26

Years ago when my grandmother passed away surrounded by her family, my aunt was very insistent that we take her wedding ring off her finger before her body was removed from the house. My aunt told us all that she’d heard that funeral homes were notorious for “losing” expensive pieces of jewelry and she was nervous that my grandmother’s gold and diamond band would prove too tempting and would get “lost” in someone’s pocket. It felt like a callous concern at the time since we’d all just watched

February

2018

24

I encountered a bit of an identity crises when I was discharged from the hospital, which I imagine isn’t unusual for stroke survivors. My neurologist kicked it into high gear when she handed me paperwork to take to the DMV to pick up a handicapped placard for my car. It wasn’t the first thing on my mind while I waited to leave the hospital, but she presented it as though it was some bonus parting gift. “You can’t walk and you can hardly talk, but oooh look! Rock star parking!” So as we’re

February

2018

22

If you put your mind to it, you can really find a silver lining in just about any situation - even stroke recovery, says Stromie Sarah Conaway.

February

2018

21

I force the needle into my bruised belly and give myself a shot every night around dinner time. It’s not like it’s a big deal. I’ve been giving myself blood thinning shots for two years. Yes, it hurts. Sometimes it sucks. But we hope it’s keeping me alive. The truth is that we don’t really know for sure. It’s just the best option we have for my rare clotting disorder. There are several new oral blood thinners on the market, however they have not been tested on my rare clotting disorder. Did I

February

2018

20

In nearly all cases, humor helps.   When my family was told that I would not survive the life flight to NE Medicine, my Mother insisted that my family have the opportunity to see me and say goodbye while I still had 5% heart life.  Though the doctor was reluctant, family was allowed to go into my room two at a time, for no more than 30 seconds.  When my daughter Alexis came out of my room, she said, "Grandma, I saw an angel by Mom and she told me it will be okay."  I've heard that I was nearly

February

2018