My Stroke… the Remaking of Me.
An interesting headline for me to mark what will be the sixth anniversary of my discharge from Bankstown Hospital on 11 August 2016 following a 4 month stay after I sustained a Left Lacunar Stroke.
Okay, you forwards give the ball to the backs and gather in close and pay attention
As you may be aware Thrill Seekers and Fellow Time Travellers, I have marked the anniversary of both my arrival and departure from Bankstown with an epistle to mark what has become a life changing episode.
This year my message will have a slightly different theme.
Yes, I will review what I consider have been the highlights of the last 12 months; yes, I will continue to express my perpetual gratitude to the people who have been with me on my Odyssey; people who helped me repair the damaged parts and the special friends who have bolstered my spirits on my journey.
A diverse crew of clinicians, family, friends, long lost workmates and 2 special gentlemen in Melbourne
My theme this year is focused on the person I have become and how what happened six years ago has resulted in the person I am today.
My stroke Is now part of my DNA- both in a physical, mental, and spiritual sense.
It does not define me, yet in some ways it does.
Since that fateful April evening I have come to realise that if I were going to inhabit this Terra Firma I would have to make substantive changes to my life and lifestyle.
Aspects like my diet- which was described by my best mate [a GP] as an exercise in personal abuse, my smoking, my total lack of exercise and my addition to a workaholic’s lifestyle.
These have all been eradicated from my life
I have now adopted a rigid regime of exercise, which I have documented on several occasions in my blogs.
People who see me regularly have told me that I am much more relaxed, more tolerant, and less aggressive in my dealings.
Unfortunately, Thrill Seekers and Fellow Time Travellers the Pre-Stroke corporate Brian was not a nice person. What mattered to me in those days was- Getting the done, whatever the cost.
Achieving those KPI’s \{Key Performance Indicators\} was a key motivator for me.
It was in the Rehab Gym that I discovered/rediscovered the importance of being part of a team.
So, as I sit here in my office with a Bach Cello Concerto playing softly, I am in awe of the journey that I have experienced over the past 6 years.
To the message at hand
Six years on, I feel that I have achieved much.
I have improved, out of sight, in terms of my physical capabilities. My walking, my stepping exercises. This progress would not have happened without the strength of a group of people, who have my undying gratitude.
I have to mention Laura King, Fin Low and Simone Dorsch- they are special!
The others know who they are. I don't want to embarrass them by missing someone's name, but to them I will always be in their debt.
As I move forward, in the years ahead I want more of the same.
And I will continue to \{ the best of my ability\} strive to achieve these goals.
To everyone who has given me so much a genuine Thank you.
As Cicero stated-
Gratitude is not only the greatest of all virtues,
but the parent of all the others.
Keep moving towards Enlightenment….For that is where the answers lie
Brian A Beh
A Stroke Survivor.