#166 - TL

When you are young and healthy you think you are invincible. It only takes a moment in time for your perspective to change. Healthy people take their health for granted. What seems mundane becomes monumental once you have a health problem. Today’s post is about a gentleman who is about the age of my dad. He has been coming to therapy at my office since I began working which was about 18 years ago. He comes once or twice a week faithfully. He comes in…not to get better…but to avoid getting worse. He had a stroke I guess around 19 years ago which left him paralyzed on one side of his body.


This is what he can do:

He can walk – but only for short distances with a cane, a brace, a foot that usually drags, large clunky orthopedic shoes, and about the pace of a 100 year old man

He can eat – but only after his food has been cut up for him in very small bites. This is an improvement that has happened in the last 3 years. Prior to this, all of the food and drink that he put in his mouth went into his lungs instead of his stomach. If he would have eaten like this often, it would have led to lung problems and then sickness and then death. To avoid this, he was fed liquid nutrition through a tube inserted into his stomach.

He can talk – but only those very close to him can understand him. I can understand about 60% of what he says, but he usually has to repeat himself about 3-4x for me to get it. Even the most basic conversation or request requires vast amounts of patience on his part. Sometimes his words are accompanied by involuntary drooling because he doesn’t have control of one side of his lips/tongue/mouth.

He gets up and gets dressed everyday – but needs help from his wife for all aspects of this, from his underwear, pants, shirt, socks, and shoes.

He can use the restroom normally – but again requires the assistance of his wife or one of his children to zip and unzip…lift and lower.


I see patients like him every day. People who have had health situations, but did not die and did not get better. They are left to live the rest of their lives with residual problems. Many give up. Some do not. I hope I never have to be in a situation like this, but if I did…I wonder how I would react. Would I give up? Would I have the patience to repeat myself to be understood? Would I resent my caregivers for all the things that they have to help me with?

Today is a beautiful day and I am healthy. I thank God for my health and the health of my family. I pray that I will always work to maintain my good health by eating right, exercising, and staying healthy. Only God knows what is in store for me, but I will do my part to maintain a healthy lifestyle. I use # 166 as a reminder of what I have to lose by neglecting my health. A reminder of what true love and commitment is. An appreciation for the little things that I sometimes take for granted.