I’m aware of it the other 11 months as well as June. I’m only too aware of it outside the US since I live in the United Kingdom.

I wish mine would go away, constant companion that it is.

All this effort I have spent on redoing my brain. Since my stroke and resulting aphasia, I’ve learned about my brain, what it does, what it can do, what it does with a good blood supply, what it does now that I interrupted that blood supply, what it might do if I could get stem cells injected in it, what it does with medications.

Before Stroke (BS) I had little interest in the organ on top of my head. I knew it would work for me. It would hurt occasionally if I mis-used it. I used it primarily for the creative arts – weaving words and pictures with an active imagination.

The closest I came to studying the brain before BS was the case of Billy Milligan. His was a case of the brain so mis-firing because of child abuse, that he developed 24 separate personalities and acquired foreign languages written and spoken, martial arts, weapons expertise, and even an artistic flair.

I covered his story and later worked with him (just the one Billy after they re-did his brain) on a screenwriting project. The last I heard of him they were still going to make a film of his life.

I have learned so much about the brain, even that there is a Human Brain Coloring Book, Now £6.99 (RRP: £9.99).

I think I’ll give myself a treat after I save up some money.

Stroke happened to me August 31, 2007, when I woke up to find my husband, Chuck, mute and paralyzed. He went to bed himself and woke up a different person, in effect. Although I didn’t realize it at the time, we had started out on a journey that would prove to be painful, arduous, and frustrating.

Along the way, I learned many things only after I really needed the information. My goal in this blog is to provide answers to questions that the reader hasn’t asked yet. I want other stroke survivors and their caretakers to avoid the obstacles I faced. I also want to offer support to those who are dealing with stroke and its aftermath, to show that happiness is possible even after the most dramatic losses imaginable.

I hope you will find this website informative, entertaining, and helpful. Thanks for reading.

Laura A. Garren

Self Portrait. By Chuck Linnell

I did a lot of reading about strokes since one landed uninvited on my doorstep.

My daughter T gave me a book for that first Christmas following my stroke: Stroke Survivor, A Personal Guide to Recovery, by Andy McCann, and there’s a tone in it that everything is wonderful. Oh, there are tough times, Andy says, but he barely mentions any.

(I stopped reading about halfway through for fear the additional sugar overload would affect my diabetes)

There is no writing about the destruction of ego when what has always been with you departs; no frustration as you try to re-grip the old reality; try to get some purchase on trying to grab the phantom that is your old way of life; no writing of the emptiness of soul as you contemplate life without speech and limited mobility. You cannot see a tunnel, much less a light at the end it.

No, everything is hunky-dory with “positive thinking” the way Andy sees stroke survival.

And because he’s a Chuck Norris kind of man – martial arts and all that.

Because he survived and made a business of survival by saying positive things to people for large sums of money.

Maybe that’s the way The Stroke Association sees things – in its own sphere around which its version of the world revolves, the centre of which is The Stroke Association. Sure there are inspirational stories, but you’ve got take the bad times with the good. It’s called objectivity. And, objectively, I can say there more bad times than good in the city of Stroke-ville.

Then, in reply to my outraged emails I got a shovel-full of “apologies” and “unreserved apologies at any distress it may have caused me.” There was even an invitation to contact their media person to see how I might contribute. I thought I had explained that. There’s even a comment to this blog saying they apologise for ignoring me and try contacting their new editor (she’s “keen to hear from you” – that’s why they gave me a generic email rather her personal account).

I certainly didn’t expect to get involved in a dispute with The Stroke Association when I had a stroke. I thought they would be on my side. Now they’ve “apologised“.

Still, I can’t forget the line:  “As you have not used our services and due to the demand, I regret we are not able to take your request further.”

I remember Kate Allatt, who came back from Locked-in Syndrome, re-telling of her feelings of total worthlessness, worthiness, helplessness, indignity, her complete reliance on family members and the guilt that consequently created, fear, the nightmares, the torments, the insomnia, the leg cramps and insufficient turning in her bed, the frustration… She could go on.

And so could I.

In fact, fellow stroke blogger Mindpop said it best:

“Mindpop has made me famous. This past weekend, I was invited to Salt Lake City to speak for the Utah Stroke Symposium, thanks to a Mindpop reader.

