This Stroke Week, by Shelley Christie
This week is F.A.S.T heroes’ week for stroke.
Heroes that can recognise the signs of stroke. My Husband is a F.A.S.T hero along with my 2 girls who ran to get help and for that they will always be my heroes. It's a long post I'm sorry but one I think important for anyone who has been through some form of trauma not just stroke.
A hero of stroke just doesn’t stop at recognising the signs it’s what happens after as well. Support is the key, if you support those who have survived you are a hero in my book. Don’t support just short term but long term, it’s a tough journey when you have a stroke or other tough journeys. The physical and mental journey you take is hard work whether you have recovered well or not, sometimes it’s what you can’t see that needs help the most.
So, if you want to be a hero after stroke for survivors here’s what you can do:
Be the friend and family that check in on a regular basis – Don’t be the ones that don’t.
Be the friends that ask how your husband, wife or partner is coping – Don’t abandon them it’s just as tough for them. Especially men don’t abandon your mate, it’s easy to do.
If the survivor is being tough and says yeah, I’m all good. Let them be, it’s a coping mechanism but keep in mind it can also be a front.
Be the friend who recognises that they haven’t heard from you in a while, sometimes that means something is wrong. We live in such a busy paced life these days and it’s easy to get self-indulged in your own world – easy to do – but to recognise when someone is hurting or struggling that’s a HERO. A simple how are you going? Is all it takes. Not that hard people, don’t be afraid to ask.
Parents of your kids’ friends talk to your children and get them to ask how their friend is – kids are affected just as much as the survivor. They need their friends to care, ask them for play dates it makes their day. Don’t be afraid too, just because you might be afraid or don’t want to bother the family. The family needs the kids to be happy.
Be the coffee ladies who ask how your recovery is going.
Be the teachers that support your children.
Be the colleagues who support your husband, wife or partner at work, it makes their day.
Be a stroke hero to those who are survivors the journey is long, just be there.
More importantly for the stroke survivors who are already heroes in my book. Be a hero to yourself.
Be kind to yourself, buy the flowers that you like if that makes you happy.
As your journey goes it’s OK to recognise who has been there and who hasn’t. It’s OK to walk away from those that haven’t – it doesn’t mean that they aren’t your friends it just means that you can recognise who will support you in the future.
Open yourself up to meeting new friends who ask how you are, sometimes they can be your friends for life.
It’s still OK to help others when you are going through so much, it’s called empathy and to have that is a wonderful quality – Don’t let anyone take that away from you.
Be in the moment and if it means you are happy, crying, angry and just generally pissed off do so.
If you are generally a good person and someone hasn't been nice to you or your family, it's OK to walk away from toxic people who haven't been there or nice to you. Not everybody deserves your kindness. Be kind to you.
Listen to your body not all the doctors and specialist know you internally, they are only going by what they see. If you feel something isn’t right and they are wrong tell them, they are only human like us.
Keep going, don’t give up and stay as strong you can and take one day at a time. Live in the moment. You have got this, and you have already survived – you are a HERO.
I have many heroes in my life, and I thank you for that with all my heart.
