Stroke and Diabetes

In 1983 I began using insulin for my Type-2 -  DIABETES. In May of 1995 I had a severe stroke. Because of the stroke and the resulting aphasia, I am totally disabled. I have trouble reading and WRITING. Between Dragon Systems, Inc. , and WordPerfect I am almost able to communicate in writing! I have always enjoyed and used photography. I hope my "pages" are both enjoyable and information.

I am totally disabled! Aphasia, stroke and diabetes make you depressed.  I hope I get use to the idea soon! (It's been more than five years!)

Margaret, my wife, respond about a man who's wife just had a stoke: "When Lou had his stroke I had no idea what to do or what to expect. One of the biggest things was getting therapy as early a possible. The earlier your wife begins to relearn what she has lost the better she will be. Lou could not speak of anything coherently for the first couple days. He thought he was telling us what he wanted or needed but he did not make any sense. It was slow but he did make progress. He made a lot of  progress at the beginning, and slower progress as the weeks and months progressed. The hardest thing for me was to be patient and try to figure out what he was trying to talk about.

Often he could tell me all kinds of non essential things about the person he wanted to tell about but not the name of the person. Different stroke victims react differently to stress and pain. You have to remember how frustrating it has to be to try to communicate and not be able to get your thoughts across to the other person.

Take care of yourself and get rest and eat right. You are the anchor your wife has to cling to. Be sure you have a lot of help when your wife comes home. They need a lot of care and it is like taking care of a stranger at first. It seems that the hospital sends these people home with a minimum of instruction as to their care or what you can expect. Talk to the social worker and any nurse who will help you.
 

Your site must certainly have helped many people, and shown them that life is not necessarily over when confronted with a serious illness.... Pat

STROKE INFORMATION

• National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) is an agency of the U.S. Federal Government and a component of the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Public Health Service, is a lead agency for the Congressionally designated Decade of the Brain, and the leading supporter of biomedical research on disorders of the brain and nervous system.

 
• American Heart Association Stroke - The brain tells the rest of the body how to act and react. It's still a mystery to us in some ways. And vulnerable to stroke, the No. 3 killer of Americans and No. 1 cause of serious disability.

• National Stroke Association (NSA) is the only national voluntary health care organization focusing 100 percent of its resources and attention on stroke prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, research and support for stroke survivors and their families. NSA is dedicated to reducing the incidence and impact of stroke by changing the way stroke is viewed and treated.

 
• Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada is to further the study, prevention and reduction of disability and death from heart disease and stroke through research, education and the promotion of healthy lifestyles.

 
• STROKE - Cerebrovascular Accident - A teaching presentation on Stroke For families patients and rehabilitation team members

 
• Follow your Heart Stoke  Some people are more at risk for stroke. Do any of these apply to you? You are over the age of 65? You are in a family with a history of stroke? You are male? You are African American?  You are someone who has had a previous stroke?

 
• NATIONAL STROKE FOUNDATION  -  Melbourne, Australia

 
• Atrial fibrillation is an arrhythmia, or abnormal heart rhythm, that comes from the upper chambers of the heart. Atrial fibrillation can cause fast heart rates. (In 1983 I drove from Pittsburgh to Akron with no detectable heartbeat!)

 
• Heart Information Network - Heart Info is an independent, educational Web site that provides a wide range of information and services to heart patients and others interested in learning about lowering risk factors for heart disease. Founded by a heart patient and a physician who is a renowned expert on heart disease, the site is dedicated to empowering individuals and fostering a dialogue between individuals and their physicians.

 
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Welcome to the Stroke Information Directory! At SID, we are family members of stroke survivors hoping to help others find resources online.
 
• "Here is a view of a living brain as seen with MRI (magnetic [nuclear] resonance imaging). Can you find the corpus callosum? See the labeled drawing here for orientation.
• What about the splenium of the corpus callosum?"

How does a brain store a mind? Paul Pietsch, PhD, Professor Emeritus
• Looking for Zoey  Zoey is "...a remarkable reader.

("Zoë is a friend who we communicate with out long writing.  We send email cards and small messages.}
• Welcome to Health-Helper There is a way!^TM Brain Injury, Concussion, and Stroke Resources - Dr. Diane Roberts Stoler, Ed.D. is a health psychologist...  for 25 years, Dr. Stoler has worked with hundreds of individuals and families dealing with chronic illness and pain management. She personally has overcome an acquired and a traumatic brain injury. Other Health Resources and Hyperlinks
heartdisease
 
• What is Aphasia?  Fluent aphasia is usually characterized by a normal rate of speech without the pauses and hesitations typical of nonfluent aphasia. People with fluent aphasia do not ordinarily have weakness of the right arm and leg. Although the person with fluent aphasia may speak in full sentences, there is sometimes an obvious reduction in the ability to find a precise noun. The person may, therefore, tend to "talk around" a point, substitute a word that is similar (i.e. brother for sister) or use use a nonsense word. Generally, those with fluent aphasia have some difficulty in understanding speech.

