=========================================================== Paul Berger & Stephanie Mensh’s Stroke Survivor NEWS & ATTITUDE FOR YOU - FEBRUARY 2011 =========================================================== ~~~<<~~ IN THIS ISSUE ~~>>~~~ 1. NEWS: RESEARCH on Stroke Recovery & Rehabilitation: Aphasia Communication Partner Training is Effective 2. PAUL’S SURVIVORS TIPS: Say "Thank You" to Your Caregiver 3. STEPHANIE'S CAREGIVERS TIPS: Setting Personal Goals *** CELEBRATE February Heart Month *** 4. PAUL'S FAVORITES: Handling Cans 5. EATING FOR STROKE HEALTH Reading Grocery Labels 6. WHAT'S NEW on: http://www.StrokeSurvivor.com ~~~ Intensive Aphasia Therapy News ~~~ 7. Stroke Reading Problems? Free Read-aloud Software 8. Subscribe **** Now on FACEBOOK **** Please click "LIKE" on the StrokeSurvivor.com Facebook Page...ask your friends to "like" us too: http://tinyurl.com/StrokeSurvivor-comFacebook =========================================================== Please FORWARD this newsletter to your friends and colleagues who would benefit from these tips. Click it forward to people in your stroke club, volunteer groups, place of worship, community services and neighbors, too! =========================================================== 1. NEWS: RESEARCH on Stroke Recovery & Rehabilitation: Aphasia Communication Partner Training is Effective Evidence shows that people with chronic aphasia (who have had aphasia for some time) can benefit when their communication partners receive specific training. Researchers reviewed 31 published medical articles on the impact of partner training on language, communication activity and participation, psychosocial adjustment, and quality of life for adults with aphasia and their communication partners. Using rigorous data assessment methods provided by the American Academy of Neurology, the researchers reviewed 23 search terms in 12 databases to locate the studies for review. They documented that communication partner training is effective in improving communication activities and/or participation of the person with aphasia and their trained communication partner. Researchers included: Nina Simmons-Mackie PhD, Anastasia Raymer PhD, Elizabeth Armstrong PhD, Audrey Holland PhD, and Leora R. Cherney PhD. To read the abstract of the article published in the journal, "Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation," December 2010, visit: http://tinyurl.com/aphasia-partner For additional resources to help you find information on medical, health, rehabilitation, recovery, self- empowerment, and more, we have collected our favorite links at: http://www.strokesurvivor.com/resource_links.html. =========================================================== 2. PAUL’S TIPS FOR SURVIVORS: Remember to Say "Thank You" My tip this month to improve your attitude and others is to practice saying "thank you." You don't need to wait for Valentines Day or any holiday. birthday or anniversary to say "thank you" to your spouse, family members and friends. I had a stroke 25 years ago, and continue today to have problems with my speech, using my right hand, and weakness in my right leg. I work hard everyday to overcome my stroke. I am very stubborn--I want to be independent. Sometimes, when my wife Stephanie tries to help me, I feel frustrated or angry because I want to prove that I am independent. This makes her angry and frustrated, thinking that I don't appreciate her. We talked about this recently. Communication is important in every relationship, maybe more for stroke survivors and their families. We agreed to say "thank you" more often to each other. Here are some things I say "thank you" for: * Helping me with speech, physical therapy, and doctors' appointments. * Dropping me at the door of the movie theater in bad weather, parking and running in. * Post-it notes with sentences to help me practice my speech in the kitchen. * Bringing me my favorite Starbucks drink when she buys one for herself on her way home from work. Stephanie says "thank you" to me for making breakfast and dinner most days, doing the dishes, collecting the trash, and bringing her flowers. I enjoy saying "thank you" as much as hearing someone else say it to me. If I can do it, you can do it too! Other insights and tips for coping with life and taking control of your recovery after stroke are available on my website at http://www.strokesurvivor.com. Do you have a tip to share? Send it to me at Paul@strokesurvivor.com for a free gift if we use it. =========================================================== *** CELEBRATE February Heart Month *** February