I Had a Stroke When I Was 26

By The Hairpin June 28, 2011

by Nina Mitchell

I am a young woman whose Mind went Pop. Mindpop. My stroke took away my limbs and speech for a while. Here are some chronicles…

I. Bling

Question: How do you put on a necklace with a complicated clasp, using just one hand?

Answer: Take the necklace to a bead store. Have them put magnets on the ends.

Cha-Ching.

II. Drug Military

Doctors have given me a drug the military has tested on pilots. It is supposed to make you alert, even for long periods. I don’t like it. It makes me feel like someone else is running my body.

The first time I tried it, my friend Wendy called. I didn’t tell her about the drug. Out of the blue, she said, “You sound really … on.”

III. Stare

Sometimes I can tell someone has noticed my disability and is staring. They look at my hand for a long time, comprehending abnormality. The next thing a starer does is look up at my face. I’m ready. I look straight back at them, holding their gaze. Then the starer gets uncomfortable and looks away.

Disabled party tricks.

IV. Violin

Your healthy side is tall and straight. Your stroke side is all sagging angles. Your shoulder slopes down. Your hip rises unnaturally when you walk. Your stroke side is curved like a violin.

Previously: Other Mindpop posts.

Nina Mitchell had a stroke when she was 26. More chronicles are at Mindpop or Facebook.