Laughing through Recovery

(Originally published 04/23/2008

Yeah, suffering a stroke is a bummer but some things happened that I can't help but laugh about. I think that my ability to laugh and joke in the face of adversity has been a huge factor in getting through the challenges I've faced. Writer Norman Cousins wrote about his experience with laughter in helping him recover from a serious illness in 1979's Anatomy of an Illness As Perceived by the Patient. I read this piece in a magazine about a year after my stroke and promptly dismissed all the people who wanted me to take my condition far too seriously to suit me.

I think that everyone thought I was at death's doorstep except me and my dear Dr. Wilkins. Drama isn't me -- slapstick is! Even gallows humor is better than no humor at all! Here are a few funny things (I thought) that happened on the rocky road to recovery and a challenge for y'all!

* While I was in the hospital I was on a lo-fat, lo-cholesterol, no salt diet. Nothing tasted good. I argued with the dietitian more than once that there HAD to be a way to have flavor when they berated me for not eating enough. They wouldn't even let me have real coffee and let me tell you that this gal loves her coffee. One day I happened to be in my room when the Grey Ladies came by with their cart with all manner of goodies. My husband had left me a few dollars and I spied potato chips and began salivating as I told the nice lady I'd like a bag of chips and a candy bar. Her co-worker said, "I'll go check and see if she's allowed to have them." I said sadly, "Save your energy -- I'm on no salt diet." They chuckled and teased me about cheating so I bought a magazine instead. Not a good substitute and it bugged me that no one would let me cheat! LOL

* One day after I'd been in the hospital a while and an orderly was wheeling me to therapy, we came off the elevator and I spied my dear, dear ob-gyn, Dr. B., in his surgical greens and said hello. The following conversation ensued:

Dr B.: "What the hell are you doing here?"
Kay: "I had a stroke. I'm on my way to physical therapy."
Dr B.: "Good Lord! Where the hell are you?"
Kay: "I'm sitting in this damn wheelchair."
Dr. B: "No, silly! I meant, where's your room?" Kay: "Four Main."
Dr. B: "I'll be up in the morning -- I gotta go deliver a baby."

I laughed. He was true to his word and walked in my room the next morning and announced that he read my chart and that I was progressing nicely and reminded me to make sure I came in for my regular checkups. My roomie, who kept marveling at how good-looking all my doctors were, said, "Hell, Kay!!! Even your old doctor is handsome!"

* A nurse told me that Dr. Wilkins, my family doctor, always did his rounds after the patients' breakfast trays were cleared away because he couldn't stand to look at the food they fed us. I had a good time ragging him about that. His hobby was gourmet cooking.

* Neurologists have no sense of humor. Mine didn't even crack a grin when I told him my roommate thought he looked like Jody (Billy Crystal) on "Soap". He really did and still does.

* Stroke patients sometimes are guilty of strange behavior -- usually out of frustration from the huge changes they've had to endure. Probably the weirdest thing I did was that after I'd been home a while, one evening after supper my husband walked into the kitchen where I was tossing saucers into the sink and intently watching them break. He grabbed my hand and asked, "What are you doing?" I answered, "I don't know." and we both started laughing like crazy people.

* One morning I was at the breakfast table with my kids and giggled as I realized that they were dribbling oatmeal on their chins and so was I. Fortunately. all of us outgrew that.

* The hardest part of recovery for me was learning to be right-handed and doing things with one hand. Here's a list for y'all to try.

1. Tying your sneakers. (Velcro was not an option -- recall my take on ugly shoes,)
2. Putting on a coat.
3. Putting on a bra. (you guys can skip this one unless there's something you haven't told me) 4. Threading a needle.
5. Pantyhose (see the note on #3, fellas)
6. Jewelry
7. Diapering a little one (Kate wasn't quite done with potty training. Disposables worked best.)
8. Anything with a zipper in the back.
9. Medicine bottles.
10. Cooking

The good news is that all can be accomplished but require adjustments, dedication, patience, and plain old stubbornness. I tend to be short on patience but long on stubbornness so I had to work on the former as well to attain a semblance of normalcy in my daily routines. Next week (God willing with my current schedule) I'll be back with some the truly great things I experienced as a result of this adventure.

Happy Blogging!!!!!!!!

Kay