is American Heart Month, a time to remember that cardiovascular disease is a big problem in the U.S. Preventing heart disease and stroke is important, and if you have had a heart attack or stroke, recovering and maintaining your health is key. Celebrate this month with your heart in mind: * Keep a positive attitude * Lower your stress levels by laughing * Walk a little more, eat heart-healthy meals * Find creative outlets to express yourself in music, art, and hobbies--for inspiration, order my book, "How to Conquer Hobbies With One Hand: 50 Tips and Tools to Make Things" http://www.strokesurvivor.com/hobbies.html =========================================================== 3. STEPHANIE’S TIPS FOR CAREGIVERS: Setting Personal Goals While I am great at setting and achieving goals for projects at work, or for Paul, or anyone else, I seem to have less energy and staying power when it comes to my own personal goals. I do okay with resolutions to take lunch instead of buying out, and making lunch the night before so there is one less chore to rush through in the morning. As a caregiver, it is true that I don't have a lot of time or focus for my own needs. I often roll my eyes when the professionals preach about caregivers taking care of themselves. However, over the last 6 or 8 months, I have steadily gained weight and became alarmed when I couldn't fit into my winter clothes and during my annual physical, when my cholesterol levels had increased to the point that my doctor was concerned. I knew that I had to go on a diet and stop eating my favorite chocolates, cookies, cakes, double servings of bread-and-butter, pasta, rice, creamy soups, and other high calorie comfort foods. I also knew that I could not do this without professional coaching. Paul would be supportive, but he couldn't be my coach for this--just like I couldn't be his speech or physical therapist. Spouses just cannot be the ones to pressure you to do something so difficult. Not to mention that I envy the fact that Paul does not have my compulsive behavior (I can eat a whole pound bag of M&Ms in a day or so; Paul can have 3 or 4 M&Ms and be satisfied), and he does not have a weight problem. So, I returned to "Atilla the Nutritionist," a stern, no nonsense professional who had helped me 10 years ago. At that time, I lost more than 35 pounds over about 8 months. We met regularly in person, with a few sessions bringing me to tears. This time, my goal is to lose 20 pounds by June, or about 5 pounds each month for 5 months. As I write this, I have just finished dinner with half an orange as my dessert. I am going through a period of "withdrawal" from my comfort foods, making me cranky because my cravings are mentally aggravating and physically irritating. She gave me a stunning article summarizing the recent book, "The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite," by former FDA Commissioner David Kessler, MD, about his struggles with his weight and the physiological impact of sugar and fat on our brains that do indeed create cravings almost as compelling as addictions. This is not an excuse to keep eating comfort foods, but it helps me understand why I feel so irritable and impatient. Knowing that I have to turn in a food diary each week, get on the scale, and talk about how I have "courageously" resisted temptation keeps me on track. Plus, I have her picture on my computer monitor at work, on my refrigerator, and in my wallet in front of my credit cards to remind me that someone is watching what I do. During this process, I don't feel that I am being the best caregiver to Paul, but I need to acheive my goal, and find a way to rewire my eating habits so I can happily maintain a healthful weight. For more details on Dr. Kessler's book, visit: http://tinyurl.com/Kessler-Overeating For more tips for caregivers, please visit: http://www.strokesurvivor.com/articles_and_tips.html =========================================================== ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *** Indoor Group Fun in Winter: Start a Book Club *** Research shows that stroke survivors and adults with all levels of aphasia benefit from book clubs to: * relearn reading and communication skills * improve social interaction * talk about events & issues in their own lives Successful book clubs use specially-prepared study materials and leader guides for carefully chosen books. The all-inclusive Stroke Survivor Premium Book Club System makes it easy & affordable. For the same price that others offer ONLY the leader manual and study materials, you receive: * Leader manual with study schedule, discussion material and homework pages for each section, chapter summaries, word lists and more... * Six (6) "How to Conquer the World With One Hand...And an Attitude" paperback books * One (1) AUDIO 8-CD book, unabridged to help people with aphasia listen (a $49 value by itself!) * PLUS discounts for other products. !! Open the box and start your book club immediately !! To learn more and order your set, visit: http://strokesurvivor.com/book_club.