“Hey Nikki, why did you start a young stroke survivors group?”
Not too long ago, a friend asked me about this group I started. She wanted to know what my motivation was behind starting a support group for “young” people affected by stroke. I thought the answer to this would be simple, but it turned into a lengthy story. If you know me at all, this isn’t a really big surprise :). After talking with her, I thought I’d share it here in my blog, in case it ever reaches another person impacted by a stroke, or a caregiver of a stroke victim, to help provide hope and maybe even find us to join our community of support.
In my practice, I see a lot of stroke survivors and it fills my professional heart with such hope and reward. I love helping these patients return to things they once did and maybe even loved, like:
making a phone call (speaking, reading the numbers)
eating out at a restaurant and placing their own order (reading words from the menu & speaking)
paying their bill (reading, math & problem solving)
drive their own cars (reading the signs & multi-tasking)
playing cards with friends (following directions & using alternating/divided attention)
…you can see how the list could go on and on. We practice with the idea of supporting return to daily activities as soon as possible. One thing I found was that for younger people impacted by stroke (think of “young” as those BEFORE typical retirement age), some of their deficits brought about such social isolation, because MOST of them were still previously more active and engaged in some of the activities above (especially, work). As we get older, a lot of seniors start to slow down their daily pace (become retired). This is not to say that seniors do not experience isolation, but there are alot of support groups around for older individuals. Some of my younger patients had tried joining and finding a circle, but it wasn’t the right fit, as many of them were talking about challenges they couldn’t relate to. My patients, well, if I’m being honest, my friends, needed more social support…a community where they could share and feel understood, seen, and accepted. I thought…why not make one? …and that is how “CLE Area Young Stroke Survivors” was born. There is also one special friend named Stephanie who was the driving force behind the group, even though she denies her strong influence (because she is one of the most inspiring and humble humans I’ve ever met).
Our group meets on the 3rd Tuesday of each month. We switch to virtual visits when the weather is challenging, and try to plan some fun social outings & meetings for the other months. ANYONE can join our group if they feel “young”... we have yet to kick anyone out for their age :), but we do discuss topics relevant to the group: parenting, marriage, mental health, return to work, new occupations, disability, driving, finances, intimacy, etc. We have a private facebook group you can join if you want to connect with our community at: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1Ez4vE8kqZ/
You can also follow Buckeye Speech Path for more news and updates here: https://www.facebook.com/buckeyespeechpath
Please send an email to: nsizler@buckeyspeechpath,com if you would like to be added to our email list for upcoming events, workshops, and news!
Lastly, if you are a young survivor…just know we are proud of you, friends you may have never even met, for keeping up the good fight, working hard, and trying to take back control of your life! You’ve got a group of people in your corner, waiting to meet you and share their stories of inspiration and hope! We hope to see you sooner than later!
~Nikki~
Owner, Buckeye Speech Path, LLC
