Before my stroke I was working as a multicultural educator for the Family Community Support Services of Alberta. I had my stroke while I was teaching a self-esteem workshop and writing at the board when all of a sudden, I couldn’t write anymore and some of the students told me I was slurring my words. When the workshop finished, I took a train to the University of Alberta Hospital.

At the hospital, the doctor told me I had a stroke and that it was a life-changing event. I was in the hospital for five months and then referred to the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, where I spent a year as an outpatient before being referred to the Brain Care Centre. Once a patient gets discharged from the hospital, they’re not fully recovered and when I arrived at the Brain Care Centre, I was still struggling, and my writing was very limited. And I was so exhausted — I could concentrate for maybe 15 minutes and then I would start yawning. I could barely look at movies or television shows.

I started taking different courses through the Brain Care Centre and I joined the reading group – now I can read for half an hour before I get tired. After my stroke, I dealt with a lot of anxiety and they’ve helped with that too, teaching me about how to breathe and learn Tai Chi. What I really appreciate is the one-on-one support, especially for things like having to talk to the insurance company about my long-term disability. On my own I get so flustered, but my Service Coordinator will sit in on the call with me and help me answer the questions. The biggest thing for me is that my Occupational Therapist, Connie, has worked with me on my writing and it’s gotten so much better that now I volunteer with the Brain Care Centre writing thank you notes to donors. It’s amazing to me that I can do that.

I never imagined that a stroke would happen to me or that I would need these services. I never imagined a time that I wouldn’t be able to do things on my own. No one ever thinks it will be them, until it is. We are so lucky to have the Brain Care Centre here in our city and I’m so grateful for what they’ve done for me.