One month after my sneeze-fall, I am back to cooking a meal now and again. Cathy and I made breakfast last Saturday, bacon, potatoes, and eggs over-easy. Now I have another brace, this one is to support my knee. The MRI’s show three tears in my bad knee (because of my fall), not enough damage for surgery. I’m not back to where I was but it is not as bad as it could have been. Now if I feel a sneeze coming on, I will hold on for dear life until it passes. This is how Cathy remembers that episode; “Tom was standing in the kitchen, at the sink, when he sneezed very hard. His cane hand flew up, his bad leg jerked til his foot was caught behind his other ankle, he lost his balance, I tried to catch him and we both went down!” We both learned something that day. Me to hold onto something and Cathy to let go.
After 12 days being wheelchair bound before the brace, my brother-in-law, Neil, and his friend, Leon, came over and took the door off of the bedroom and enlarged the doorway so that I can now get any size wheelchair, even my motorized wheelchair, into the room if I ever need to again. Another friend came over and with his son put down a slab of cement so that I can get to my garden again.
We’ve still got unpacked boxes in the enclosed porch, but it’s looking more like home every day. Cathy is still working diligently, but her autoimmune disease limits how long she can work on a task and, of course, I am no help at all. There is no guide book on how to recover from a stroke but if I were to write one, one concession would be, don’t make any permanent plans for about a year or year and a half after the stroke. I don’t think there is anybody that can imagine the changes in your life that happen after a stroke. Our little home in Union City is the best place for us at this time. If we had known that, when we moved to Cambria into an Independent Living facility, I don’t think we would have moved out of our home so completely. We wasted a lot of money moving our stuff out of Union City and now moving it back again. We had to move into the Independent Living for a while, but we missed being in control of our schedules ie mealtimes. One thing I’ve learned about health is, nothing is permanent when you’re recovering from a stroke. Where you were before, might be where you want to be when you recover.
We miss the beach at Cambria but it’s good to be back home again and close to Cathy’s sister and brother-in-law. We no longer have to drive 40-60 minutes, one way, to get to every medical appointment; doctors, lab, imaging, hospital, my 3 therapies. We generally go 4-5 times Monday-Friday so being closer makes life easier.
It’s also nice to have my own bed again. The easy chair wasn’t uncomfortable, but my hospital bed is a lot better. Because we have Medicare and the best supplement, the cost of the bed was covered in full. Thank God for Medicare, what some people call an “Entitlement”. They want people to think we didn’t pay for it. But I remember it being taken out of my paycheck every week since I was 15 working as a box boy at Vons numbered 19 in Pacoima, California. Politicians want us to think we’ are getting something we didn’t pay for. And they want us to think that if they call them entitlements, we will forget that we paid for them. They don’t pay for health insurance or retirement benefits when they get done with their terms as Congressmen and House Representatives. Do they really think we are stupid?
Tom Patterson – Photographer – Writer – and Seeker 
I still love your writing Tom. I think it’s time to write your first novel…no kidding!
All the best to you o’l friend, Michael
Thank you Michael I consider that to the high praise from a pro like you. Actually I’m thinking about memoir including my stories before the stroke and how I’m dealing with it I think it might be salable. Of course it takes me forever having to talk it out on Dragon.
The answer to your last question is, yes. I also marvel at the wonderful care I receive through Medicare and I’m so glad to hear you do too. I am seven years into having a stroke and can relate to most of what you say. Glad to hear all your news. -Jan
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Thank you Jan it’s always good to hear from you we will call you the next time we’re in your neighborhood.
Love reading your updates, Tom. You are a true warrior and a kind and loving soul. BTW, were you in one of my brothers class? Sorry that I don’t know/remember.
I was Dorian’s classmate