stroke survivor is Mind Maze. Such an innovative piece of technology can assist stroke survivors during Stroke Rehabilitation by imitating a working body part in order to 'kick start' the complementing one (that is affected by brain damage). Basically, it's all a case of playing 'mind games' (pun intended!) where patients who have lost the ability to move a body part, see the mirror image of the working one as if it is the body part that they lost control of, tricking their mind into thinking they've regained such, ultimately accelerating the recovery of abilities such as movement, in particular, the otherwise simple task of using a knife and fork and/or opening a door!
Keep on motivating + utilising our magical minds - the 2016 world is your oyster!
"Do you want to see my newfound trick/hand?"
Mind Maze - working miracles by playing mind games on your brain! Just as impressive as Google Glass!
Mind Maze - working miracles by playing mind games on your brain! Just as impressive as Google Glass!
Other ways stroke survivors can actively improve the mind post damage (+ improve the minds of those without brain injuries!) include -
such as crosswords, puzzles, Sudoku and brain training apps
for your smart device.
Mr Squiggle Style Creativity
Learn more about Neuroplasticity.
Get those blood vessels firing all cylinders/synapses!
Every single day for over three years now, despite completing (/'graduating' after two intense years *just one week's worth of such after Stroke 1 given my determination to be discharged and create my own opportunities for brain rewiring in the 'real world'*, with the highest of honours and plenty of adoring supporters, obviously mates!) occupational therapy, speech & language therapy (aimed to reroute neurons for optimal rehabilitation in the immediate aftermath of stroke when brain is most plastic, as well as assess newfound boundaries + inabilities) and general rehabilitation (its purpose was to assist this stroke survivor, with definite limitations, in newfound 'living' *<<loosely based as I don't always feel like I'm truly living a life* in the 'real' world as 'Special K' and what skills and capabilities to hone in on throughout the new chapter/novel), I've ensured to actively participate in brain training (/retraining) to get this injured mind of mine fitting fit again (come on, brain)! While my day-to-day life offers countless opportunities for the formation of new connections surrounding the 'site/stroke of impact' (axonal sprouting), official therapy has been integral to my particular rehabilitation and the mind's progress is still ongoing (despite what some medical sorts declared in the early days as becoming stagnate at the 'two year mark' - other stroke survivors, please try to be headstrong in your determination to continue to improve as it does feel like I'm *re*gaining more brain power, independence and freedom with every month - over 3 years since acquiring last dose of dead brain). It is truly fortunate that my (damaged) mind is still motivated (apathy is a troubling effect of brain damage that can see a person lose usual motivation and concern in their life) for I actively participate in regular brain (re)training. Given I am back in the thinking foundation that is the classroom (not with my own class, yet *<<operative word!*), my mind is constantly being utilised + enhanced and it has been a major relief to acknowledge that I still have my intelligence (your words!) and can teach and assist students (...how to perfectly deliver cheese jokes + teacher/student tricks of the trade) with whatever is thrown my way by the supportive staff (generally, the students don't notice my brain's woes these days *some certainly did in the initial year post Stroke 2* - what beautiful people! They are impressed with the hole in my head too #streetcred). If there's any profession mesmerised by minds, it's education (yep, even more so than neurology haha!) - what a unique opportunity for myself, as an educator, to understand the science of pedagogy (the theory and practise of education) in greater depth, mental health as a whole and the astonishing human brain (which have always been keen interests of mine - perfect)! There's no doubt that the strokes and their lingering effects have been an utter tragedy (for all involved), but out of such comes resilience, wisdom, hope and resolve (+ jokes and plenty of blokes). Boom!
by the clever souls at Women's Health Magazine
- be stroke smart.
As a teacher and now a stroke survivor, I know quite well that anyone can improve their mind - damaged or in complete working order.
Please do watch this intriguing TED Talk about the brain's sensational ability to regain lost attributes post damage - with a little assistance and the right environment (support, yes!). The concept of Neuroplasticity is still considered to be in its early days, but our understanding of how the brain reroutes around cerebral infarctions is growing with every day (much like my neural pathways!).
Concepts that were once considered preposterous are now being proven and people with brain damage who were dismissed before are being celebrated and embraced more prevalently. Yes! While the brain has only minor abilities to repair damage, it is able to improve neurological function through rerouting of pathways (just like on a motorway with a car crash) - I'm walking/talking proof!
"Just look at me now, Mum!"
