Some people know more about the workings of the human mind than others.
Unfortunately, some of those knowledgeable people are stroke survivors. At a recent weekly meeting the members of the Oceanside Stroke Recovery Society (OSRS) were treated to a further exceptional peek into just how people’s brains and bodies get them through the day — or sometimes don’t.
Ron Smith of Nanoose Bay suffered a serious stroke in November 2012. In time, with the help of medical staff and therapists, and with his own determination, hard work, and diligent, repetitive efforts and practise he recovered much of his former life.
Smith also wrote a book about his experience and about his own curiosity and extensive research and learning on the workings of the human brain.
The Defiant Mind, the book he wrote over the course of a year by laboriously typing with the index finger of his left hand, is the book he shared with the Oceanside Stroke Recovery members.
His attentive audience, many of whom had ‘been there, done that,’ along with their family members and caregivers were all ears for Smith’s presentation and his casual, often humorous style.
One point that Smith emphasized was people’s denial that they could actually be having a stroke. Time is of the essence in the successful treatment of strokes, just as it is in the event of a heart attack. Many survivors owe their recovery to the nagging and sensible actions of a spouse!
The Defiant Mind is a worthwhile read for anyone interested in the brain/body’s workings; it has its comical aspects too. Even in the midst of angst and despair there is hope and help for a return to the life you once led.
Smith’s book has been long-listed for the 2017 George Ryga Award for Social Awareness.The Defiant Mind is available at Qualicum Beach and Parksville Mulberry Bush Book Stores, online through Amazon or from the publisher, Ronsdale Press (3350 West 21st. Ave., Vancouver).
— Submitted by OSRS