Listening

First of all ...  I want everyone to know that I finished my homework "Banana Gram" in fifteen minutes.  Now, that is what I call fast!!!!  I just had to boast on myself (even though I had to go look up how to spell boast ... boost didn't look right).

Use all twenty-two (22) tiles

this time ...

 

W-N-D-E-D-T-G-G-R-E-S-G-E-S-J-U-Y-E-Z-F-U-A

 

I'm including a photograph of the mine

for you guys to get the idea.

 

 

Everyone's will be different because we all think of different words.

 

Just remember you have to use all twenty-two

of the letters

without using any one of them

more than once!!!

 

 

I do again want to thank everyone for all of your kind words.  Today I got up feeling so very low and just wanted to run away from all of this.  But, you just brighten my spirits and keep me fighting.  It's such hard work for me to write this, but I want it to be part of my therapy. 

 

The wordart will be words I've done right now in the past.  But, it forces me to continue to concentrate on finishing a goal.  That only helps me more.

 

Here is wordart for the day.

 



You can download this at:

http://www.4shared.com/zip/DJnVzjWa/Live_Laugh_Love.html

 

 

I love you all.

 

Hugs, Sue

 





Thank You

I will be coming back later this morning.

But .....

Thank you

 everyone

from

my heart

and

my brain

 

This morning when I first woke up, I was feeling so overwhelmed by it all.  To be greeted by my husband, John is always the best part of my morning

 

but ....

 

this morning I just wanted to tell him to shut up!!!  To stop asking me how I feel, to stop looking concerned, to stop his continous chatter.  Instead, what I did is just go back to bed.  And, feel sorry for myself. 

 

I just seemed to lay there .... not sleeping and fighting with my thoughts.  Part of me just wanted to scream, part of me wanted to cry, part of me just wondered will ... I get better, part of me is so angry and then there is a part of me saying ....

 

you can do this ....

 

So, I got up and went to the computer.  What I found was so many words of encouragment that I now feel strong again.  So even though I don't feel like working on getting better, I will fight that feeling of "let's just go quit".

 

I am going to go get my homework done for my second day right now.

 

THANK YOU ALL OF MY CHEERLEADERS.

 

I'll be back later today.

 

Hugs, Sue

ps  for anyone coming to my blog today ... please read my entry from June 23-24th.  It will explain
      everything.

Learning Time

I want to thank everyone that has already sent me a comment on yesterday's blog entry.  I can't tell you what it means to me to have sooooo many people that will be my CHEER LEADERS.  I am often amazed at how much we all care about each other and somehow I wish that our connection with each other could be passed to the whole world.

I have made so many friends during the past two years that I feel so humbled by all of your concerns and prayers.  And again, you have brought such a feeling of "I CAN DO ANYTHING" that all I can say is .... thank you from more then just my heart, but also from my brain.  To know, that all of you will be my right hand makes this just a little bit brighter.  Please don't get me wrong ... I feel like I see my world through new eyes and I am so grateful.

Now, first on with my challenge to anyone that wants to join me on this adventure of learning.  Yesterday evening my husband took us to the book store and bought me two new books to help me try to make my brain work for clearly.  I have decided I must be a student again.  I will spend whatever time it take for me to complete one puzzle from my "Banana-Grams" word challenge book and read and complete whatever assignment in my "Painless Reading Comprehension" book.

Here is a pictures of them:

 

 

I am challenging anyone that wants to go on this journey with me, too.

 

Go Bananas!!

 

Use all 21 tiles in this bunch to create a collection of connecting

and intersecting common words in the grid below.  The words can

be horizontal or vertical, reading left to right or top to bottom.

 

Letters are:

 

W-N-D-E-D-T-G-G-R-E-G-E-S-J-U-Y-S-Z-F-U-E 

 

Use a grid that looks like a crossword puzzle page (blank)

and make your own crossword.

 

This first homework assignment

took one hour for me!!!!!!!

 

Just to give anyone new to my blog,  I experienced a minor stroke, called an Ischemic stroke last Thursday right after attending my grandson, Tristan's baseball game.  We had just gotten in our car to go home and I experienced double vision in both of my eyes.  Luckily we were within fifteen minutes of St. Luke's hospital.  The MRI showed a blood clot on the left side of my brain stem going into my brain.  TPA protocol was given.  To see me, you can't see any effects of the stroke and I am so glad.  To look at me, I look exactly the same.  But, I have some right sided weakness in my arm/hand/leg.  As a left-hander, I am so, so lucky ... but I have to force myself to use my right hand.  It is just automatic for me to go to my stronger side.  BUT, I AM WORKING ON IT!!!

 

The only place I am really effected is in the area of my thought process.  I have to really concentrate on what I think and to express myself.  Right now my words come out very fragmented or they just come out wrong.  It's hard to be understood.  But, it isn't just the speech ... it remembering things.  Like something as simple as getting milk out of the frig and then PUTTING IT BACK!!!  I feel like the Absent Professor!!!!  It's like my mind is in overdrive or it's asleep.  

