Twenty-one years ago....

.....on this date, October 26th, 1993, yrs trly had a stroke.
I recovered fairly well; I can pass for never having had a stroke.
But there are small detriments.
My speech is slightly compromised. It isn’t generated by my original speech-center, which was killed.
It’s being done by some other part of my brain, which wasn’t designed for speech.
People tell me I sound fine, but my brothers hear the difference.
Slight hesitation getting the words out, and occasional lock-ups.
As such I don’t like making telephone-calls. I stumble through them.
Sometimes I have to warn the person I’m calling I may lock up, or need them to repeat what they said.
“Whoa, dude! Yer talkin’ to a stroke-survivor. You talk at the speed of light and I can’t follow.”
I find most people can deal with this, but occasionally I get people who are intolerant. Often they are REPUBLICANS, but not always.
And of course I get plenty of people who insist I’m fine — who have no idea what a stroke-effect is.
I also have compromised balance. It’s not bad, but I do balance-training at the YMCA. Which makes a difference.
My finger manipulation is no longer what it was. I no longer play piano; and am sloppy at this computer keyboard. Spellcheck is mostly flagging mistypes.
I also can’t hold a tune. People get mad I can’t sing with them.
I also have increased tendency to cry. It’s called “lability.”
It was much worse at first — now I have it more-or-less under control.
I also can’t concentrate, like to read a book. I can concentrate well enough to drive or ride motorcycle — you don’t tell a Hughes I can’t do those things. But with a book or magazine my mind starts wandering, no matter how interesting it is.
And I let others drive for me if I can. Otherwise I can’t really push.
I let my brother drive in Altoona chasing trains. If it was me we might miss beating a train to a location.
Reading this blog people insist my communication is fine.
But that’s writing, not speech.
My wife used to make telephone-calls for me, but now she’s gone.
So I make them myself, although they get put off.
I use e-mail if I can, since that seems to work better.
“Just call ‘em up!” people tell me,
Uh yeah, easier said than done.
So here I am, a stroke-survivor, not in a nursing-home, living alone on my own since my wife died.
I know people who’ve had strokes in much worse shape than me, semi-paralyzed, or paralyzed, or severely compromised speech or none at all.
Everything works; nothing is paralyzed or even limp. My speech is slightly compromised but I can pass for someone who never had a stroke.
The other day I met a guy who had some sort of brain-injury similar to a stroke.
He seemed okay, but I could tell.
He also noted he doesn’t like making telephone-calls.
But he can drive, which I think is great, because he was really clobbered.
I used to say my stroke was like being hit by a Peterbilt.
But that was 21 long years ago.

• My beloved wife of over 44 years died of cancer two-and-half years ago. I miss her dearly.
• “Hughes” (“huze”) is me, Bob Hughes, BobbaLew.