Dearest Mother Duck,
a fellow young stroke survivor (struck her mind whilst also in her 20s), has been by my Special K side since the 1980s!
Thank you, our dear English pudding!
We've reverted back ('boomerang!') to this winning combination for the time being
-
-
I'm confident other stroke survivors can relate to this sheer level of care required post acquiring brain damage (other stroke survivors are not so fortunate to have an award-winning, veteran registered nurse mum who also has a Masters in Mental Health = what an utter blessing).
Lucky MD, riiiight?!
Brain HQ is another worthwhile way to feed that hungry mind of yours -
with precise exercises for your attention, speed, problem solving, memory, navigation, analysis and even people skills!
Give your thinking organ a warm (virtual) hug.
Love the 'light' pun, Brain HQ, and love your passionate endeavour for getting the best out of our fascinating brains!
Let's put 'mind over matter' with Brain HQ Online Therapy to help improve our 'thinking tool' today, dear mates.
After both strokes struck, I promptly befriended the lifesavers at London's Charing Cross Hospital + Hammersmith Hospital (Stroke One = just so popular!) and St George's Hospital (Stroke Two = long-term location - free rent! What a Londoner's dream!). As you do when you're in your 20s and feeling like a chitty chat on a Saturday night after Hospital Visiting Hours have concluded and mates have been booted out (the staff were always lenient with such - I guess I bribed them with my clever jokes *may have been the same one every couple of seconds/minutes*)! With their particular medical expertise and regular interaction with an unwell Kitty, they fortunately understood the frightening situation more than most and despite my constant (due to lacking short term memory equaling repetition) complaints about the chalky calcium tablets I was forced to have daily, we were a team (A-Team)! You tend to bond with people after the tenth urine sample you give them in a week, after all (but don't you try such at home)!
While I am still mates with other medical superstars from my first stroke's 'vacation' (it sometimes felt like such especially with pristine 'room service', afternoon tea & biscuits, rooftop twilight entertaining of my daily guests and being given my own room after one of my strokes that was bigger than my own London bedroom! Celebrity clientele, you see) spot at various hospital locations (transferred for different specialties), it was my second stroke that introduced myself - + my family, colleagues and mates alike - to the
kind, wise and witty soul that is Nurse Gilly.
Invigorating reunion with this superstar of a St George's Hospital staff member (/Kitty PA?!).
Having quality time with our Gilly
("All my life, everyone has called me Gilbert. You come into our Neuro Ward, Kitty Kat *he insisted on calling me such - bedside manner = A+*, and now everyone's calling me 'Gilly'!" = Beautiful words/poetry to hear during my darkest days in November-December 2012 - immediately after Stroke 2 when I was certain not to be alive another day, every day)
upon return years later to the 'Stroke Scene' whilst celebrating reaching 30 magical years of Life.
Only a Special K, Chitty Chat, would befriend the staff (that were busy trying to work/attend to patients in need) whilst at hospital.
We're long-term mates! Yes!
Thank you dearest Gilly!
You have more patience/patients than a hospital ward (pun intended)!
Southwark, London, U.K.
January 2016
'The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new'
Greek philosopher, Socrates, knew how to roll with the punches
As the months and now, years, have so devastatingly progressed (the rehabilitation phase continues to be extended - think how lousy you feel about having to stay late at work one night whilst everyone else is out living their lives, going to celebrations of life and what not and that's just a single aspect of my *supposedly* young full-time life for many years now in that draining moment you stay back, constantly), smart phones - in both my control and that of my Klubbers - have ensured to not only calm myself and supporters alike during intense confusion and agitation ("text me a 'pin drop' of where you are" has been a familiar message sent from the patient sorts when I have found myself lost whilst trying to navigate to them with a smart phone, hey KTG and Queen Emma?!), they have also provided appropriate (e)tools to assist in this newfound world where memory, spatial navigation and emotions can be grossly compromised.
What's another positive aspect to the strokes?!
