I Had a Stroke When I Was 26

by Nina Mitchell

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

I. God

Right after my stroke, I had a fill-in speech therapist who said to me, “This is God’s plan.” Separately, she went up to my mother and said the same thing: “This is God’s plan.”

My mother said later that she liked all of the hospital staff except for the God Lady.

II. Face

After my stroke my face was a little weaker on one side. I was given pages of pictures, facial expressions to copy. Grimace! Grin! Frown! Pucker! Blow up you cheeks! Look surprised! Worried!

You’re supposed to do these exercises a million times, so your facial muscles strengthen and your brain re-learns how to use your muscles. This is called plasticity, the brain’s ability to create new pathways when the old ones have been damaged.

Smile like a maniac! Kiss!

III. Miss Manners

When I’m on a date at a restaurant, I may want to order a piece of meat — steak, chicken, etc. But I don’t, because cutting meat with one hand is a pain. Miss Manners says, “Asking your date to help you cut up your dinner is bad form.”

IV. Hand

My hand wants to be rolled tight in a fist when it is cold outside. However, if you dip my hand into ice cold water, it goes open, flat. The sound of running water makes it open too. My brain has its own language, especially during the winter.

V. Waiting

I watched while my friends did extraordinary things. They discovered planets, became doctors and lawyers, started companies, had kids.

I had a stroke, so I had to wait.

Previously: Other Mindpop posts.

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

© 2011 by Nina Mitchell, The material in this article is protected by copyright and may not be copied or published or otherwise distributed without the Author’s permission. All Rights Reserved.