Stroke of Luck

Included here is a link to help you survivors and caregivers find the stroke group in your area. Eventually it will be a permanent link with the ones on the left of your screen. All you need to do is enter your zip code and the search radius in miles and it will tell you if there is one and where. Just click on this following link to get started: Find a Stroke Group in Your Area.

The following post is from the Stroke Network Newsletter.
http://www.strokenet.info/newsletter/2017/May.htm

Rachel had surgery for a brain aneurysm in 2011 when she was 33 years old. After surgery, she suffered strokes throughout the right hemisphere of her brain to include the frontal lobe, temporal lobe, and parietal lobe. Rachel is fully recovered and runs her own investigations and security company. She and her husband also own a public safety communications business and reside in Oklahoma City.
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Stroke of Luck
By Rachel Stolz

My husband and I own a business and we receive equipment on wooden pallets at least once weekly, sometimes more often. As a result, we have a stack of pallets that sit outside our warehouse until someone wanders by and asks if they can take them. I got to thinking that I could upcycle those pallets and plant a small vegetable garden at my home. It is something I’ve always wanted to do, but has always seemed so daunting.

Once I got the idea of using the pallets for my garden, I decided to go for it. It would not cost much to buy fertilized soil and some small vegetable plants. One sunny Saturday about a month ago, I took my mom and my niece to a local garden store where we proceeded to pick out a variety of vegetables. We ended up with bell pepper plants that would span the colors of the rainbow, cherry tomatoes, squash and strawberries.

That day we placed two of the large wooden pallets side by side along my wrought iron fence. This part of my yard is set up high with a retaining wall so any wild critters would be discouraged from rooting around in my little garden. We placed the soil in between the slats of the pallets and planted our veggies. We watered it down and called it a day. It felt good to get my hands a little dirty while enjoying the beautiful weather with my family.

I check on my plants a few times a week, weeding a bit here and there and making sure they are receiving the right about of water. Springtime in Oklahoma provides most of the water for me! At first, I only had a few small red strawberries popping up. I had to pick them and eat them so they wouldn’t rot on the vine. I have been anxiously waiting for another vegetable to grow, and this weekend I was pleasantly surprised... Four or five tiny baby bell peppers made their debut (Please see picture). To say I was excited is an understatement!

I couldn’t help but compare my stroke recovery to my fledging garden. With a little time and loving care from others, I began to blossom and grow into the person I am post stroke. What you see growing and flowering on top of the soil is just a small part of the garden. It’s underneath where everything is tangled, growing and fighting to survive, that all the hard and important work is done. Stay the course, and sooner rather than later, you will be enjoying the fruits of your labor.
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