Popcorn. That’s what Thomas G. Broussard, Jr., heard when he woke up in the hospital. He started pounding on his head with the palm of his hand to stop the popping. It didn’t stop. His wife worried because she had no idea what was wrong. Sure, he had a stroke, but this seemed so bizarre.
The hospital staff put him in restraints because no one knew why he acted so weirdly. He couldn’t talk, so they couldn’t ask him, “Why?”
When he left the hospital, he had a paper that said aphasia. There was no explanation. What could it mean? He could not talk, write, or read, so it took many months before he understood that the word aphasia stood for “an acquired communication disorder that impairs a person’s ability to process language, but does not affect intelligence.”*
Learn how Tom turned this obstacle into a triumph: https://strokeforward.news/nre
Listing Highlights
How did you have your stroke? 2:06
The last thing I remember is looking at my shoes. 2:55
My wife dragged me to CVS. 3:52
TPA - Tissue Plasminogen Activator - 5:57
Broca’s Area, or language center 6:58
Aphasia - what is it? 9:28
Plasticity - the conversion on thoughts and cognitive activities into brain matter 10:37
It’s all about the speed because you have lost several thousands of miles of fiber 13:53
My loss of language doesn’t really have a lot to do with the words themselves 17:05
If I were meeting out on the street, I wouldn’t guess that you have aphasia. 19:52
The speed of talking. 21:22
The ABC’s of Aphasia 22:58
All books include both stroke and aphasia 30:35
How do other people get better? 31:04
Since stroke is so unique, and it affect everybody in a completely unique way… 41:15
Nationwide (US) 51% of stroke survivors go to rehab, 49% go home 43:30
Aphasia Nation - to educate the wider public about aphasia and particularly the healthcare and hospital communities 45:50
Want to know more?
Contact Thomas G. Broussard, Jr., PhD at tbroussa@comcast.net or 207-798-1449
Founder & President, Aphasia Nation, Inc., www.aphasianation.org
Stroke Diary video- http://youtu.be/5jkq-YwWSJk
Stroke Diary—Plasticity video- https://youtu.be/8O-m8kzTJk4
Stroke Diary Vol 1- http://www.amazon.com/Stroke-Diary-Primer-Aphasia-Therapy/dp/1502978040
Stroke Diary Vol 2- https://www.amazon.com/Stroke-Diary-Secret-Aphasia-Recovery/dp/0997965320
Stroke Diary Vol 3- https://www.amazon.com/Stroke-Diary-Stories-Aphasia-Language/dp/0997965347
The ABCs of Aphasia: A Stroke Primer-https://www.amazon.com/ABCs-Aphasia-Stroke-Primer/dp/1734414227
Stroke and Aphasia Recovery: Metaphors Help Us Mend https://www.amazon.com/Stroke-Aphasia-Recovery-Metaphors-Help/dp/1734414235/
*The National Aphasia Association