They waited until I had lived 26 decent years before they struck. More than I thank my witty mates for still laughing at my (excessive supply of) jokes, I praise the holy souls who have blessed a brain-injured Kitty Kat with the advancements, convenience and sophistication of the 21st Century, as such have - without a doubt - saved myself from certain insanity given severe short term memory loss (+ lessened the burden on my supporters - to an extent!) and a confronting case of Cotard's Syndrome where I initially thought I was in actual fact, dead, or at the very least, in a coma 'not really living' the ghastly experiences (when I was) that were excruciatingly encountered whilst in hospital and even during the initial time back at home (which - due to familiarity and comfort of such a location and general progress in my brain's axonal sprouting of neurons around the infarction *squared* - subdued with time) for many months after late-2012's Stroke 2 (technology acted like a 'security blanket' where I had 'proof' of events, conversations and around-the-clock support from people all around the world that my brain had unfortunately not retained). The second brain lesion's most disturbing effect of thinking I was dead/in a coma, although incredibly frightening and confronting for the supportive people that would regularly visit my anxious little self whilst in hospital and once at home, meant I had a second (/technically, third) chance at life where I was able (after the initial brain damage effects which shifted my particular outlook) to reassess my priorities, values, goals, views and support with clarity and purpose. Now, I experience skilful living more so than prior to strokes - I got to see what hell is like and discover what was ultimately and truly important along with who the decent souls of my world were/are. Finally, despite my outer life still regularly filled with complicated challenges you wouldn't expect for someone in their prime, my inner life is starting to flourish again and the people who have stood by my side throughout the turmoil (conveniently, such pumps are all in my long term memory bank! Emotional connection :)) no doubt are reaping the rewards (an A+ Kitty Kat - you are welcome!).
Being a healthy (autoimmune and circulatory systems from 2012 permitting) genetic mix of strong Scottish + feisty Finnish, with a Braveheart and Sisu-spirit, I've been utilising my blessed inner strength (and that of my sincere supporters) to regain the quality of life that the nasty strokes aggressively stole in 2012. The strokes' vast range of lingering effects have been overwhelming and the odds are certainly stacked against myself, but I - with the assistance of my (intact elements of) mind and supportive souls - shall one day overcome the ghastly enemy that is brain damage and be victorious again.
Let's try to focus on the intact brain components (+ getting all the blokes).
Now that stroke rehabilitation has been ongoing for the past 3+ years and all official therapy at hospitals and rehabilitation centres have concluded (achieved!), I'm all on my own in terms of where I want to go with my (damaged) mind (+ dearest Nurse Mother Duck, my little sister, Jack Attack and other consistent + considerate + loyal pumps! So not too lonely, I promise you!). Fellow stroke survivors may relate to this 'Limbo World', so I'm sure they too would benefit from a list of apps to help turn intentions into actions, build new habits and (here's hoping) succeed in life.
You know goals are what help you (+ footy teams) win (pun intended, heh)!
Goal Achieving Apps include -
Meditation inspired apps to help exert your good vibes from within
- whether you're a stroke survivor or not -
have been shown to:
*Reconnect former neural pathways in the mind
- whether you're a stroke survivor or not -
have been shown to:
*Reconnect former neural pathways in the mind
*Create brand new ones to make your brain more effective
*Lower blood pressure due to deep rest achieved through transcendental meditation, in particular
*Improve - significantly - self-awareness, compassion and introspection - through positive changes in the brain's grey matter region. Holy moly!
*Speed up recovery - Headspace claim - “just like you build up muscle strength to prevent injury or weakness, mind fitness builds resiliency that leads to faster recovery from psychological stress”
*Lower blood pressure due to deep rest achieved through transcendental meditation, in particular
*Improve - significantly - self-awareness, compassion and introspection - through positive changes in the brain's grey matter region. Holy moly!
*Speed up recovery - Headspace claim - “just like you build up muscle strength to prevent injury or weakness, mind fitness builds resiliency that leads to faster recovery from psychological stress”
Stroke Survivor Smiles = Sensational!
Mind medicine
'Meditating' with decent stroke smart sunshine - quite thrilled to be alive, mates!
Do join in on this 'sunny' disposition.
Do join in on this 'sunny' disposition.
