Stroke FORWARD

Question 1 - How did you get to be a Health & Life Coach?

 

To answer this question, I have to admit some vulnerable stuff. I had a stroke in 2014. I had my own business at that time, and it ended the day I had my stroke. Now, I had to figure out how to walk again. . . how to talk again. . .  try to remember things. . . and how to live with the pain that was there with me constantly.

 

It turns out that learning to walk was way easier that learning to talk again. I worked every day trying to get my right leg to move properly. It took 1-1/2 years, many therapists, and my husband before a person passing me on the street would say that I walked normally. I still had pain, but people on the outside didn’t see that.

 

Talking. Well, that was a different story. I had Broca’s aphasia. That is an “acquired communication disorder that impairs a person’s ability to process language, but does not affect intelligence.” Up to 40% of stroke survivors have some type of aphasia. 

 

In the beginning, I couldn’t speak at all. With Broca’s aphasia, I could hear and understand what everyone said. I had the words to say back to them in my head, but I just couldn’t say them. Occasionally, I could get something out. Normally, it wasn’t what I was truly thinking. It was as if I had two people in my head . . . the one who couldn’t say what I was thinking, and one who had to try to say, well, anything that made some kind of sense. Frustrating? You bet. 

 

According to the National Aphasia Association, “If the symptoms of aphasia last longer than two or three months after a stroke, a complete recovery is unlikely.” I didn’t like to hear those words and I decided I would overcome aphasia. The crazy part is that, at 3-1/2 years, I did! I wrote a book about my experience with the stroke and aphasia called Stroke Forward: How to Become Your Own Healthcare Advocate . . . One Step at a Time.

 

Writing my story unearthed another problem that I had from my aphasia. I could read after my stroke, but I couldn’t write. It took a lot of looking at thesaurus.com and thinking about which words I was trying to say, how they were put together before I finally tried to type them again . . . and again . . . and again (because my right hand kept getting off the correct keys). It took 4-1/2 years for me to write and publish my book. 

 

I began training to be a podcast guest in 2019 because I wanted stroke survivors (and their caregivers) to know that there is hope. It takes dogged determination. Sometimes you fall flat on your face. If you get up and try again, that’s all that anyone can ask of you.

 

There are so few people who understand the pain and anguish of what it is like to go through a stroke. I know what if feels like to not want to do your exercises. I know what it feels like to shut down because what you want to say just doesn’t come out of your mouth —  try as you might. I know that not being able to speak made me feel small and alone. I know that caregivers also deal with issues they never thought they’d face. I went to the Health Coach Institute because I wanted to take what I have learned through the last several years to give to others hope, encouragement, and transformation to become a new kind of whole. Essentially, the new normal. It can be wonderful!

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Question 2 - What kinds of clients do you work with?

 

I work with stroke survivors who struggle with their speech, body movements, sleeping patterns, and how they deal with food . . . I also work with traumatic brain injuries (or TBI) and the caregivers. No one knows how difficult the caregivers journey is except someone who been through one side of the process.

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Question 3 - How are you different from other Health and Life Coaches?

 

Most health and life coaches give you a checklist of what to do or don’t do or what to eat and what not to eat. But “Do this, not that,”  or “Eat this, not that,” doesn’t work. We have to understand our inability to cope with the stresses of becoming “normal” so that we can make progress that lasts for life.

 

So, first and foremost, my coaching is about transforming beliefs and mindsets so that my clients can be present with themselves and their lives in a whole new way. I follow that work with step-by-step guidelines around healthy ways to approach movement, speaking, eating, and lifestyle.

 

Something else that makes me different from other health coaches is that I ONLY work with people who have had a stroke, TBI, and caregivers. In other words, I’m not a Jill-of-all-trades health and life coach. I refer clients who have other needs to other coaches.

 

What that means for you is that I am very focused on anything and everything that works for the people who have had brain injuries and the people who care for them.

 

Because my focus is very narrow and I have personal experience overcoming these challenges, what you get with me is a deep level of expertise on what works. I’ve become an expert at this topic and that’s why my clients get great results that they are thrilled with—and we have a lot of fun along the way! I think if you can’t laugh at the stuff that goes wrong (and lots will go wrong), then you are missing a key component to getting better. 

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Question 4 - What type of personality do you work best with and what is expected of me?

 

My Stroke Forward Transformation programs were created for people who are absolutely ready to change their lives. Every stroke is different, but we all have some things that lead us down the similar paths. You need support and encouragement as you figure out what is the best way to move forward. Most importantly, you have to believe that you CAN get better. And you have to work hard.

 

Yes, I am going to ask my clients to try hard every, single day to do a little bit more than they did yesterday. This is not about the big wins, although you will have them. This about the small wins, (and they can be minuscule). I want you to celebrate the small wins as they happen. 

 

It’s important that you work hard on your recovery. Yes, I know, you won’t want to work on your speech, your movement, and your mobility every day. I didn’t want to, but I made an effort to despite the discomfort because I wanted to create neuroplasticity. It is now generally accepted that acquired brain injuries, such as occur in stroke or trauma, initiate a cascade of regenerative events that can last for years. The key is that the client needs to work on it every day. 