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ =========================================================== 4. PAUL'S FAVORITES: Handling Cans Readers of my newsletter know that I have a can-opener easy to use with one hand. Once the can of fruit or vegetables is open, you need to drain the liquid. I found a small dishwasher-safe "can colander" that fits over the top of the can, the "Progressive Housewares GT3966 Can Colander." I can easily hold the colander on top of the can and turn it over in the sink so it drains without worrying about cutting my hand. Since canned vegetables have added salt, I try to rinse some of the salt off. After draining the liquid, I run a little tap water into the can, put the colander on top, shake, then drain, repeating a few times. To see one like mine, visit: http://tinyurl.com/One-Hand-Colander For details on other Paul-tested helpful books and products, visit: http://www.strokesurvivor.com/reading_list.html and http://www.strokesurvivor.com/lifestyle_products.html =========================================================== 5. EATING FOR STROKE HEALTH Reading Grocery Labels One way to maintain healthy eating is to read the labels on the food you buy at the grocery store. I compare similar foods, like cold cereals, for the amount of sugar and salt in each serving, as well as other nutrients like fiber and vitamins. This information is usually on the back or side of the box, bag or can. The Grocery Manufactures Association (GMA) is developing new icons for the front of the box, bag or can, to make it easier for shoppers to make comparisons. To see the icons, visit GMA's website at: http://tinyurl.com/Nutrition-Icons Send us your favorite heart-stroke healthy eating tip. If we use it, we will send you a gift. For details on other Paul-tested helpful kitchen, shopping, and eating tips, visit: http://www.strokesurvivor.com/lifestyle_products.html =========================================================== 6. WHAT'S NEW on the Stroke Survivor.com web site. We're adding helpful new things to our web site all the time. Coming soon are links to: * World Health Organization--The Atlas of Heart Disease and Stroke We have many useful links for survivors, families and professionals on rehabilitation, motivation, and to regain fulfillment posted to our Resource Links pages. Visit: http://www.strokesurvivor.com/resource_links.html. =========================================================== ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *** Intensive Aphasia Therapy News *** Communication Cafes Led by People with Aphasia On most Fridays at 10:00 am ET, Paul is leading one of the series of "Communication Cafes" that are part of the activities sponsored by the Aphasia Tool Box. The Cafes are free and the calendar is posted at: http://aphasiatoolbox.com/calendar/calendar.htm Use the agenda view and click on the group title on the calendar. For more information, contact my speech therapist, Bill Connors at the Pittsburgh Aphasia Treatment, Research and Education Center (PATREC). I am in Virginia and Bill is in Pittsburgh, but I see him during the week over the Internet using my webcam on ooVoo (like Skype), in individual and group sessions. Email bill@aphasiatoolbox.com, call 724-494-2534 or visit: http://www.aphasiatoolbox.com. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ =========================================================== *** ADVERTISE YOUR PRODUCT OR SERVICE IN OUR NEWSLETTER *** Contact us at Paul@strokesurvivor.com or 703-241-2375. Special rates for newsletter & web: www.strokesurvivor.com! =========================================================== Would you like to view a previous month's newsletter? Visit our newsletter archive at: http://www.strokesurvivor.com/newsletter.html =========================================================== 7. Stroke/Aphasia Reading problems? After a stroke, many people have reading and other language problems, known as "aphasia." Hearing a sentence read aloud helps to understand it. You can hear this newsletter read aloud while each word is highlighted on the computer screen with the FREE text reader software described at: http://www.strokesurvivor.com/disability_access.html =========================================================== ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SPECIAL!! 