Burleigh Heads, Gold Coast, Australia
March 2016
You may have found yourself pondering why a young (witty) person with two acquired brain injuries (that - as I'm sure you can already deduce - fortunately *for both you and I* has not affected the endearing chitty chat in my particular mind's case) is sharing their challenging, at times morbid and confronting, experience through an online global portal that tackles all topics related to stroke, prevention ('they' say up to 80% of strokes can be prevented- mine, in particular, were part of the 20% that were unavoidable), mental health, rehabilitation and life after stroke - including newfound disabilities, vast loss and uphill battles you simply can't avoid - as well as mental health in general. This is no fashion house's innovative blog with well thought out, exotic photo shoots at glorious, remote locations showcasing high fashion, extravagant people + props ("where's my Batman cup?!"), that's for sure! Unless you include all the references to my 'new' maroon slacks that I found myself wearing (were they even mine?! Ah, yes, dear brain's dead hippocampus - just 'newbies' that you couldn't seem to process promptly nor efficiently!) when I was rushed (apparently within minutes + in an ambulance immediately after waking, although I have no recollection of such) to a strange location (/hospital) after waking with absolutely no memory retention and heightened anxiety meets fears of Cotard's Syndrome aka thinking one is dead/in a coma (on top of the first stroke's long list of confronting ailments). The truth is, brain injuries are unpredictable (and difficult to channel fashion blog vibes!) - not even renowned neurologists have it all worked out, let me tell you that firsthand! Over three years of stroke rehabilitation (and no further Special K strokes, I should proudly add!), there's no longer any promises made by medical professionals about my future because not even the brightest and most experienced neurologists can predict how my brain is going to go in the long run.
It can be extremely disheartening to hear the duration of suffering that could be expected in stroke rehabilitation (which makes me instantly think of a footy player with a serious injury or suspension, absolutely beside themselves with intense feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness after all that they had previously invested into their dreams, watching their team go out to play without them and there was nothing they could have done to prevent the outcome - I hope you too can see the similarities and become just as aware of the sufferings typical people living with the effects of a brain injury experience away from the popular sports field), especially considering the initial (under) estimate I'd be out of service as a 'real' person in our world ('give it a week', followed by '2 years maximum', followed by 'unclear', followed by 'uncertain'). Such brain lesions as stroke can change everything about someone in a matter of mere seconds (hence why active prevention is always encouraged above all else), affecting our abilities (if appropriate medical assistance is not administered in the small window of opportunity *according to those in the know, we're talking minutes and at most, just a few hours, here*, your brain will continue its wild 'neuron-balloon popping party' for every single second that is wasted), the way we think, act & feel (literally + figuratively speaking), as well as who we are (and think we are!). Too often, my brain injuries' effects have been judged (by others and at times, even by myself) when the focus should be on my (+ other stroke survivors') mind's intact capabilities that it exquisitely (your words) performs at a glowing rate (put on your sunglasses to avoid the bright brain glare!). Despite losing a baboon's worth of neurons (in total) at my end-of-school year party and as I woke for the day (on a week's break) in 2012, the executive functioning neurons - where the 'manager of the mind' (higher level thinking, planning, judgement, problem solving, thinking outside the square + multitasking) resides - have been savoured and this has been celebrated many a time (just thinning the blood with stroke smart red wine, you see?!).
It can be extremely disheartening to hear the duration of suffering that could be expected in stroke rehabilitation (which makes me instantly think of a footy player with a serious injury or suspension, absolutely beside themselves with intense feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness after all that they had previously invested into their dreams, watching their team go out to play without them and there was nothing they could have done to prevent the outcome - I hope you too can see the similarities and become just as aware of the sufferings typical people living with the effects of a brain injury experience away from the popular sports field), especially considering the initial (under) estimate I'd be out of service as a 'real' person in our world ('give it a week', followed by '2 years maximum', followed by 'unclear', followed by 'uncertain'). Such brain lesions as stroke can change everything about someone in a matter of mere seconds (hence why active prevention is always encouraged above all else), affecting our abilities (if appropriate medical assistance is not administered in the small window of opportunity *according to those in the know, we're talking minutes and at most, just a few hours, here*, your brain will continue its wild 'neuron-balloon popping party' for every single second that is wasted), the way we think, act & feel (literally + figuratively speaking), as well as who we are (and think we are!). Too often, my brain injuries' effects have been judged (by others and at times, even by myself) when the focus should be on my (+ other stroke survivors') mind's intact capabilities that it exquisitely (your words) performs at a glowing rate (put on your sunglasses to avoid the bright brain glare!). Despite losing a baboon's worth of neurons (in total) at my end-of-school year party and as I woke for the day (on a week's break) in 2012, the executive functioning neurons - where the 'manager of the mind' (higher level thinking, planning, judgement, problem solving, thinking outside the square + multitasking) resides - have been savoured and this has been celebrated many a time (just thinning the blood with stroke smart red wine, you see?!).
TEDx 'Curiosity' celebrations
TEDx Alumni - including my little sister/TEDx teammate/'right-hand (wo)man' *figuratively + also literally in this shot!*, Jack Attack!
