Hi blinkie. I just discovered this thread and I just wanted to say that I think this is one of the most interesting and emotionally moving threads I have seen on this board.
I am a physician, so I have read about locked in syndrome before. I have always found the idea of being locked in very frightening, but I’ve never met a patient who actually is living with it before and your description of your experiences does change my view of it. It is very good to hear that you seem to be enjoying a full and happy life in spite of your challenges.
I was very touched by what you wrote about the angels that God has provided for you. Did you ever get the chance to tell Juice and Jocelyn how much their care helped you during those early days?
JerseyFrank
Hey your right, I better check on what happened to those gifts. They did keep them wrapped for several months, but I am not sure what happened to them. We were on our ay to my dad’s house in Connecticut when I stroked and our car was loaded with Italian goodies for our traditional Christmas feast. Now I do know what happened to the food. Everyone came to the hospital and lived on it for a week while they sat vigil over me.
Lavenderviolet
Doc, you’ve got a purple fixation which brought a happy tear to my eye. Violet was my mother’s middle name. Juice, his name is Glenn Miller, was Christopher Reeve’s aide. He was a successful musician in Jamaica who came to the US to care for his mother. After she died he devoted himself to caring for others. He’s still there, at the Kessler Institute.
Juice stayed with us after I was released. We lived in a tiny apartment for a year, near Kessler, just to be near him. He worked for a year for us part time, helping Mrs. Blinkie learn to deal with me.
Jocelyn, I never got to thank with anything other than my eyes. Mrs. Blinkie did thank her though, every day.
And on this Thanksgiving I want to thank all you Dopester’s for the warmth and total acceptance you have shown me.
Happy Thanksgiving to all the Dopesters who have befriended my dad. This site is really a neat venue and I keep popping in to ‘spy’ on what my dad is up to. Funny, I never knew Grandma’s middle name was Violet! Reading my dad’s posts brings back a lot of memories from the ‘early years’ after the stroke…don’t let him fool ya, his memory is as good as ever! Again, thank you to everyone for giving my dad so much acceptance and support! I am sure he loves being able to share his story with so many interested people. Have a great Thanksgiving with your families!
Thanks, blinkiekid!
I hope you have had a great Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving to all of the blinkie clan! We’re glad you’re here.
Right back atcha, blinkie’s other kid. The whole blinkie family is remarkable. Besides being informative, funny and fascinating, you’ve all given me a little hope for my brother’s future and in these very difficult weeks since his stroke, that’s no small thing. I wish you and yours the happiest of Thanksgivings.
Hello! Just happened to see this article on MSNBC that I thought might be of interest, but assume you might have already heard about it.
Typing using electrodes in the brain - wow…I can see lots of potential uses for this.
Thanks did hear about that and did some testing on it but for now it’s slower than what I can do. There is a robotic arm coming soon that you can control with your mind which really is exciting to me.
Will the other children of your family be blinkies other other kid and Blinkies other other other kid or Blinkie loves me best. and No, Blinkie loves me bestest?
Hell of a way to get your fifteen minutes of fame, Blinkie. hellovaway, my friend.
Just found this thread yesterday and finished reading it today. One of the best threads I’ve read in a long time.
blinkie, you talked in an earlier post about being angry at God following your stroke. If it’s not too personal, I’d like to know how your faith changed (if at all) as a result of your condition.
The Weird One
Your question isn’t too personnel and it’s certainly one I get asked frequently. Before I talk about me let me tell you about other Locked In people. I would say that most of them have turned to religion, some fervently, but that isn’t really me.
Do I believe? Yes. Do I think most of organized religion is just a business? Absolutely. My religious background is a little weird. Dad was an Agnostic, Mom a Presbyterian which is how I was brought up.
Growing up church was important. Still have dear friends from that church, taught Sunday school there, Mrs. Blinkie was in my class. Even gave a sermon there once, I think it was the only time my father ever stepped foot in a church.
I don’t think my faith changed. Maybe to sum it up I had turned off to a lot of “Christianity” but for the first time I experienced acts of Christianity.
And those lifelong church friends, they’re all real lefties.
Shirley Ujest
My other 2 kids don’t know about me posting. I’m sure they’ll chime in when Teeming’s comes out.
I’m a week older than my husband. I know how your wife feels. You are clearly a very mean man!
Thank you for sharing your story - this has been a fascinating thread!
That’s exactly how they figured out that it didn’t work for autistic children. No “fasciliator” ever got the question right.
they also did this with those so-called smart animals that can do math. The animal would see one problem, but the “trainer” would see another. It turned out the trainer was giving them the answers subconciously.
I read this entire thread last night, from start to finish. Blinkie, you are a hoot! I love your sense of humor.
I’m so glad you joined and I look forward to reading your posts in the future.
Posted by someone who has obviously never been pregnant. 
My first day being online in a long time and I find this thread. Completely awesome. Thank you Blinkie. I used to live in Tampa, I hope I contributed at some point to your livelihood.
My mother has become a rabid Republican and Freaky Fundamentalist. Of course, she’s not had a reason as yet to wish for universal healthcare. I’d imagine, someone in your shoes sees a value in it.
Political discussion aside, were you an upbeat person before the stroke? Did you as a general rule, take things in stride? Anthropolically, I’m curious if your good attitude and determination to function in society is linked to your previous mindset, or has the experience made you more optimistic?
Or are you a closet black cloud and just fooling us?
My first experience with talking to someone online immediately opened my eyes to the possibilities the internet permitted. I believe it allows people to communicate with the world as they truly are, without the prejudices of color, weight, disability, race, attractiveness. Of course, many folks abuse that privilege, but honestly, do you feel more like the old you, when you are online?
I’d donate about 70wpm to you if I could. Thank you so much for the effort. And with correct spelling too! BIG HUGS!
Auntbeast
I sure do see a value in Universal Healthcare. First I would be dead today if I had depended on private health care. But on a non personal level I got to observe a lot of families dealing with catastrophic illness. Every one of them had tremendous problems dealing with insurance companies.
Was I optimistic before? I guess so but not overly so. Mrs. Blinkie tells me I could always make her laugh, that’s what attracted her to me. It evidently wasn’t my killer good looks.
It took me a long time not to be a black cloud. I still have dark moments although they are infrequent. When I’m down I wouldn’t post.
As far as functioning in society I think that has more to do with my support network than me. I was, or rather am, shy and self-conscious by nature and going out in public as the “new” me was in the beginning quite difficult. My friends and family, adopted the attitude that I was still me and were far less uncomfortable with going out then I was. I had to be pushed, literally into certain social settings.
I do feel more like the old me when I’m online. This site is the only place where I’ve come out. I am on other sites but no one there knows my condition.
Mnemosyne
Nice to meet another “older” woman!
Mother:
Thanks for the good wishes.
Tongue-controlled wheelchair - maybe useful to you?: Wheelchair mobility at the tip of the tongue - CNN.com
Long time no hear from, hope all is well with you Blinkie!
I think about you often and wonder if I’d have the fortitude not to give up, in your circumstance. I’d like to think I would.
That you have such a sunny sense of humour still, gives me strength sometimes.
Weird, huh? What with being just another messageboard person I don’t really even know, and all.
If you don’t mind me asking do you use books on tape? If so, what ya reading these days?
Thanks for the bump elbows. blinkie, any more news about Rom Houbens? Have you been in contact now?
blinkie’s on a 1.8 posts per day average, and we thought he was the silent type :p. I’m glad he’s taken to the Dope 