My Stroke: Now and Then

This is a showcase of the excellent blog posts that Paul, a participant on CommuniCATE, has been writing as part of his therapy.
Paul also uploads these to his own blogsite, so please do check out https://mystrokesite.wordpress.com/.
Paul has been very motivated throughout his therapy and comments in one of his blog posts “At last I can see light at the end of the tunnel. I cant wait for the therapy to start.”

My Stroke: Now and Then

#1 “About Me”

My name is Paul Hawkins.
This blog is about what has happened to me since I had a stroke in July 2015
I had my stroke on 13th July 2015 I was a night bus driver for Arriva for 20 years .It started on the 9th of July when I was on a bus on the way home after finishing work. When a small boy in his mum’s arms put a pen refill in my right ear, when it was removed it left the nib in my ear, and when I went to A & E they took out nib  and told me my balance might be affected for two or three days.
And then at A & E tests were done and my girlfriend was told I had had a stroke. I was then taken to the stroke ward where I was for the next ten days
After I had the stroke it affected my balance and speech, after ten days I was discharged from the stroke ward and I was staying with my girlfriend and the stroke early response team came to see me for six weeks after that had finished my speech was just a little better and I came back to London where the Rehabilitation team told me my speech was not as bad and could not do anymore for me.

They did send me info about Stroke Association open day for HEATH AND WELL BEING DAY.

On Friday 11th November I met Katie Chadd from City University London CommumuiCATE Project

Who told me what I have is Aphasia (which is having trouble getting words out)

And took down my details and said that the project is trying to help people like me and at the same time helping to train new Speech and Language Therapists. Two days later she called me and asked me down for assessment to see if they could help me.After three hours assessment , I was invited to join the Project .

#2 “The Assessment”

This blog is all about the assessment and what happen in it.

The assessment was on 30th November 2016. It took place at London City university and I won’t lie.I was scared because I just didn’t know what was going to happen. It started at 2 pm and lasted one hour,  before it started Katie put me at ease by making me a lovely cup of tea.

It started off with her asking me some questions. And getting me to read and sign the application for assessment before we could go ahead, one of the questions was. If you don’t mind I would like to videotape the sessions and if I didn’t mind to give my consent to it being used to teach speech and language, and I told her yes I would love my sessions would be used to help teach.

In the assessment, first we started with pictures to see if I new what they were, I found this very easy. And then she read out some words and I had to point to the picture, I found that easy too.And then it moves onto Katie reading out a piece of writing and asking me some question about, I show me some pictures to see if I could point out what she had asked me. Then I move onto spelling she read out some words and I had to spell them, some I found not so easy I found this really hard, and then we move onto asking me how I feel. Asking me some question and I had to point to the way I was feeling on a card.which made me feel sad because I had put the way I was feeling to the back of my mind since I had my stroke.

After the assessment, I was feeling good to know that someone was giving me help. As my speech therapist told me she wasn’t able to help me. This blog was dictated into dragon and then edited in write-on-line grammar was check with Grammarly.

#3 “The Tests”

This blog is about the tests I had to do , they were on 2nd and 3rd of December . 1st I was asked to use an i-Pad and Pc to see how quick I can learn how to  do a set of tasks . Then I was asked what type  of technology I like using best.  I told Katie I was used to Pc and not I -Pad, but she ask me If I would like to use an I- pad for the therapy.

The 1st set  of test where a role playing assessment to see just how good my communications skills are in real life situations .Then I had to put on paper the way I was feeling with faces on it.The  same sort of things but this time it was on cards, and this time was about the way I was  feeling about my  aphasia. And then  I had to write some e-mails on the  i-pad,  and handwritten. News item, Winning the lottery, And asking a friend to meet me.

The  last  test  was  a naming test I was showed 60 pictures,  and ask to say what they were. And then I had to spell them  but this time on a Mac . I found speaking the words easy,  but when it came to  writing the words down I was finding it hard  on the Mac .

After test were finished I asked Katie if I was going to be able to do the therapy. Katie said yes I’m so sorry that I didn’t tell you.

Up till then  I was feeling like no one could help me ,and then I met Katie at an open day and she told me what I have was aphasia,  and invited me for an assessment

After the assessment she told me I have been give a place on to the project,  I cant wait for therapy to start.

This blog was dictated into dragon and then edited in write-online.

 #4 “The Technology”

This blog is all about the technology I will be using, in the therapy. I will be using iPad, and software I will use is Dragon, Pages and Write Online.

First I will tell you about Dragon, Dragon is a dictation software. When you open Dragon just have to tap on the red button to record, and then again to stop it, and it will come up on screen.

I will be using Pages, Pages is a word processor for iPad.

Write-Online is editing software, after I have finished using Dragon I can copy and paste into Write-Online and edit it. After finish editing if you highlight a sentence, you can select all and it will read. .At the same time it will highlight each word, so you can see what you’ve typed.

If you would like to know more about the software click links YouTube Dragon https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=ImlKOA1MhlI

Pages
https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=niW6jv2p1m0

Write-Online
https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=ImlKOA1MhlI

Grammar Checker
https://youtu.Be/WZ7a7q-1A2M

Anyone wanting to know more about communicate the people that are given me therapy this is there web site blogs.City.Ac.Uk/communicate/
This took only 30 minutes the rest of the session we talked about my goals, for the therapy.

My goals are

  • Writing a new Cv
  • Cover letters
  • Recipes
  • Shopping lists
  • Letters to friends
  • Application forms
  • Postcards

At last I can see light at the end of the tunnel. I cant wait for the therapy to start.

This blog was dictated into Dragon and then edited in write- on -line