I told the doctor and therapist audience to be encouraging to their patients. I haven’t always had encouraging care. Watch out, heartless medical staff, your patients are speaking.”

Watch out too charities. Those affected have a voice.

The one exception I experienced occurred the night I finished reading The Da Vinci Code at the end of my stay in the rehab hospital. At that time, I could not stand or even walk on a walker.

In the dream, I joined many of the characters in the book as they walked down a starlit lane. All at once, I realized that I was walking next to the Virgin Mary. The minute I had this realization, she took my left elbow and said, "Come. Let's walk."

And, in the dream, we did.

Did I wake up able to walk? No. But at the time I was due to hit another plateau. After this dream, I skipped the plateau — where my improvement through therapy might falter or stop — a miracle to me for sure.

Then, last night I fell to sleep with an audiobook droning in the background: The New Testament, narrated by Buck Ford.

In the narration, Christ told his disciples over and over, "Suffer the little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me."

The audiobook lulled me to sleep and dropped me into a dream — I was a little child, and there was Jesus up on the side of a grassy slope. He seemed to see me at the same time I saw him. He stretched his arms out wide. I began to run toward him on little three-year-old legs that felt the joy of movement as they churned up the hill.

I woke up before I reached those out-stretched arms. The physical joy of the run still lingered in the muscle memory of my legs.

Did I jump out of bed and start running?

No. The dream itself was the gift of a miracle. I will cling fast to that muscle memory and carry it with me in the upcoming days.

Then . . . we will see what comes.

Catholic New Testament-Nab

The Da Vinci Code

Thank you Kay Wing, Swan Rehab; Mark Werner, Arise Prosthetics; and Jim Lynskey, ATSU; for joining in  the Kickstart journey.

In addition to being an enthusiastic user,  the Kickstart Queen is an investor and board member at Cadence Biomedical, Inc.,developers of Kickstart.

Rest assured, Mark is doing fine. He is progressing at physio therapy, eating well and maintaining his weight, and generally staying well. We never did find out why he had that last infection. These things tend to happen. Even this past week he had an elevated white blood cell count, but no obvious signs of infection anywhere. The wbc count is going down now and there isn’t a need for antibiotics. He will still see a hematologist soon for more extensive blood work.

We had very sad news in early March when we lost Mark’s mother, Peggy. It was very unexpected and we needed to take time with that. Mark was devastated, especially at not being able to attend his own mother’s funeral. This is something that he has not forgotten. She was a very loving mom, and came to see Mark every week, always bringing her homemade food especially for him. She is sorely missed.

Mark is showing definite signs that his left leg, the affected side, is recovering. He is now kicking a soccer ball with his left foot, while in his wheelchair, with his right leg restrained. This is really strengthening his leg and he is successfully kicking that ball! His left hand is getting stronger too. He is finally starting to move his thumb and he can control his wrist as well. The arm usually recovers after the leg and he is getting some movement in the arm now too.

His spirits are improving. This seemed to coincide with the beginning of baseball season. Mark is really enjoying watching the Blue Jays play right now. He is also loving being outside when the weather is nice. He’s starting to get a suntan! His memory is still not perfect, but he does make long term memories eventually. This week he told me, for the first time, that he knows why he is in the hospital. He said “I’ve become discombobulated”. Why? “Because I had a stroke.” His awareness is slowly improving, but there are times when he still thinks we’re in Israel. The way he sees it is, if we are in Toronto, why isn’t he at home? He starting to realize exactly how long he has been away from home now. It’s been nine months and it’s been very hard to live without him at home for such a long time. We’ve still got a long way to go, but we’ll get there. He is determined, as we all are.

at the Baycrest Passover Seder, April 5, 2012

It still just sticks in my mind like a bad dream, or toffee that gets stuck in your fillings.

“Unfortunately, not everyone can become a media volunteer because of the sheer volume people.”

All I asked for was a chance to contribute my talents to The Stroke Association – free! I wasn’t asking for pay or commission. I was just glad that my brain was functioning again (almost) although my hands were not. I wanted to contribute to the organisation that was set up to make people aware of strokes. Possibly I could contribute. If only they would talk to me.

Yet she said: “As you have not used our services.” But I had, and paid £2 for the service, and the editor came to us to ask what should be in their magazine.