May 2015
The effects from two decent strokes are numerous and varied (when compared to each effect + the effects for other people living with acquired brain injuries), as well as incredibly complex (just like an intact mind) and renowned neurologists, GPs, mental health (specialised) nurses (ala 40+years as an award-winning Registered Nurse, 20 years as Master Of Mental Health, dear Nurse Mother Duck) + various speech, occupational and rehabilitation therapists from Great Britain to Australia (Kitty Kat is as popular as ever!) are still perplexed about my particular brain injuries' cause + their rehabilitation (not 'recovery' like some seem to refer to the aftermath of stroke, as such implies completely returning to my former self, but it shall never be the case) over the past 3+ years (most are ever so proud of the journey + flabbergasted with my particular progress considering the (re)starting platform in late 2012 which felt like I had fallen down 'the longest snake' on the Snake & Ladders board game, right back down to the bottom/start where 'childhood' resides whilst everyone around me was going up rewarding ladders in their prosperous and fulfilling lives. Aussie Battler tenaciously battling on!). While the repository & retrieval of memory (in particular, information given aurally) + spatial navigation, + processing speed + general visuospatial skills (given missing eyesight) + raw emotions (when provoked) + attention span (simple comedy-genre movies have only just been brought back into my world - yes!) and sheer fatigue are still of major concern, the missing RHS peripheral eyesight, altered sensation perception on my body's RHS, enhanced taste where I once felt nauseous from anything other than basic cereal such as Rice Bubbles (but I still ate chocolate every day - worth it + just being stroke smart heh!), a mild form of aphasia where there is difficulty with finding the correct words (anomic aphasia) + minor balance concerns have rarely been in the foreground of my difficulties (the neuron-loss-competition is intense after all). It's an utter delight to acknowledge capabilities that have been spared/returned, where they have impressed (naturally) many from all backgrounds, including in particular, medical. Yes! Jokes and good vibes, anyone?! In the aftermath of stroke, we need to try to be that courageous, optimistic opportunist who sees the half-full glass and seeing the beauty in the utter tragedy the two fierce strokes caused and after pondering ways to fill the half-full glass, we do just that (eventually!). The Kitty-Glass will be over pouring with flavoursome bubbles of vitality, insight and life, mark my word!Memories are what define you - they are your life's precious (and priceless) souvenirs, take it from me! Embracing various
This is not who I am - it is what has happened to me.
There's a distinct difference (thank you to those who have kept such in the foreground of their reasoning to keep supporting an unwell KL).
Like other souls with acquired brain injuries, I too am struggling to stay connected to who I once was (given brain damage, I could not even simply grasp such for years post strokes - which always make myself think of Zoolander's memorable 'who am I' scene - an peculiar experience, I'm sure for everyone involved), whilst also mastering the art of losing the battle (not the war) of being young (ages 26 - 35 are typically a person's prime and they've been absolute Hell in my life - can many honestly relate?!) and embracing the left-of-centre life that has chosen (<<operative word) me - a stagnate, dull 'existence' that is a bleak shade of 'grey' when compared to the technicoloured life of yesteryear and that of my peers at present time. In my particular case, 'seeing the glass as half-full' helps ease the burden (easy to say such a perspective than to actually yourself embrace it) so I always encourage the consistent and devoted souls (who still take me seriously and show myself respect despite brain injuries + laugh at 90% of my jokes) to fill my glass whenever it is half-empty (obviously, twofold - always encouraging stroke smart red wine time!).
This special Kitty brings all the boys (men) to the yard with my over pouring (thanks mates!) glass of milkshake/wine! You know I love the euphemisms!
