Looking back at a time when I first had my stroke, I remember feeling so confused, so alone, and so hurt. I was crying all the time.
It was much harder to read, write, spell and to calculate numbers. Now that I have been living with aphasia, I have found that I can talk about it with more understanding. People with aphasia have injury to the left side of the brain and they have difficulty producing or understanding language. I have a very mild form of aphasia however, there is still so much to learn and to understand about the condition.
Some people may find it hard accepting the fact that their lives have changed so drastically.
Having the support and encouragement of family and friends is very important.
When you have aphasia, it is meaningful to know that you are being listened to and understood.
I came up with a slogan. Keep going, push through, you’re still you. That was an encouraging reminder to let me know that yes, I can still do it. I found strategies to help me adapt other methods, for making aphasia easier.
Now, I find that I am truly learning to cope with doing things differently. After having a stroke, it gets easier to deal with this challenge called Aphasia.
Strategies to help
- Getting involved with a support group for socialization, such as PACT
- Friendship with others who have aphasia
- Writing what you want to say
- Taking a breath before speaking
- When receiving directions, ask people to speak slowly
- Pray more
by Jeanette
Originally published in PACT 2018 Newsletter