She added: “due to the demand, I regret we are not able to take your request further.” Did she even read my email? Well, better yet, did she understand it?

She added: “Unfortunately, not everyone can become a media volunteer because of the sheer volume people.”

I didn’t ask to be a volunteer. I wanted to contribute.

Jo, a speech therapist who follows me, recognises something in my writing. She wrote: “Reading these blogs is the closest you can get to understanding aphasia from the inside.”

A former work colleague, Jane, who follows my writing said: “Strange how some charities find it hard to let service users in.”

Then, I found this unattributed quote:

“Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.”

Now I’ve got find a 150 watt bulb.

Forest of symbols

The forest of symbols,
The eye beguiled:
Tree of smoke

Through the language glass,
Everything you know
Lost in translation.

That’s worth keeping in my never-ending jar of unforgettables.

And to think Mrs Doubtfire tried to correct my aphasia

1)Left foot is down another size -from 8 to 7 to 6!
2) Gave up  starting my day with 2 Aleve or 2 Advil
3) Segway is  parked in the garage instead of riding around on my car.  Better gas mileage on my car.Yeah!

comparison video: https://cadencebio.box.com/s/282a97d8c28d50385fb8    faster-straighter-more stable

Next month’s goal: improve quality of walking

Added Long term goal: Get back my San Francisco Legs!

Special  Thanks to  Chie at Cadence for rescuing my video!

In addition to being a premier user of Kickstart, The Kickstart Queen is an investor and Board member at Cadence Biomedical,Inc.  (www.cadencebio.com)

After about a month or so, The Stroke Association returned my email. Joanna filled me in.

Zoe, the editor of the newsletter had left her job and they just realised I was trying to get in touch (I also sent email copies to  info  and  mediateam  which should have been picked up). But, what really made me angry; what was enough to send Ghandi to anger management was Joanna’s wording:

“Unfortunately, not everyone can become a media volunteer because of the sheer volume people. As you have not used our services and due to the demand, I regret we are not able to take your request further.”

Well that told me.

But I didn’t ask to be ‘a media volunteer.’ I was asked by one of their employees at the time, at a Stroke Association meeting, to suggest stories for the quarterly newsletter. I composed my email making a cogent, professional pitch that took me over an hour for typing and editing because of stroke-induced limitations.

Without knowing anything about me and what I have to offer, (reading my emails would have given them a clue which included among other things 45 years in journalism and public relations, EMMY™ award for television writing, professional photographer), I’m thrown on the local volunteer’s heap and told not to bother the ‘professionals’.

Well, I resent their unprofessional tone.

I got the names of the ‘professionals’, figured out their emails addresses, and sent them an obscenity-free (but strongly and emotional worded) email telling them that. I included some quotations from the National Aphasia Association bill of rights (it’s an American group, but the effects of stroke are global) explaining how I felt; that because my “difficulty communicating, people with aphasia may experience great isolation and frustration in their daily lives.”

Then I added The Stroke Association promise: “will help thousands of people affected by stroke to rebuild their lives… improve the quality of life of those who become disabled.” It’s on their website.

One other thing. As part of its service, The Stroke Association offers grants to help people get on with their lives. I had applied for a grant to get re-tested for driving, which involved Amoret and I meeting with a local woman and divulging all our financial shortcomings and was told she’d let us know the outcome in a couple of weeks. That was three months ago.

I’ve noticed there’s a pattern here with The Stroke Association – they ignore you.

That’s when I decided to write a blog. The inside story of what a stroke is really like. None of this sugar-coated stuff. Sure, I was glad to be alive, but it is frustrating what you have put up with.

“Writing is really cathartic. You have all this stuff rattling around in your brain and you need to put those thoughts down on paper, or the computer. Then you share them with the world and a community comments and says, ‘I’ve been thinking about that too’. Your thoughts create this larger audience of conversations.”

-Joanne Wilson

I saw this during the week and I forgot to write down where it came from. I’m sorry, I’m using it without attribution, but it perfectly illustrates my mind at this point in time. Comment to me and the glory is yours for such an image!

