Naming this blog

Gabe wanted me to name this blog Mortal Kombat: I Beat my Stroke to Death.  Yea, not so much.  Thanks, though.

I love saying “shit happens” to describe what happened to me, so I think “stroke happens” fits.  Also, I wanted to convey that if a stroke does happen to you or a loved one, it’s not the end of a productive life.  I’m really writing this blog to tell other victims not to give up.  What happened to me sucks.  It was really bad, and the road to recovery is long and hard.  But I’m doing it, and I am recovering.  Others who experienced what I did should too.  If you have a good prognosis, there is no reason at all to not get back to a normal life.

I don’t think I’m at peace; a lot of people ask me, and no I’m not.  I am at peace with what happened, because there’s nothing I can do to change it. Stroke happens. But I won’t be really happy until I’m back to doing what I used to do, and I have what I used to have.  People, including doctors, tell me how amazing my recovery has been, and I know it’s partly because of how quickly I am recovering.  But I know the rest is because other people my age who experience a stroke are more likely to give up.  I urge you not to.  You know the saying “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade?”  I hate that saying; it’s so cliché.  Life is hard enough without things like strokes.  Well life gave me quite a lemon.  I don’t think I’m making lemonade, but I’m trying so hard not to give up. 

Everyone is amazed at me, and I don’t really understand why.  I hear what they say and I know they think as such because I kept moving despite what happened.  But I don’t know what else to do, really.  What am I going to do? Just stay inside?  Not go back to work? Not do what I love to do? I just have to keep swimming, like Dory said.

A girl I met said my quick recovery is mostly mental; I have two choices: sit at home and mope, or just move on.  I have to agree with her.  I urge everyone to learn from what happens to them, take the appropriate lessons, and move on.  You can’t change the past, but your future is up to you; you can make anything happen.