 

The first day it is like you are standing on the edge of a jungle. You have a machete, and you have to hack your way through your jungle. You start swinging. Your muscles ache. You don’t get very far. But, you have started. When you go back the next day, you hack some more and get a little farther. Eventually, you break through to the other side. You are thrilled! You have a path! You go down that new path day, after day, after day. New circuitry gets embedded. You are building a new neuropathway and it gets stronger every time you walk that path. What happens when you decide not to go down that particular path for for a few days? You have to whack some of the jungle down again. It grew up when you weren’t looking.

 

What you’ll do will be a transformational experience. You will open up to a very different way of thinking and receive full support while you achieve your incredibly exciting goal.

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Question 5 - Who does this program NOT work for?

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The Stroke Forward Transformation system is NOT for those who aren’t ready to commit financially to their transformation. It is also NOT for those who just want a list of things to do (because if that worked for my type of client, it would have worked already).

 

Another kind of person I won’t work with (without exception) are the:

• whiners,

• chronic skeptics, and

• individuals who consistently don’t show up to sessions.

 

If you are one of these people, I gently and respectfully ask that you not schedule an initial conversation with me. I hope you understand why. We’ll probably just not work well together. I wouldn’t want you to waste your time or money. Is that fair?

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Question 6 - What exactly is your system and what does it include?

 

The Stroke Forward Transformation system is a journey that involves mind, body and soul healing.

 

We’re going to cover all things using the “6W Questions” — remember those from 6th grade when you learned about journalism?

 

The “6W Questions” are:

 

• What 

• When 

• How

• Where 

• Why

• Who

 

The “6W Questions” constitute a simple formula for getting the complete story on any subject.

 

Chances are good that things haven’t worked in that past because they didn’t have the steps that addressed every part of you — mind, body and soul. Many professionals focus on one part of the body and expect that is good enough. I find that thinking about the body as a whole is more productive, thus Stroke Forward Transformation solves that problem.

 

In addition to these steps, you will learn tons of tips, tricks and strategies to manage your health and your life more easily. YOU become the driver toward your destiny.

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Question 7 - Does this really work?

 

Yes! The result of our work is an approach your body, mind and spirit  that has you feeling peaceful, powerful and on purpose.

 

Be sure to read the Success Stories document attached in your “Prepping For Your Session” email to read the stories of people just like you who have gotten the result they wanted.

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Question 8 - What results can I expect?

 

You can expect to:

• Create a vision for what your Stroke Forward Transformation looks like.

• Anchor into your Big Why. (This is the real reason why making this change matters!)

• Clear clutter (emotional and physical) from your life so you can make space for the new you.

• Put yourself and your health first. (This is YOUR time!)

• Start regaining the skills you have ability to get. (Remember what I told you about aphasia? The National Aphasia Association says that if you have it for more than 3 months you will probably have it for life. I had mine for 3-1/2 years before I found a doctor who had a different way of looking at the problem.)
   

 

Question 9 - How quickly can I expect results?

 

Your transformation begins the second you say “YES” and continues every day throughout your 90-day experience and beyond.

 

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Question 10 - How can I guarantee myself that I will get the help I am looking for?

 

If you’ve tried things and failed in the past, chances are good that you didn’t have the:

• right support,

• the right system, or

• the right accountability.

 

In Stroke Forward Transformation, you’ll get all of these.

 

Part of the reason for the significant investment in this experience is to ensure that you show up for yourself like never before.

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Question 11 - Will I recover the investment I put into this coaching program?

 

If you add up everything you’ve spent over the years on therapists, workout routines, and all the ways you’ve tried to get better, how much would that be?

 

If things don’t change, how much would you spend in the coming years searching for a solution? For most of my clients, the answer to both questions is A LOT.

 

I want you to stop reading for just one moment to ask yourself, “What is potentially gaining my voice back or helping my body worth to me?”

 

The information and skills you learn—and the personal transformation you make—with the Stroke Forward Transformation will be with you forever, transforming your health and your life in so many ways.

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Question 12 - Marcia Moran, based on everything I’ve read and heard about you, I know you’re the one I want to learn from. How do I get started?

 

Congratulations on making a decision for a totally new experience your body, mind, and. soul! I’m honored and excited to be your guide on this journey!

 

Here’s how we get started:

• During our initial conversation, you can officially enroll in the Stroke Forward Transformation

• I’ll walk you through how to make the investment (I use PayPal so processing the investment will be easy)

• We’ll choose a recurring day of the week and time for your sessions

• These sessions should be considered a sacred time. They are considered first priority because YOU are the first priority

• Sessions will occur once per week for 90 days

• I’ll send you a “Welcome Email” that includes a Coaching Program Agreement (you’ll sign this agreement before our first session)

 

Tackling all the above is a lot on our own and often overwhelming to the point that it is easier to stay where we are. Coaching is a process that is facilitated in a specific way so you can be different, without having to think about being different. The first step is raising awareness about what we really desire for ourselves and our lives.

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Question 13 - Do people ever renew and continue working with you?

 

Yes, some clients want to continue the work—they love the on-going support and stretch goals.. If that’s something you’d like, I’ll share how you can do that as we get closer to the completion of your first Stroke Forward Transformation experience.

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Question 14 - OK, I’m ready to do this for myself, but I have a couple of additional questions. Can we address them in our Breakthrough Session?

 

Absolutely. We’ll be sure to cover all of your questions, plus the Breakthrough Session will give you firsthand experience of what it would feel to have a powerful coach and mentor in your corner.

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