“No thought has much meaning until it is written or spoken” – Harry Reasoner, CBS & ABC News anchorman

Reasoner was one of my writing heroes (along with Charles Kuralt). Harry and I had a glass of wine or two together in the basement in the building of where ABC News was broadcast from New York City in the early 70’s. He wasn’t as erudite at this meeting as I remember; he was supposed to be talking me into working for ABC News. But this quote from some stage of his long career rang true: I could think all I wanted about this Stroke Association project that I had created in my mind, but until I wrote something it wouldn’t have real meaning. ‘Spoken for meaning’ was not an option due to the stroke erasing my brain-to-tongue function. I think they call it aphasia.

Which brings us to the situation at hand: still no word from The Stroke Association about them using my extensive media career to its advantage.

One research project is now out suggesting there is a good chance people who have had strokes also have resulting depression. “Researchers defined depression as among other things: loss of interest and pleasure in doing things; feelings of sadness, helplessness and hopelessness…”

Well, I have the interest, but I’m feeling helpless at not getting the attention of The Stroke Association and that is leading to hopelessness.

This is really getting me down.

Maybe I am past my sell-by date, over-the-hill, or, dare I mention it, disabled by the stroke.

I re-sent the emails. As Del Boy said: “You know it makes sense.”

In the morning, Jason and Alex from helped me put on the device.

Later on, John Shaffer  brought his perspective to the fit and gave me an orthotist’s view of the device. I have a better understanding of the movements I need to make to maximize the effectiveness of Kickstart .

I walked a lot today and as I am posting this, I have no pain!

Looking forward to tomorrow.

Thank you Jason, Alex & John!

I was lucky:

• The bleeding stopped on it’s own
• At the time 50% of people with cerebral aneurysms died.
• I had no pain
• I retained my long term memory
• I retained my short term memory
• I retained my speech
• I retained my cognitive abilities

Permanent Impairment:

• Weakness on my left side
• Lack of Dorsi-flexion resulting in foot drop.
• No fine motor ability in my left hand ( I was left-handed)
• Had to learn to walk again

On March 9, 2012, I was fitted for my own Kickstart device. (http://www.berkeprosthetics.com/)    By March 17,2012, I was walking like this: Kickstart Week 1-031712.wmv

Strokes can be caused by a clot( lack of oxygen to brain cells) or blood.  A head injury resulting in bleeding in the brain has the same effect. Please learn the warning signs of stroke:http://www.stroke.org/site/PageServer?pagename=WOMSYMP

It is imperative that you go to the emergency room immediately. Much damage is caused by subsequent swelling in the brain.

For more information on Kickstart, please visit Cadence  Biomedical http://cadencebiomedical.com

A Kickstart is a kinetic orthosis  that helps people with severe disabilities walk. Worn externally, the device provides stability and movement assistance to weakened muscles without the use of powered mechanisms.

Kickstart amplifies muscle strength, helping to propel the user forward while lifting the leg and foot in preparation for the next step. Not only does it improve walking, it also has the potential to enable many who would otherwise require wheelchairs to regain strength and coordination.

Who makes Kickstart? 

Cadence Biomedical, Inc, a Seattle based company.http://www.facebook.com/cadencebio

Why am I the Kickstart Queen?

As an early and enthsiastic adopter, I will be helping to introduce Kickstart at the 2012 AAOP meeting , March 21-24, http://academyannualmeeting.org/2012/

Video after a week:Kickstart Week 1-031712.wmv

Other Changes:

• reduced swelling
• sometimes both my feet are the same size!
• my right (normal side) hip no longer hurts

Many Thanks to:

The team at Cadence Biomedical, Inc., inventors of Kickstart http://www.facebook.com/cadencebio

Gary Berke  and Meghan Zachar of  Gary Berke  Orthotics & Prosthetics http://www.berkeprosthetics.com/ for  fitting my  Kickstart.

Still no word a week later from The Stroke Association magazine editor. So I’ll soldier on, starting with  setting up one of the interviews.

Let’s see, how do get in touch with an actor from EastEnders?

I used to work with a guy, in fact he’s called Guy Bailey when were at The Open University public relations. Before that he used to work at BBC press office. So, direct message on Twitter and a few hours later I have the name of the woman “who’s all thing EastEnders at the BBC press office” and her phone number.

(Since Guy is also a blogger and a damned good writer, there is a chance here for product placement: Blessay  From America. He is English, who married an American, the total opposite of what I did.)

