I just got back from my workout at the Challenge Center. That is the facility that only works with stroke survivors. I love the staff and the people who work out there. But there are a couple of “fresh” survivors and I am watching them learn to stand or walk or transfer better. They still have “stroke talk.” I used to refer to it as “thick tongue,” you know the feeling you get when you have a mouth full of Novocain and your tongue feels thick and you have trouble making words. You also get to experience some of drooling and having anything you drink run back out of your mouth and trouble swallowing what does get in there. Think of the folks for whom that doesn’t go away in a couple of hours.

I feel so guilty taking the coaches time and time on the machines when I am so much further along the road to recovery. I am by no means happy with where I am. I need to start listening to people that tell me I am so far along. The problem is that I am not where I want to be. I swear, if one more Doctor tells me that brain injuries as complex as mine take time I am going to pop them. I miss the old me so much.