I remember the day of my stroke

I remember the day of my stroke: it was a Saturday. My wife had left me a to-do list, and, uncharacteristically, I actually completed every item on that list. If I had to blame something, I blame the to-do list. That’s it for me, I tell my wife, no more to-do lists; the last time I did one I ended up in the hospital. I’m positive there’s a connection.
I remember waking up the morning after my stroke: I could move my right leg and my right arm, but my left would not obey. I was at St. Vincent’s hospital in Bridgeport CT, and I woke up terrified. I remember thinking: this is it? My left leg would move only by involuntary reaction; I had no control over it. How bizarre it was to lay there, a rational human being, willing my arm to move and having no reaction whatsoever. I remember saying to myself, the good news is, I’m alive. The bad news is, it’s not the life that I knew or that I would choose. But as my father would say, Christ didn’t want to die on a cross, either. The good news is, I’m alive. And if that’s what there is, then that is what there is. So this is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad. He has one wicked sense of humor—how else would you explain men, women, and the raising of children?
I am convinced that our Heavenly Father sits in His temple in Heaven, with one hand on His forehead, exclaiming: “What have I done?” For those of you that doubt this, think about the first time you ever made love. The good news is, the stroke affects the big head, not the little one; the bad news is, everything else has gone to hell. Yet I am grateful for the day! I am happy for the time to sit and talk with my children and my wife, to have time to think and pray… and I pray every day. I feel that I am lucky for the family and friends that I have. Truly blessed, is more accurate. ‘In sickness and in health’ has never had truer meaning for my wife than these circumstances. How fortunate I am that I had better taste in women than she had in men when I met her (more on that later, too).
To the caregivers and family of the stroke survivor: it is difficult to explain how cherished your efforts are, and how welcome is your support and love. It is one of the few things that allows the survivor to bear what is otherwise unbearable. Never doubt your value for one moment. I have been fortunate in that my sons Chris and Brian live home with me, and have, willingly, taken on part of the physical therapy responsibilities. My daughter in law Cole has been a God-send. And in deference to the truth that the fruit does not fall far from the tree, my son Chris has been as fortunate with his choice of a wife as I.