From the BBC website I caught up with the “Jim Branning” story played by the actor John Bardon:

‘Before suffering with a stroke in 2007, Jim was a regular bar prop in the Vic and a keen gambler. You wouldn’t even trust him with your pint.

His fathering skills leave a lot to be desired too, as locking your young son in a coffin overnight wouldn’t exactly win Father of the Year! Although, falling in love with Dot and marrying her in 2002 has softened his heart.

He almost broke Dot’s heart in 2008 when he suffered a stroke. She feared that she wasn’t strong enough to look after him and wrestled with her feelings of guilt and frustration at her inability to stand by her man in his time of need. But love won out in the end. Jim may be away, but his visits are something to look forward to and he’s the man who keeps Dot standing when times are hard.’

I find myself thinking the thoughts of the production of the interview – thoughts I just took for granted before the stroke (maybe I should refer to my life before the stroke as BS?)

What will I ask him? Where would we do the interview? EastEnders set? (Oh, I’d love to do it there) He has aphasia, how will he respond? Maybe I should talk to the producer? Tape recorder of course; I can’t write very fast. Why feature a stroke victim? How’s Jim stroke affect others in the cast? I see The Stroke Association has a link on the BBC EastEnders website. I still get offended with that BBC phrase: ‘If you are affected by [anything] in the show call our helpline.’

If I call the helpline, could you reverse this stroke?

Pictures? Of course, I’ll bring my camera. I’ll find a person of similar age (non celebrity) and feature them along with the feature.  There’s an idea!

This is what happens to you when you are the last person to finish the Cowtown 5k:

1. You get to be the Grand Marshall of a parade!
I was followed for two hours within spitting distance and traveling at ONE MILE PER HOUR by the official Cowtown 5k tail car, which was followed by a FWPD squad car, which was followed by a truck full of guys who were picking up the traffic cones, which was followed by another squad car, which was followed by two other trucks doing who knows what.

2. You get a personal concert!
When I was on the last leg of the race, a woman ran up to the fence and started playing “Chariots of Fire” on bagpipes. She played it four times and then played “Appalachian Spring.” See video.

3. You get to be honked at and cheered for by the drivers in the traffic on University Blvd!
My brother pointed out that those may have been irritated honks because of the slow down, but as we neared my finish time of 2:45:27, listen, I was taking what I could get.

4. You get to have a dedicated team!
Thank you to my Aunt Lisa and my mother for walking the entire 5k with me and to my brother and sister-in-law for finishing their own 10k and then jogging over to walk the last mile and a half of the 5k with me.

5. You get to have a solo return to the finish line!
There were a handful of people left to cheer me in, a full hour after the last runner, and the announcer yelled into his microphone the second he saw me turn the corner, “We’re not going anywhere! We’re not moving! We’re here for you, you sexy lady!” He said this as I limped along with a walker.

6. You get to say you did it!
One man’s 5k is another man’s marathon.

And one man’s 5,102nd place is another man’s First.

Courtesy: New York Public Library

Now I felt I was ready. I could conjure up words, mostly. Occasionally I got stuck on remembering the odd word, or spelling, but this is when my crosswords habit came into play – I could think of a synonym for the lost word. My speech therapy resulted in me finally be able to write. I felt the creativity back in my blood. Welcome back. Put me in coach, I’m ready to play.

Now my client was The Stroke Association. The editor of the Stroke magazine Zoe Beer came to a local Stroke Association meeting and asked what we’d like to see in the pages. I’m sure she didn’t expect it but I would give her the full treatment, falling back on my reporter/photographer days, and public relations days and work up a whole media campaign.

It’s what I felt I needed after the stroke swept the foundation from my life. It would give me a purpose. It would give me a way back. I still could not speak properly, but I could write.

I thought what I could do. I cold interviews and write them up albeit slowly. I could take photographs (I wasn’t using my high-spec wedding photographers kit, another casualty of the stroke)

I thought that the celebrity factor would help them out. As much as I hate the whole celebrity culture (do we really care that Cheryl Cole visits poor people in Africa while the BBC films it for Comic Relief/Children In Need? She goes back to her 10-star hotel every night and puts up her 8 inch Jimmy Choos Safari Boots™) but they have a way of getting people’s attention; getting people to listen.

