PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL (THE PLAYERS Community Senior Center, Council on Aging of St. Johns County (COA), Tuesday, September 18, 2018, 11:00 AM to noon. I presented “Aphasia, What it takes to regain your language from a stroke” to about 50+ people. I had presented to the same group in March 2018.
Much of my talk was about habit. I pointed out that habit is a powerful tool that many people use in life, among other things, to save effort and resources that aren’t necessarily needed for other, more important goals. As we discussed habit, I asked and they answered (usually while laughing!) that most of people in the room were seating at the same tables and the same chairs as the last time (and the time before that). Habit is an interesting thing. The group asked if I could speak again next year after my fourth book was published and I agreed! The group had lots of very good questions about stroke, tPA, TIA, the five rules of aphasia recovery (Motivation, practice, practice, practice, practice), and feelings of depression and anger.
I was also happy that a classmate of mine (Bob Brathune, USNA 73) attending my presentation today as well. Bob also had many questions about the timing of recovery, awareness of deficits and the gradual improvement of aphasia (and the different modalities of reading, writing and speaking) at a time when it felt that it was more spontaneous than it appeared. There wasn’t time to talk about the four horses (Chapter 13, Dark Horse: How Awareness Won the Race of Recovery, Vol III) but Bob asked a pertinent point about it. Thank you Bob!