More Stroke information below.

• American Diabetes Association - The American Diabetes Association is the nation's leading nonprofit health organization providing diabetes research, information and advocacy. Founded in 1940, it was reorganized in 1969 to increase its ability to serve the public. Today, staff and volunteers in more than 800 communities conduct programs in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

 
• Humulin - I use insulin for my Type-2 - DIABETES.

 
• Diabetic Retinopathy -  K. Bailey Freund, MD - Diabetic Retinopathy is the leading cause of new cases of legal blindness among working age Americans. It is caused by damage to the small blood vessels in the retina (the light sensing tissue in the back of the eye). Although the precise cause of this damage is unknown, it is believed that poorly controlled blood sugar levels are related to its progression.
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• Things the Diabetic Patient Can Do - If you have diabetes, your body does not use and store sugar properly. This problem can cause high blood glucose (sugar) levels, which create changes in veins, arteries and capillaries that carry blood throughout your body. These changes can affect your vision and damage the fragile blood vessels in your eyes. This damage can bring about changes in the retina. These changes are referred to as diabetic Retinopathy.

 
• - Diabetes

 
• Welcome to The Diabetes Research Institute & Foundation's Web Site!

 
• Ask NOAH About: Diabetes    NOAH seeks to provide high quality flutist health information for consumers that is accurate, timely, relevant and unbiased. NOAH currently supports English and Spanish.

 
• Rick Mendosa's Diabetes Directory - This is a directory of diabetes-related Web pages on this site and other Web pages written by me at the Web sites of the American Diabetes Association and elsewhere.

 
• Bob's Good Stuff Lists - Diabetes

100 "Links" with Information about Diabetes!

Stroke and Diabetes Store

The author, Alan L. Rubin, M. D.,  Diabetes for Dummies contains everything you need to know. DFD is written in a clear, concise form for the non-professional. It is filled with important information presented so that the reader can find exactly what he or she needs. It is presented with humor, not to trivialize the disease but to make learning more enjoyable.	The Johns Hopkins Guide to Diabetes : For Today and Tomorrow Written by a team of Johns Hopkins practitioners, this accessible guide addresses everything about diabetes that patients need to know for good control and good health. The book offers detailed discussions of managing the disease with blood glucose monitoring, diet, exercise, and medications.
After Stroke : Enhancing Quality of Life   by Wallace Sife (Editor), Brings together advice, practical survival techniques, information about resources, and personal stories of triumph by those who have experienced a stroke. Perspectives from friends, family, and stroke survivors, as well as professional therapists, show how to create a climate for healing and how to help the survivor attain the highest quality of life possible.	Recovering at Home After a Stroke : A Practical Guide for You and Your Family  by Florence Weiner, Mathew H. M. Lee, Harriet Bell, Howard A. Rusk.
Hand Recovery after Stroke, Exercises and Results Measurements by Johannes G. Smits, et al . A manual designed for occupational therapists to use with their stroke patients, or for stroke patients to use independently, providing a variety of hand exercises that will rebuild strength and dexterity.  Twenty-five exercises designed by a scientists who is a stroke survivor review the purpose of each exercise, give a brief description, and list needed items. Step-by-step instructions on performing the exercise follow, along with discussion. Johannes Smits is associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at Boston University; Smits-Boone is an artist and poet.Book News, Inc.®, Portland, OR	The First Year Type 2 Diabetes: An Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed by Gretchen Becker. If you read only one book after you are diagnosed with diabetes, make it The First Year--Type 2 Diabetes  Gretchen Becker was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 1996. Since then she has educated herself on every aspect of this chronic condition--by reading medical and scientific books and journals, talking with doctors, using the Internet to communicate daily with other people who have diabetes, and by listening to her own body. Now, as a "patient-expert," she guides all those newly diagnosed step-by-step through their first year with diabetes. In a unique format, The First Year--Type 2 Diabetes walks you through everything you need to learn and do each day of your first week after diagnosis, each subsequent week of the first month, and each subsequent month of The First Year.
The Family Guide to Surviving Stroke and Communication Disorders	Speechless: My Recovery from Stroke by Jennifer Gordonmk