Book Questions

Ok, you caught me. I haven't finished the book yet. These are the questions I have come up with so far. Please think about these as you read the book.

1. How was Ms. Bolte Taylor's stroke like you own?
2. How was it different?
3. How was your treatment/rehab different from Ms. Bolte Taylor's? Do you think the type of treatment she endorses would have worked for you? Why or why not?
4. Do you think this would be a good book for a recent stroke survivor or their family? Why or why not?
5. What did you learn from this book?
6. What would you like your healthcare/rehab professionals to know from this book? Do you think this is an appropriate book for healthcare workers?
7. Who did you feel was the intended audience of this book?
8. Summarize (or at least think about) the theory behind this book. How do you know? Do you feel this book is scientific/factual or intended as a memoir?
9. If you were to write a book about your experiences, what would you tell people? OR What would you want people to learn from your experience?
10. What would you like to read/watch next? (Movies are ok, too.)

Reflux

I attended a wonderful course this weekend. I won't bore you with the details (i.e., esophageal swallowing function, saliva production, etc.), but I would like to mention some facts on GERD and LPR.

GER or gastroesophageal reflux is when stomach acid and stomach contents move backward and into the esophagus. We all have that at some time, however, when it becomes regular it can become very damaging. This is then called gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD. It can even cause or exacerbate failure to thrive, anemia, apnea, pneumonia, and even cancer of the esophagus. LPR or laryngopharyngeal reflux is when the backflow of acid travels to the level of the throat (or above).

GERD can become silent, while you battle many of the symptoms wondering why you have such a hoarse voice or difficulty swallowing, etc. If you feel you have reflux, I urge you to contact your doctor. Left untreated, it can create many health problems. Treatment often involves making environmental changes (e.g., diet changes, looser clothing, eating at a different time, etc.) and medications (OTC or prescription).

Before this course, I had no idea how many things could be attributed to reflux symptoms. I was left to wonder if my daughter doesn't have reflux instead of or in addition to the asthma symptoms we've witnessed the last couple of months. Resources mentioned during the course included gastroatlas.com and heartburnalliance.org.

As always, this information is in no way intended to diagnose or point you to any one treatment. Please seek the advice of a medical professional before beginning any type of medication, medical treatment. (How's my lawyer-ese?)

How I met your mother makes blunder

Check out Sara's post on the poor wording of the cbs show How I Met Your Mother. If you want to contact CBS, I've sent a message to Sara and will post that contact info as soon as I get it.

Book of the Month

For our next regular meeting, our stroke group will be reading Jill Bolte Taylor's My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey. I have not read this book but have heard a lot about it. It should be interesting. It is available on amazon.com or from your local book store. We would love to have you join us. Our regular meeting will be November 6th, so I'll post discussion questions around that time.

NEW BLOG!

ok, I've been pondering this all weekend, and I've decided to go for it. This blog is for all those stroke support group members who choose to stay informed this way. I also welcome all the wonderful people I've met online who have either had a stroke or are a caregiver of someone who's had a stroke or just want to learn more about stroke. WELCOME AND PLEASE STOP BACK BY!!

Rachel
Facilitator of a stroke support group located in the hills of Arkansas
(I'm going to choose to keep the name of the town private.)