3 ALL NEW E-BOOKS ON STROKE RECOVERY *** Excerpts, details, ORDER your copies: http://www.strokesurvivor.com/e-books.html *** Make every day better for stroke survivors and caregivers with these great practical solutions & motivational tips available NOW to download ANYTIME, ANYWHERE ! 1) "Paul Berger’s Conquering Aphasia & Stroke TODAY!" 2) "Stephanie Mensh’s Conquering Aphasia & Stroke for Caregivers" 3) "StrokeSurvivor.com Articles to Take With You" *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* EXCELLENT REVIEWS: "I loved it! Paul's E-book is practical, informative, and easy to read. An uplifting, must- read for all stroke survivors with aphasia. It 's just terrific and I think it fills an important void in the post-stroke literature." --Susan Ryerson, Neurological Physical Therapist, PT, DSc, Alexandria, VA "I have been asking people for 30 years what helps and what doesn't work. I have recommended Paul's materials to my clients for years. This E-book adds new ideas and suggestions that are so very practical and useful." --Bill Connors, Founder and Director of the Pittsburgh Aphasia Treatment, Research and Education Center "The parts on getting out in the community were some of the best parts. It is important that stroke survivors try to live as normal a life as possible. This book lets stroke survivors recognize that they can have a quality life which is full and fulfilled." --Samuel Aylesworth, Stroke Survivor, Manassas, VA "Stephanie's E-book is well written, logically organized, easy to understand, and full of practical suggestions that should be helpful and encouraging to caregivers of stroke survivors. I particularly liked the examples of Stephanie’s real-life experiences." - Janet M. Gritz, MA, CCC-SLP, founding member & consultant to Montgomery County Stroke Association "This E-book gives useful, practical advice from someone who's lived it. We're all overwhelmed at times, and Stephanie shows you, one step at a time, how to get through the day and make the next day better." - Gwen Flanders, partner of a stroke survivor *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* THREE GREAT HOW-TO BOOKS! (1) "Paul Berger’s Conquering Aphasia & Stroke TODAY!" 50 real-life, Paul-tested ideas, solutions and motivation for stroke survivors to return to everyday activities. Organized for easy-reading, with resource links. (44 pages in PDF) ONLY $9.95 * Hospital and coming home * Solutions for all stroke survivors * Conquering aphasia * Enjoying recreation * Returning to work * Finding motivation * Resources (2) "Stephanie Mensh’s Conquering Aphasia & Stroke for Caregivers" Get an intimate perspective on 7 key caregivers’ issues and solutions, tested in Stephanie's relationship & observed in others, with unique resources. (31 pages in PDF) ONLY $9.95 * Coping with Change * How to Be Supportive While Building Independence * Building the Caregiver Team * Time Management Tricks * Money Issues & Caregiver’s Employment * Living with Stress...Stress...STRESS ! * Care for the Caregiver * How the Survivor Can Help the Caregiver (3) "StrokeSurvivor.com Articles to Take With You" Take this collection of 11 articles from our website with you, put in your notebook, & add your own notes & pages. (33 pages in PDF) ONLY $5.95 READ OUR E-BOOKS ON ANY COMPUTER. Easy PDF format accessible on all computers with Adobe Reader. Why wait for UPS or the postman to deliver? Order, download and read in minutes! ***Excerpts, details, ORDER your copies: http://www.strokesurvivor.com/e-books.html *** Many thanks to our e-book sponsors: * Bioness, Inc. http://www.bioness.org * Aphasia Solutions Network http://www.aphasiatoolbox.com * OUR NEWEST SPONSOR: Lingraphica http://tinyurl.com/Lingraphica-supports-E-books =========================================================== 8. SUBSCRIBE Welcome to our online newsletter. If you would like to receive a copy each month, please sign up at: http://www.strokesurvivor.com or by emailing us at: info@strokesurvivor.com. Please see info below if you wish to change email addresses or unsubscribe. ====================================================== © Paul Berger and Stephanie Mensh Authors of "How to Conquer the World With One Hand... And an Attitude" Positive Power Publishing P.O. Box 2644, Merrifield, VA 22116 703-241-2375 Email: Paul@strokesurvivor.com or Stephanie@strokesurvivor.com /\/\/\/\/\/\/\