 

That is why I want to really force my brain to work.  My books are my daily homework assignments now.  This will be in addition to physical, speech and occupational therapy.  I want to exercise my brain too, each and every single day.  It's called practice, practice and more practice.

 

Now, to talk about my emotions ... how I feel because I want everyone to know from my own experiences. 

 

First of all  ... learn the signs and symptoms of a stroke.  I actually only experienced one of them and that was double vision.  The others are sudden weakness or numbness of face, arm or leg; sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding; sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes (for me the double vision was in both eyes); sudden trouble walking, dizziness or loss of balance or coordination and sudden, severe headache with no known cause.

 

I can't stress that enough!!!!

 

And, the next is should you have any of those symptoms do not hesitate to go straight to the emergency room.  I really, really believe that our actions not only kept me from having a worse stroke ... but, that I am possibly alive because of it.

 

And, lastly ... my thoughts.  Today I feel very determined.  I want to think, talk and feel like me sooner than later.  Even though it is hard to type this (I make so many mistakes) ... I want to do this.  It is important to me!!!  And, because of my scrapbook friends here ... I feel this strength today.  I know that it will be a roller-coaster for me, but I am willing to take the ride ... if you are.

 

      

 

And now my wordart for the day.  This one I have already done in the past, but I want to dedicate it not only to myself but to ALL MY WONDERFUL FRIENDS THAT COME TO VISIT:



You can download this at:

http://www.4shared.com/zip/jpYo0ow2/5-2.html

 

 

 

Thank you all so much again.  I love all you guys.

 

Hugs, Sue

Continued Absence

Hi everyone,

It is with sadness that I write this entry.  As everyone that has visited within the last couple of months knows, my mother has been very ill.

I had been flying and spending approximately two weeks monthly with her for quite some time and spending the remainder of the time here at home with my family.  My mother continues to have health problems, but is one strong lady.  Against the odds, she continues to kick here on earth.  For that I am very grateful.

However, on Wednesday, June 19th following watching one of my grandsons, Tristan's baseball games ... I experienced double vision and my husband, John took me to ER.  In the CT of the Brain, it was discovered I had a blood clot on the left side of my brain stem.  TPA treatment was done because I came in within that three hour window.  For those that might not be familiar with this, it is a clot busting treatment.  I have been very lucky.  I have mild weakness on my right side involving both my arm and leg.  Luckily I am able to walk, I just have to concentrate more.

I WANT TO INCLUDE SOME PHOTOS OF MY FLOWERS AND CARDS.  This is the first time in my life I have ever gotten flowers from my son, Drue.  The cards were made by two of his sons, Tristan and Elijah.  Tristan is four years old and Elijah is two years old.  Yesterday, Tristan asked me ... "why are you in the hospital?".  And, I said the doctor had to fix my head.  And, he said ... "but, Nana you don't have a booboo for me to kiss!!!""

I came home last night and I can't tell you how good it feels to be in the security and warmth of my own surroundings.  The major difficulty I am experiencing at this time, is with my thought process.  It takes me time to express myself and at times I feel very muffled and frustrated.  I find that I seem to be having trouble spelling (which is obvious here) or not getting my words right because I have to keep going back and having to correct.  Outside stimuli is really hard on me, too.  I am not able to drown out all the different sounds and noises around me ... so for now, quietness is wonderful.

There is no way for me to do my creating now of wordart.  But, if it's alright I would like to write my thoughts down.  It is a way for me to work on strengthening my thought process and hopefully very
soon feel normal again.  I need this to be a place I can just talk.  My husband is worried enough about me and I don't want to burden him.

As I said earlier, I am so grateful that I did not have a major stroke.  Yet, I feel very overwhelmed still.  So much has happened these past few months.  I will dwell on the positives.  I am still here to be with my husband and my children.  They are the only people I really want around me.  My need for them is so great!!!  My grandchildren are important too, but right now ... their noise just bothers me, yet I miss not being with them.  So many emotions, I feel like I am on a roller-coaster.  So, this is where I have turned.

Thank you for listening.

Hugs, Sue  (and now you know ... my real name is Ursula  (Ur - Sue - La)

Just an update

It has been so long since I posted and for that I do apologize.  I have found that I need to just take a bit of a temporary absence from this blog.

My mother continues to have worsening health issues, with another visit to the hospital.  I am definitely gaining airplane miles!!!!  Right now my priority needs to be her.  The skies between Iowa and Virginia are definitely being flown!!! 

When I have been home, I find that I just can't seem to really find the time that must be invested into my blog in the manner that is important to me.  I don't want to just rush and put anything on this blog because I have spent to much time developing it. 

I just want to be with my husband, children and grandchildren and their worlds.  All of my hobbies are at a temporary stoppage.  I just need the "normalcy" of my loved ones and every day life when I am home.  Please understand.

So, if you could please bare with this time I need to take with my mother.

Hugs, Sue