Strokies' Stories

By Ingrid Vorwerk-Marren

These individual stories are an inspiration to anyone who reads them. They are stories of valour, courage and determination (some in Afrikaans and some in English) by members of the Stroke Support Group of Pretoria.

The “Strokies” (as they call themselves), spouses and volunteers write of the difficulties they overcame over and above their physical disability - alcoholism, loneliness, grief, determination to study and rejection by loved ones and how the support and encouragement within the group helped them overcome their sense of isolation to become stronger as individuals.

These stories prove that there is life after a closed brain injury and that these people function normally, despite being physically different.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Corvus
• Release date: Aug 29, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301515295

Book preview

Preface

This book contains the personal accounts of people who were challenged to pick up the threads of their lives after suffering a life-shattering event (often referred to as the incident). The publication is primarily meant for people who suffer from brain injuries or strokes, for their families as well as for the public. Its purpose is to inspire them and their caregivers by learning what steps other people in similar situations have taken in order to cope with their changed circumstances. We hope everyone who reads it will be encouraged by the stories told here by members of the Pretoria Stroke Support Group.

A theme that runs through all the accounts of the ‘Strokies’ (as they call themselves) is the decisions that were taken to move on after disaster struck in their lives, they learned to put their past lives in the past and to create meaningful new lives for themselves and their loved ones. The courage and perseverance with which people face tragedy and adversity becomes evident through the decisions they had to deliberately make to choose a new life.

Some of the contributors to this booklet were eager to share their experiences. Others were reluctant and needed to be prompted. The length of the stories differs considerably but everyone was encouraged to make their own voices heard.

The stories are presented in alphabetical order with no distinction made between a caregiver, volunteer or one who has suffered a stroke or brain injury. Afrikaans contributions were translated mostly by Roy and Anne Nash and are found at the end of the book for the benefit of non-Afrikaans speaking persons.

Table of Contents

Introduction

A warning, a sense of fear or uneasiness about something

The helper

Upliftment

Obituary for Beth Bond

I am an aneurysm survivor!

The quiet one

Reach for the stars!

Vanuit die donker na die lig

My betrokkenheid by die Beroerte Steungroep

Dokter Fanie

My lewe voor en na die ongeluk in 1983

Vasbyt!

Twenty-eight years and going strong

There is life after suffering a stroke!

My journey of discovery

Cerebral Aneurysm: a life changing event

Die ‘fighter’

Hoe ek betrokke geraak het by die Beroerte Steungroep

My betrokkenheid met neurologie en die Beroerte Steungroep

Vir plesier!

Out of the darkness into the light

My involvement with Stroke Aid and now the

Doctor Fanie

My life before and after the accident in 1983

Persevere and Persist!

The fighter

How I became involved with the Stroke Support Group

My involvement with

the Stroke Support Group

It is a pleasure!

The 28 years of the Stroke Support Group

Post Script

Introduction:

What inspired us

Rita Ribbens Burger

July 2013

Strokes and other brain injuries claim the lives of many people throughout the world. The lucky ones are those who survive these dreadful events. Some have written books about their experience after suffering a stroke or other brain injury.

The story tellers share their experiences in the hope that caregivers and family will understand stroke survivors better.

In his book ‘Die dag toe ek my naam vergeet het’, the well-known Afrikaans author F A Venter shares his experience of waking up one day, like all those before, and then suddenly being unable to perform ordinary, everyday tasks.

In Karen Lazar’s book ‘Hemispheres: Inside a stroke’, we read a humorous account of the first days of shock, hospital life, other patients and the road back to work, now in a wheel chair. This lecturer from Wits University was told the road ahead is going to be like a hundred Tours de France in endurance and staying-power. But we can all do it.

Lazar reports how she had to learn to adapt to her new circumstances while lecturing from a wheelchair in front of students. Before the ‘incident’ Karen was a keen dancer; after the incident she said, But there is a story to be told, and if I can’t dance, at least I can write (2011:15).

One of the most inspiring stories published is that by Jill Bolte Taylor. She is a brain scientist who records her own experience after she had a severe haemorrhage in the left hemisphere. Jill believes her observations might help caregivers to relate better to stroke survivors.

Because of her intimate knowledge of the processes in the brain, she is able to explain what happens when people have strokes, and she has intimate knowledge of their feelings of frustration. Her book aims at helping people liberate their own inner peace and joy. In her My stroke of insight she records her eight year journey to recovery.

Initially Taylor experienced herself as being liquid and only after eight years felt that she was solid again. She describes the functions of the two hemispheres and how after her incident she became aware of the tremendous influence of the right hemisphere in her life. She deliberately chooses to remember how wonderful it was to function in this mode.

In his book ‘The brain that changes itself’, Norman Doidge reports on scientific evidence of the neuroplasticity of the brain. He provides evidence from scientists in the 1960’s and 1970’s who claim that the brain can change its own structure and function through thought and activity. He says, I saw people rewire their brains with their thoughts (2007:15).

Our collection of stories is not unique: Stroke by Stroke is a collection of spontaneous personal stories written by members of the Helderberg Stroke Support Group in 2005 which we found inspiring. We hope our stories will serve the same purpose.

Bibliography:

Bolte, Jill Taylor. 2008. My stroke of insight. London: Hodder and Stoughton.

Doidge, Norman. 2007. The brain that changes itself. Stories of personal triumph from the frontiers of brain science. London: Penguin.

Helderberg Stroke Support Group. 2005. Stroke by Stroke.

Lazar, Karen. 2011. Hemispheres: Inside a stroke. Athlone: Modjaji Books.

Venter, F. A. 1995. Die dag toe ek my naam vergeet het. Kaapstad: Tafelberg.

A warning, a sense of fear or uneasiness about something

Roy Barclay

One evening our family gathered and we set off to O R Tambo Airport to say good-bye to our son Peter-John who was on his way to Edmonton, Canada. It was a very special evening for Biddy and the rest of the family. I have been married to Biddy for 37 years. We have four children: Melanie, Angela, Pamela and Peter-John. We do things together, go to church together and live life to the hilt. While we were eating supper Melanie asked me if she could take me out the next morning. Of course I said yes and we agreed that she would pick me up at ten o’clock.

We went to bed in the early hours of the morning because the jet was delayed in taking off, and we waited to hear it fly over our house on its way north.

In the morning Melanie arrived and we drove off. I had no idea where she was taking me. As we approached the Faerie Glen Hospital the penny dropped: I was being taken to Dr McDonald. This came as a surprise, because the children and Biddy had obviously spoken about me and were worried about me. After a long consultation the doctor told me that my blood pressure was very high and that he was booking me into hospital. I was there for a week.

When I was discharged Biddy fetched me and put me to bed when we got home. In the early evening Mel and Ed popped in. Biddy was in the kitchen preparing supper. Ed poured wine and we chatted in the garden. I was asked to turn a light off in the garage and then something terrible happened. When I returned I apparently had a wild look on my face and couldn’t talk. Ed realised that I had had a stroke and alerted Biddy and Mel. They in turn phoned Dr McDonald who said that I should be taken to the Faerie Glen hospital. An ambulance was called. In the meantime I stumbled to my bedroom and lay down. Melanie, who was with me, persistently told me not to close my