More than that some celebrities have had a stroke

 – the character Jim Branning in EastEnders (Dot’s husband) had a stroke in real life and it was made a part of the story.

The author, Jilly Cooper has done interviews about her TIA.

The singer Jesse J had a stroke at 18.

Now I’m from the old school. My initial thought is celebrities are not experts, so why would you ask them anything than the facile dross they are adept at, performance, luxury lifestlyes and fashion. But research shows they reach audiences. There’s this article by Weh Yeoh arguing for non-disabled people to front campaigns because they reach people.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead.

“We want to change the world, but we rarely talk about how best to do it. Courtesy of a recent study cited in New Scientist, here is one way in which we can better advocate for equal rights in disability – have more non-disabled people as the face of disability advocacy. This might come as a surprise to you and may even provoke reactions of defensiveness. How on earth could I be suggesting that it should be non-disabled people, rather than people with disabilities, as the visible advocates for equal rights? Primarily, it is because research suggests that it is the messenger who is crucial in creating change, perhaps even more so than the message itself. ” Full article

So I drafted an email to Zoe telling her what I thought I could do. Just to be safe I copied in the all-purpose address at The Stroke Association and sat back and waited.

I had some ideas that I thought could help.

Put me in coach.

Scratch all of that.

Day One is doing everything on a whim to get the little guy acclimated to having the constraint on his dominant arm and depending more on Righty.

What happened?

I put the sock on little man’s arm (to absorb sweat) and then put the cast on and wrapped the velcro over to secure, while he cried and bucked the entire time.  Wrapped an ace bandage overtop to ensure nothing would snag and cause any trip ups throughout the session.  He at that point sunk those beautiful baby teeth right into my forearm. Ouch!  He was pissed.  He then layed on the floor and cried and then sat up and cried and then I think even Mom and Dad were shedding tears.  This went on for 35 minutes.  Then he decided that it wasn’t so bad. Thanks to the good Lord!

I thought I had compiled a good list of things he would love into an Activity Box.  This Activity Box consists of all things he loves and goals that he can easily achieve.  From pouring/scooping beans to finding a favorite car hidden in the beans.  We also included scribbling and fun with stickers along with pulling fruit loops off a pipe cleaner.  Most of these he HATED in this first pass.

We had to move the iPad session to this time for instant gratification!  We are so blessed to have this option, we will be starting every day with this very acheivable goal. He did not love pulling fruit loops off the pipe cleaner because it was too hard to rotate his wrist and hold it to feed himself which is all he wanted to do with those fruit loops.  However, when we tried this activity later, it scored high on his list of activities and will be continued tomorrow.  We added in ripping tissue paper to crumble up and throw which was a success!

At 8am, we had a welcomed visitor, Miss Tara the OT, he was so delighted to see her and she immediately put a smile on his face!  He loved her tissue paper hat and enjoyed her laying it over him like a blanket.  His favorite activities at his point of the day included pulling Flubber (stretchy gel like substance) off of a car, rolling balls, pulling stickers and tossing tissue paper into the air.

We had the Birthday Party early to keep the good spirits going.  Today was Doggie’s 1st  Birthday!  We decorated with banners and tissue paper, all wore birthday hats and Owen made sure to put candles into the 1/2 inch sliced bananas for Doggie to enjoy.  He did a wonderful job grasping the candles, rotating his wrist and inserting into the bananas.  We all sang Happy Birthday to Doggie and then Owen helped him out by eating all the bananas.  He did a great first pass with assistance in grasping the bananas with his index finger and thumb and bringing the bananas to his mouth.  He also ate cheese chunks very well, definitely the easiest of items to navigate.

After the party, we pulled out a big bucket with water and had the best time putting balls into the water of all sizes along with chunky plastic jacks!  What a SUCCESS!!  He loved the water play and especially loved squishing the water balls over the large plastic ball to clean.

We did more sticker play and scribbing which were well received at this point.  Some resistance play with pulling the jacks apart.

During lunch, he had baked chicken chunks, sweet potatoe fries and sliced apples.  The chicken chunks he did well eating with some resistance at first but with assistance he was a happy eater!

After lunch, we went outside for fresh air and to walk around, went to the park and came home to finish up with some more iPad play which really delighted him and gave him more confidence with repeated use.

