Stroke No Joke: What Are You Going to Do with What's Left?

By Luther Moore

Stroke no joke is the autobiography of a middle aged African American man who navigates the process of reclaiming and re- finding his life it provides an insightful look into the mind of a once strong independent man after he suffered a serious stroke that changes his life forever. As he struggles through his rehabilitation and along the way indentifies a new strength and purpose in his life. This book offers inspirational insight into the power of the mind and the self commitment of the human spirit to overcome the physical and the mental sense of hopelessness. most importantly it connects one man`s resolution to self motivation that focuses on his recovery and the means to overcome the physical barriers that stands in his way.

This story brings to light the strength of the human spirit the struggles to survive and the ability of one man to share his recovery story.

It`s the mystery of life that has sustained me since the stroke

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Sep 4, 2015
• ISBN: 9781491773475

Luther Moore

I am an African American male, who, on August 8, 1988, at thirty-three years old, was diagnosed with lupus. On May 4, 1995, at the age of forty-nine, I suffered a major stroke and was in a coma, not expected to live. In this book, I take you, the reader, with me on the most amazing journey of my life—the fight to save my life and to regain my independence. From this book, you will gain strength and courage. It will inspire you in ways unimaginable. So come with me as I take you on an unforgettable journey through my life struggles to recovery and regaining my dignity. Don’t just think about it; do it!

Book preview

STROKE NO JOKE

What are you going to do with what’s left?

Copyright © 2015 Luther Moore.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Scripture marked AKJV is from the Authorized King James Version of the Bible (the KJV), the rights in which are vested in the Crown in the United Kingdom and is reproduced here by permission of the Crown’s patentee, Cambridge University Press.

The Cambridge KJV text, including paragraphing, is reproduced here by permission of Cambridge University Press.

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Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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ISBN: 978-1-4917-7346-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4917-7347-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015912936

iUniverse rev. date:  09/03/2015

CONTENTS

Chapter 1   The Start Of The Fall

August 8, 1988

I Can Do This

Chapter 2   Stroke No Joke

1995

Chapter 3   Disoriented?

1996

A Letter from My Son,

April 3, 1996, That Truly

Inspired and Motivated Me

Chapter 4   Getting Better With Time

1997

Chapter 5   Stepping Out On Faith To Reclaim My Independence

1998

Chapter 6   Attitude Determines Altitude

1999

Chapter 7   Reconnecting To The World I Once Knew

2000

Chapter 8   Continual Progress

2001

Chapter 9   Relocating And Conquering New Challenges

2002–2003

Chapter 10   Getting Back On Track

Chapter 11   Continuing To Inspire Others

While Retaking Charge

of My Life One Day at a Time

Chapter 12   Thyroid Removed

October 2013

Chapter 13 Where Do I Go From Here?

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To all the people who are faced with serious illnesses. I urge them to not give up, to maintain their faith, and to gain strength, and I remind them that they can and will make it if it is not their time to exit. I am living proof that we can overcome serious illnesses by having faith in ourselves and the willpower not to give up. I used that inner strength God gave me, which enables me to make vital changes in my life and be an inspiration to others.

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To my loving parents, David and Earlease Moore; my children, Keith, Kenny, Kelley, Kevin, and Keenan Moore; my children’s mom; and my brothers and sisters, Jack, Bernard, Sallie, Evelyn, Beverly, Priscilla, and Opal. I also dedicate this book to my deceased sister, Johnnie Mae, and my deceased brothers, Robert, Billy, and (my twin) Lewis.

—Luther Moore

PREFACE

Hi, my name is Luther Moore, and I am the author of the book Stroke No Joke. I was born in a small town in South Carolina. I resided in New Jersey for many years. There, I was married and fathered five children from that marriage. I love to write songs, and I had a great time writing the book you see before you.

Stroke No Joke depicts my struggles related to a massive stroke that I had in May 1995. The doctors counted me out and said I would not have a good quality of life once I started to recover. I took stock of what the doctors had said, but I took greater stock in the promises and the power of God. My relationship with God is why I am here today. My spirit has led me to memorialize my struggle to have as normal of a life as I possibly could, and I know I was called by God to tell my story so that I could encourage and influence others.

For more information, please feel free to contact me at [e-mail].

During the writing of this book and its passage from the spoken word to the written form, my good friend and mentor has been my Creator, to whom I am deeply grateful and whom I earnestly thank. I also express my indebtedness to my friends, Mr. Anthony Lewis, and family; my advisor and marketing wizard; my editor; and the many people who have freely supported my efforts.

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CHAPTER 1

THE START OF THE FALL

August 8, 1988

After a fairly good day at work, I arrived home, relaxed a while, got a bite to eat, and then changed into my gym clothes to go for a much-needed workout. While sitting on the side of my bed, I suddenly experienced my entire body retaining fluid. I could not believe what was happening to me. It did not seem real. I felt no pain, dizziness, or anything abnormal. The swelling was moving at a rapid pace. I could not understand what was going on, so I waited a while to see if the swelling would stop, but within an hour or so, my weight had ballooned from 213 to 259 pounds. I felt like I was going to float away any second.

There was no plausible explanation in my mind at that time for why this was happening. I felt great, but my body was retaining fluid and swelling so fast I felt as though I were going to burst. I drove myself to the Barnet Hospital emergency room. The doctor could not tell me what was causing me to retain fluid until they ran some tests. They asked me several questions about any unusual foods I had eaten and drug use. There was nothing I had eaten or drunk that was not normal for me, and there were definitely no drugs in my system. They admitted me to the hospital, and I was kept there for some tests, including a kidney biopsy on Monday morning. To the best of my knowledge, Dr. Gupta performed the tests, and within a couple of days, he returned with my test results.

