This is a letter which SAGAS received through the e mail, and it is about an experience of a patient (Noel), who had a stroke. The story is interesting to read and here it is:
APHASIA
Can you imagine, how it feels to be unable to communicate with your family and
friends after suffering Stroke?
Around 250.000 people in the UK currently suffers from this condition, known as
"Aphasia"
Each year 10,000 people become aphasia in the UK.
Aphasia is the inability to communicate through the spoken language, including
the loss of reading and writing skills. Neurological disorders such as; trauma,
tumors, and strokes cause this impairment. As in many disorders, aphasia can
range from mild to severe. The symptoms can begin with speech delays and
progress to the loss of communication skills in all areas. Although, the
individual may display language impairments, this does not necessarily affect
other areas of their life skills. Comprehension remains unaffected.
Quick Facts:
Aphasia can
happen to anyone regardless of age, sex, race, education, and social status.
Aphasia can be temporary. It may only last a few hours or few days depending on
the extent of the injury and prompt medical intervention. More than half of
those who initially display symptoms of aphasia will recover.
Aphasia can not be prevented, because the location and extent of the
neurological damage determine the disorder.
At this time, medicine and drugs are not available to cure aphasia, however
there has been some success with speech therapy and surgery. Surgery has proven
to be successful in cases where pressure from a tumor or other injury can reduce
the swelling. Speech therapy is not a cure, but it will enable the patient to
utilize skills that have not been impacted by the brain trauma.
Global aphasia -- Is the severest form of aphasia. This diagnosis is made when
the individual is unable to produce recognizable words and has very little
understanding of the spoken language. It further affects the ability to read and
write. Global aphasia is typically seen after a stroke. Improvement with early
intervention is possible. Individuals with extensive brain damage will suffer
permanent impairment.
Broca's aphasia -- This form of aphasia limits the individuals ability to speak
with the exception of utterances and a very restricted vocabulary. It is
extremely difficult for the individual to form sounds. Despite the inability to
speak, the individual will not lose their understanding of language.
Mixed non-fluent aphasia -- This terminology is used to define individuals who
have who have inadequate and difficult speech. Although, this resembles severe
Broca's aphasia, there are comprehension limitations, leaving them with the
inability to read or write beyond an elementary age level.
Wernicke's aphasia -- Creates the inability to understand the meaning of spoken
words, although the individual maintains the ability to speak. Speech patterns
are not typical and they do possess difficulties in the area of finishing
thoughts and adding words that do not fit into the conversation. Reading and
writing are also impaired.
Anomic aphasia -- Individuals with this particular form of aphasia find it very
difficult to use words that they attempt to recall in conversations. This is
especially apparent in the area of nouns and verbs. Their speech may be fluent,
however the inability to converse in a flowing pace leaves them frustrated. They
do not have difficulties understanding speech and their reading and writing
skills are intact.
Other combinations of speech/understanding disorders exist. Various symptoms may
be present leaving the individual with symptomatic challenges that cannot be
placed into a specific diagnostic category. For example, reading may be the
primary deficit (alexia) or disorders that affect only reading and writing
(alexia and agraphia).
I hope in reading this, you'll find help and encouragement. If liked me, before
my stroke, you didn't know what Aphasia was. Now after the event, are trying to
come to terms, with a love one who now snuffer's with it.
I suffered my haemorrhage/ stroke/ aphasia in 04/JUNE/2000, I was admitted to
the North Manchester General Hospital at 8 o'clock on the Sunday morning, 8
hours later, given a scan and X-rays, and a long wait till the following morning
at 11 a clock, where the consultant said I could have some paracetamol, it was
the left hand side of the brain. In the resulting aftermath, I was left
paralysed all down my right-hand side, unable to communicate, read and write.
Talking, I couldn't remember how-to talk, I didn't even remember my name.
I was 50 years old, I didn't fit the parameters of a general stroke sufferer, my
consultant said I was just unlucky. Then he turned round to address his junior
doctors and said, the best thing for this patient would be repetition work. He
was talking about physio therapy, but I misunderstood his direction, and from
the next week, when I eventually got someone to understand what I wanted, A4
ring binder filled with paper and some pens, and the alphabet printed on the top
of the page.
I didn't know it was called the alphabet, I didn't know what the letters were
called, and I didn't care. But it was familiar and reassuring, in a world of
chaos and uncertainty you find yourself in. Because it wasn't a word, or a
sentence to understand you didn't half to think. I found it very therapeutic and
relaxing, just to copy over and over again
Then at two months, when I could manage it, to distinguish and remember what
certain words looked like, ie nurse, Doctor, breakfast, dinner, tea about 20
words in total, someone typed up a 24 hour clock, ie 12-10 12-20 12-30 and so
on. So with this simple method, I could keep a diary, ie Doctor mornng 11-00,
dinner 12-30 and so on. Lorna my wife, expected me to do this, to keep her
informed about my day on the ward. Thinking back am sure what I did in the first
few weeks and months, laid the foundation of my recovery.
And because I couldn't remember how-to speak, I thought maybe what about
singing, I had a Walkman cassette brought in for me.
With A B B A the 1970s group greatest-hits, familiar and a reassuring, and at
night I would fall asleep listing to them, and the little voice that attempted
to sing along was born.
Someone brought me in a cassette of names, the same name said very deliberate
spoken, with a pause in between, for about 20 times, then the next name, just
the immediate family, about 10 names in the total.
I'm not saying it's easy far from it, but I believe in doing this, I was giving
the devastated pathways, in my brain a fighting chance to begin firing again.
Now 18 months has elapsed, now I used a voice recognition software, to counter
the dyslexic qualities of the aphasia, to correspond all over the world.
Did you know, how tiring it is just to think and wonder, I was amazed. Where had
all my stamina and strength gone, years and years of strength, just gone, a new
born baby, had more strength than me. I'm telling you this, encase you
underestimate the traumatic effect of getting a stroke
To the family's and carers, who having found themselves in a position with an
aphasia relative, it's up to you, to bring a little peace and sanity back to
them. Be strong. Stronger, than you're ever been before in your life.
Talk to the person with aphasia as an adult and not as a child. Avoid talking down to the person.
During conversation, minimize or eliminate background noise (i.e., television, radio, other people) whenever possible.
Make sure you
have the person's attention before communicating.
Praise all attempts to speak; make speaking a pleasant experience and provide
stimulating conversation. Encourage and use all modes of communication (speech,
writing, drawing, yes/no responses, choices, gestures, eye contact, facial
expressions).
Give them time to talk and permit a reasonable amount of time to respond.
Accept all communication attempts (speech, gesture, writing, drawing) rather
than demanding speech. Downplay errors and avoid frequent
criticisms/corrections. Avoid insisting that each word be produced perfectly.
Keep your own communication simple, but adult. Simplify sentence structure and
reduce your own rate of speech. Keep your voice at a normal volume level and
emphasize key words.
Augment speech
with gesture and visual aids whenever possible. Repeat a statement when
necessary.
Encourage people with aphasia to be as independent as possible. Avoid being
overprotective or speaking for the person except when absolutely necessary. Ask
permission to do so.
Whenever
possible continue normal home activities (i.e., dinner with family, company,
going out). Do not shield people with aphasia from family or friends or ignore
them in a group conversation.
Rather, try to involve them in family decision-making as much as possible
keeping them informed of events but not burdening them with day to day details.
Noel.