This past weekend, I hit another major milestone. I took the subway by myself for the first time post-stroke. Which may not seem like a huge deal, but trust me, it is. And, in retrospect, is probably still not the safest thing for me to do, but I needed to prove to myself that itContinue reading “Mind the gap”
Author Archives: maddistrokeofluck
World Stroke Day 2019
Today let’s celebrate the gift of life.
London calling
I woke up in a cold sweat the night before my flight to London. There was a lot on my mind: what if I couldn’t manage traveling on my own? What if I got lost in the city and couldn’t find my way back? Since having a stroke, I had never traveled anywhere without myContinue reading “London calling”
They tied the knot!
The 5th of October, 2019 began for me like any typical Saturday morning as of late: breakfast, weight bearing, get dressed, chug some coffee. Except it wasn’t any typical Saturday morning, because today one of my very dearest friends was getting married. It felt like Christmas; I was so excited for this day, and couldn’tContinue reading “They tied the knot!”
Use it or lose it!
The huge bucket of ice water sits across from me, filled to the brim. It’s my first of three weeks at the Taub Clinic at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and I have no idea what I’ve gotten myself into. My occupational therapist for the next few weeks returns with what appears to beContinue reading “Use it or lose it!”
A new competitive advantage
Ella Sofia, a fellow stroke survivor and habit coach, is constantly asking, “How can I turn a bad experience into a competitive advantage?” I think about this question a lot since my stroke. How can I turn this shitty situation into my very own competitive advantage, or the greatest thing that ever happened to me? ***Continue reading “A new competitive advantage”
My Story: Part 2
Upon waking up paralyzed on the left side of my body post-surgery, I spent a grueling 15 days in the ICU, mostly laying on my back. It took all my strength to just sit up in a chair for five minutes. I wasn’t sure how I could possibly bounce back from this, if at all.Continue reading “My Story: Part 2”
Redefining possibility
A good friend once told me “pressure is a privilege,” and I couldn’t agree more. It is a privilege to have the opportunity to work hard. Suffering through an experience as traumatic as a stroke has an interesting way of putting life into perspective. When I woke up from a coma in the ICU, IContinue reading “Redefining possibility”
My Story: Part 1
Sometimes life is great, everything is going your way, and you feel on top of the world. When I graduated from Georgetown University in May of 2017, I felt like I could do anything. I walked down Healy Lawn the morning of May 20th to receive my diploma and reap the fruits of a rigorousContinue reading “My Story: Part 1”
Welcome to maddistrokeofluck
Hi, my name is Maddi. In this journal I share my journey with stroke rehabilitation, in the hopes that by sharing my experience I can empower and inspire others to find ways to repurpose their lives in the face of hardship. I hope that by sharing my biggest takeaways and learnings with you, I amContinue reading “Welcome to maddistrokeofluck”
maddistrokeofluck 