Removed the constraint and did some light two handed play and he went down for a nap.

Overall a successful day! 

Favorite Activities

To say this has been and continues to be an amazing journey for me is an understatement. But now as we begin the project of turning my journey into a film, it becomes a whole new adventure.

The past three years have been full of unbelievable highs and lows. As I now relate this period of my life to the preceding sixty years, it takes on a whole new meaning. While there have

been and continue to be many struggles and frustrations, I feel blessed in so many ways! With this film, I’m hoping I can help others who might be questioning the quality       of their future because of a devastating illness or accident. I’m hoping by seeing how my life has changed, that it can still be fulfilling, but it’s different! 

I have often been told that my lecture recital presentations have inspired teachers and students and changed their lives. This naturally is an incredibly gratifying feeling. But people are now telling me that I’m more inspiring than ever which I really didn’t understand at first, but think I’m starting to get it now. I have received numerous e mails from people who saw the five minute clip of the film. People are telling me they have sent the link to friends and family around the country who they felt needed an inspirational “boost.”

The idea that by doing this film I might be able to truly inspire others is the most rewarding experience I can imagine. As my compassionate and creative producer, Lu Leslan, works with me to understand my journey, I am working on celebrating how far I’ve come since March 29, 2007, rather than how long a journey I have to get back to where I was on March 28, 2007!

My dream is to one day have people writing to me their story of how “Take A Bow” inspired them to not give up but rather to continue with enthusiasm pursuing a fulfilling life.

This film is also a thank you note to my wonderful husband, family and friends who have been and continue to be so supportive to me. Without them, I seriously doubt I would have been able to accomplish half of what I’ve been able to do. I hope my grandchildren will look at this film one day and get a better understanding of Grandma Ingie with the big blond hair and fancy canes!

If you are in New York on Sunday, May 25, I cordially invite you to the SPECIAL PREMIERE of my film “TAKE A BOW – The Ingrid Clarfield Story”, to be held at the Gramercy Suite, New York Hilton from 5 – 6:30 PM. Please contact me for tickets/passes if you plan to attend. See you at the movies!

For those who won’t be able to join us for the Special Premiere of “TAKE A BOW – The Ingrid Clarfield Story” in New York this March, don’t fret.  This well-reviewed, powerful and inspirational documentary is available to RENT or PURCHASE through Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/TAKE-BOW-Ingrid-Clarfield-Story/dp/B006WZ9R0G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328555762&sr=8-1.

Premiere of the Documentary: TAKE A BOW – The Ingrid Clarfield

March 25, 2012 (Sunday) at 5:00pm

Princeton piano teacher Ingrid Clarfield is known for her big hair and even bigger personality.

“You cannot sneak out — you are stuck with me,” Ingrid Clarfield tells a class in the new documentary “Take a Bow: The Ingrid Clarfield Story.” / FILE PHOTO

“You cannot sneak out — you are stuck with me,” says Clarfield to a class in the new documentary “Take a Bow: The Ingrid Clarfield Story.” “Hopefully, you’ll be happy.”

Clarfield’s students have been happy over the last few decades and are certainly better players, too. Clarfield is nationally recognized for her teaching, but a stroke in 2007 paralyzed much of the left side of her body. “Take a Bow: The Ingrid Clarfield Story,” by Seattle filmmaker Lu Leslan, documents Clarfield’s brave battle to make a full recovery.

Visit http://www.takeabowingrid.com for more information.

Clarfield has resumed teaching — thanks to the use of students’ left hands — and will host the Damien Dixon Memorial Piano Scholarship Recital and Master Class with Professor Ingrid Jacobson Clarfield, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday (Dec. 3) at the Jacobs Music Company in Lawrenceville.

Dixon, a Clarfield student who won the prestigious Music Teachers National Association Baldwin Piano Competition, died in 2005 of cancer at the age of 29.

The day will feature the world premiere of a work by Ryan Brechmacher of Princeton, first recipient of the Damien Dixon Memorial Scholarship, which supports piano students at Westminster Choir College of Rider University in Princeton.

Clarfield is a professor of piano and coordinator of the piano department at Westminster.

Chris Jordan: 732-565-7275; cjordan@ njpressmedia.com

Source:

myCentralJersey.com, A GANNETT COMPANY – December 1, 2011