I was diagnosed with lupus. While in the hospital, I did a brief study on lupus and found that it is an autoimmune disorder and affects the organs and systems such as the skin, joints, and internal organs. Lupus can affect both men and women. The typical age range for someone to get lupus is ten to fifty years of age. It is more common in people of African and Asian descent. Lupus is usually hereditary, but in some cases, like mine, there is no familial history of the disease. To my knowledge, no one in my family had suffered from lupus. This disease turns the body’s defenses against the body itself. Lupus occurs when antibodies attack the healthy cells in the body. Studies have found that certain drugs can cause lupus as well. It has been heavily researched and has been linked to other disorders but only in theory; nothing is definitely stated as fact. Symptoms of this can vary and occur in a wide array of areas in the body.

In the musculoskeletal system, it affects the joints and causes mild to severe joint pain, such as arthritis in the hands. The skin is affected by rashes, lesions, and painful nodules that appear to be raised bruises. The kidneys produce protein deposits, and renal failure, leading to dialysis, is a possibility. The nervous system can be damaged, causing headaches, mental dysfunction, seizures, and psychosis. Blood clots can occur and cause a pulmonary embolism.

Chest pain and shortness of breath are also symptoms. Endocarditis, which is the inflammation of the serous membrane that lines the cavities of the heart, and myocarditis, which is the inflammation of the muscular substance of the heart, can also arise. Pleurisy, affecting the delicate serous membrane in the thorax, can also occur as a result of lupus.

I remained in the hospital for a little over a month. Throughout that period, I felt great. It was amazing how good I felt. I had no pain, only discomfort from the weight gain. I used that time to try to figure out how to prepare myself for when I returned home. I wanted to continue living on my own. I had to make some life-changing decisions if I wanted independent living to continue.

I had never really heard of this disease until I was diagnosed. Most sources of information on lupus seemed to be addressed to women. I guessed this was an equal-opportunity disease. I had to make some drastic changes in my lifestyle. Regarding my diet, I made sure to eat right. I had to continue my physical therapy. Staying busy really helped me. Staying out of the sun as much as possible was mandatory.

Eventually, I was released from the hospital to take on this new challenge in my life.

When I returned home, I rested for a few weeks. I was very weak, and my weight had dropped tremendously. I had no balance, and my memory had been affected. It was very difficult for me to walk, but I started working out again shortly after my release. I made sure that I ate right and got my proper rest to regain my weight and my strength so I could focus on getting my life back on track. I was determined not to let my condition break my spirit and definitely not to let it defeat me. Approximately six months or so after being released from the hospital, I returned to work on very light duty.

I was still weak and very thin, but I was determined to get my life back on track. I had to focus on empowering myself and accepting this new lifestyle, which included changing to a low-sodium diet. That meant reading labels for sodium content. It was a must in order for me to get well. I was not to expose myself directly to the sun, especially in the hottest part of the day. If I did, I would feel as if pins were sticking me all over my body. Physical weakness was something new for me. I was used to getting up every day, getting dressed, walking out of the door, and loving the sun. Humans are creatures of habit, and my habit was being outside for leisure and for work. I was the assistant maintenance supervisor for public housing, so I went in and out of the various buildings throughout the day, interacting with contractors and workers all day on the grounds. Being so cautious and staying out of the sun seemed to be an impossible task. I was in unfamiliar territory for life, but I had been given a second chance, and I was not going to abuse God’s grace.

The most difficult obstacle to overcome was having the realization that God had given me the courage and it was up to me to make the best of it. I had to set aside my pride. Life is nothing but adjustments all of our lives, but some of them can be drastic and some of them can be terrifying. I had to make those changes, trust in a loving creator, and believe I could still learn to live a somewhat normal life, even facing a difficult disease.

Every disease is difficult. Every disease is scary. Sometimes, diseases affect some of us in different ways. People will turn and walk away, not knowing how to act or how to react to you. Once I was awakened to this, my attention quickly focused, and I stayed in control, maintaining a good attitude, keeping my doctors’ appointments, and following instructions. All the while, I continued reading as much information on this disease as I could, hoping that would help me deal with the condition as I continued living life as normally as possible, making adjustments when necessary. I was amazed at the different advice given to me from various doctors. All of the advice was given with the statement that it was mandatory for my recovery.

Most of the doctors who treated me helped me to realize that I too was learning from my own reading and studies. I understood quickly that the doctors did not have the answers that I needed so very badly. I do not believe that studies really had a clue as to how to deal with this disease at the time I was diagnosed. Much of the information that was given to me was not even close to helping with the symptoms that I was experiencing.

There was only one diagnosis but so many different suggestions on how it would affect my life and how I was to handle it. The most accurate advice that was given to me during those early stages was to stay indoors and cover up when outside in the hottest part of the day, because the sun is one of a lupus patient’s worst enemies. I had to cut back on my sodium intake, which was not an easy task. However, it was imperative that I do so and keep myself encouraged after discovering all the life changes I had to make. I really had to stay strong for the things to come.

God had already prepared me for this transition in my mind. The paranoia tried to creep into my life, but I was not having that. No matter what it took, I was not allowing myself to stop living. I would not allow myself to give in. After a while, the information that I had read on the subject educated me instead of terrified me. I believe my life was spared to handle this and I will not be defeated. Maybe one day research will find a cure. That is my most fervent hope. This has been an eye-opener, getting my physical and mental attention quickly! I want to be capable of taking care of myself, and helping others is foremost within my mind, which makes all things seem easier.

This is my life, and I choose to live it, not to hear the word lupus and sit within a circle of self-loathing and pity. Rising above the disease, I keep my head held high, relying upon a merciful God who loves me and taking refuge in the sanctuary He gives with his loving