A Brain Injury Awareness Project

When my husband had a stroke in 2015, everything

I thought I knew about strokes did not apply.

He didn’t have a headache, wasn’t visibly confused,

 could speak coherently, had no numbness, could smile,

lift his arms, and could walk without faltering. 

However, by the following day, he could not

 read, write, or communicate clearly.

 I didn’t know if he understood me or knew what had happened. 

Despite endless doctor visits, therapy, and reading every article

I could find, he was a puzzle I could not put together, and I felt helpless.

Months later, he wrote a poem. He had written poems before his

stroke, but this time, his words “revealed” that he knew who he was. 

His words inspired me.  If his poem could provide me with

insight and hope, maybe we could help others.