Here are some of the benefits of skilful living that Emotional Chaos To Clarity seeks to help you discover:
*You know and act from your core values at all times
*You gain wisdom from both pleasant and unpleasant experiences
*You can discern between thoughts, words and actions that cause harm and those that do not, and you act accordingly
*You know your true nature, the essence of your character and how to protect it
*You accept gain and loss equally and derive insight from each
*You have an inner life in which love can flourish, even if your outer life is filled with challenges
*You learn to speak only what is true, useful, and timely, even during moments of anger and outrage
*You are not controlled by your views and opinions or the story of your past, but rather you have a “don’t know” mind that responds wisely to whatever you encounter in life
*You have the ability to soothe yourself whenever you feel disappointed or overwhelmed by life
*You know and act from your core values at all times
*You gain wisdom from both pleasant and unpleasant experiences
*You can discern between thoughts, words and actions that cause harm and those that do not, and you act accordingly
*You know your true nature, the essence of your character and how to protect it
*You accept gain and loss equally and derive insight from each
*You have an inner life in which love can flourish, even if your outer life is filled with challenges
*You learn to speak only what is true, useful, and timely, even during moments of anger and outrage
*You are not controlled by your views and opinions or the story of your past, but rather you have a “don’t know” mind that responds wisely to whatever you encounter in life
*You have the ability to soothe yourself whenever you feel disappointed or overwhelmed by life
Being proactive in rehabilitation and regaining a life worth living hasn't been 'a walk in the park' in my particular case and it's not as simple as some portray it to be. Currently, in our small nation of Australia alone, there are over 400, 000 people living with (deaths caused by stroke are not part of this amount) the effects of stroke who are not always being understood, considered and/or treated with respect, who are judged and criticised before they are able to let themselves shine. I've seen from my own perspective, as a switched-on stroke survivor, that many focus on the stroke storm (that struck my otherwise healthy 20-something-year-old life without permission nor encouragement) instead of paying their attention to the beautiful rainbow that has come from such a dark (and stormy!) experience. The strokes forced a cruel reassessment of most aspects (friendships, choices, aspirations + ambitions to name just a few) of my youthful life (try doing that and coming out the other side with a smile on your dial! It's hard yakka!), the person I was & the strengths that now must glisten (varied to the former strengths prior to 2 x brain damage) to ensure there can be a way to complement this newfound world, where I/we get the best out of such a tragic situation and live on to tell the (at times, hilarious, always captivating) tale.
But isn't there beauty in such tragedy? Have my own shortcomings + attitude in the strokes' wake and the sincere, passionate supporters (that made me laugh from Day One of confronting, heartbreaking Rehab) motivated you, your mind and your life?
I hope so.
The strokes and their various, painful, lingering effects (direct and indirect) changed my life (and my dearest supporters' lives) in more ways than I could possibly list, but then we've got to remember that change is the essence of life, where we gain wisdom from unpleasant experiences and while I've had to surrender my former life, I am doing so in order to become something greater.
Great Kate - doesn't that just sound right?! As right as rain!
The (Dolly Parton meets David Brent inspired) rainbow is here, exerting the good vibes to those looking/supporting in my direction after such a 'dark and stormy' session.
But isn't there beauty in such tragedy? Have my own shortcomings + attitude in the strokes' wake and the sincere, passionate supporters (that made me laugh from Day One of confronting, heartbreaking Rehab) motivated you, your mind and your life?
I hope so.
The strokes and their various, painful, lingering effects (direct and indirect) changed my life (and my dearest supporters' lives) in more ways than I could possibly list, but then we've got to remember that change is the essence of life, where we gain wisdom from unpleasant experiences and while I've had to surrender my former life, I am doing so in order to become something greater.
Great Kate - doesn't that just sound right?! As right as rain!
The (Dolly Parton meets David Brent inspired) rainbow is here, exerting the good vibes to those looking/supporting in my direction after such a 'dark and stormy' session.
America's Brain Injury Association have provided a simple guideline, below, for supporters (you mighty extraordinary sorts!) of stroke survivors to
help them better grasp such a complex injury.
One in six of us will have a stroke (approximately 1/4 of strokes are under retirement age), so even if you think you won't ever have one (a concerning mindset to have),
you ought to be in the know for the sake of your loved ones -
The most important things to remember:
• A person with a brain injury is a person first
• No two brain injuries are exactly the same
• The effects of a brain injury are complex and vary greatly from person to person
• The effects of a brain injury depend on such factors as cause, location and severity
• The effects of a brain injury are complex and vary greatly from person to person
• The effects of a brain injury depend on such factors as cause, location and severity
Since the two massive strokes of 2012 obliterated my entire world (+ my nearest and dearests' worlds) as I knew it (majority of my young life - people, decisions, priorities, consequences, control etc - did not make sense nor go my way for years post acquiring brain damage - it is only just starting to make sense and regain some sense of normalcy, purpose and momentum), many of the lost 'mind marbles' have been found (pun intended hehe!).
"Success is not final. Failure is not fatal.
It's the courage to continue that counts"
- Courageous British statesman, writer, orator and leader, Sir Winston Churchill, offers his 'dog with a bone' perspective on persevering despite what may come your way.
Here's to Neuroplasticity, therapy, patience, support, tiiiime and renowned Laird tenacity + courage meets humour.
Kitty kisses all 'round!
