On September 10th (or so) 2021, I had what is commonly called a stroke. It’s a medical emergency. The brain is time. I didn’t have that time. I had six TIAs and a stroke, and I awoke, and I carried on with life thanks to some fortunate occurrence of damage that it hadn’t been worse than it should have been. The stroke that clotted me was bilateral, went straight up both sides of the cerebellum and blocked much need blood and oxygen to the brain. It removed itself eventually, overnight. No help from the medical staff. Hurrah. I had two blocks that overnight, as I lay in a hospital bed cradling my cranium finally broke through like the Dam Busters, and let my brain activate again. What a flipping trauma. Now, here I am post stroke. Whichever way you’ve had it, stroke is unusual, despite millions having experienced it, but we are all fairly disparate when it comes to everyday living.
My brain is me, as I am me. I think therefore, I am.
But this is not half of it, it controls and manages a whole set of bodily functions that responds back to it.
I am at a point now in my recovery (one and half years) where serious questions about progress need to be made. A fellow stroke survivor who runs a podcast made the statement that recovery never ends. How do people feel about that? Do we address out goals accordingly?
So, I have written a letter in goodwill to our recovery journey …
Dear humanity,
I have had a stroke, and would like a room with intuitive temperature. I would like a bed and pillows as soft as feathers, but without the cartilage please. I would like a window that lets in fresh air, air that fills my lungs and makes me breathe easy. I would like a mattress that ebbs and flows to my tosses and turns.
I would like to wake when I feel ready, and if I wake and do not feel ready, I would like tot be able to turn back into sleep.
I would appreciate if you could turn down the sound of society. I can’t concentrate on all this noise. Please make sure that the rest of the world turns while I sit and ready myself for it.
I would like meals, beverages, and any other comestibles served directly. I would like to take these depending on my mood. If I am not hungry, I don’t wish to eat, and if I am craving some ravenous feast then please serve it at once.
I don’t follow instructions very well, so can I have tasks and duties put aside until I am ready to face them. I would appreciate of these are incremental and paced at my level of attention. Thank you.
I enjoy the company of others, but the triflings they go on about are not my own. Granted, I will pay them due respect but until I have the attention of myself, I cannot give in my full capacity.
I am anticipating that everything will be in reach, I cannot move by inches without predestining where something is and how I will manage it. If you could look after this obstacle, that would greatly be appreciated.
That’s enough for now.
Coffin cynnes,
Rupert 
I wake up, open my eyes, realise I’m not done yet and close them again. Sometimes it can be as late as midday before I know I’m done sleeping and can get up. Family have even come in and spoken to me, as though I’m wide awake, but I never remember. My daughter says it’s sleep paralysis, all I know is I don’t argue with it 