Two days after hurricane Ian ripped through Florida, making landfall about 35 miles south of where we live, my husband, Richard, suffered a stroke.
I have no pictures to show you of what the stroke did to his brain stem, but I have seen the evidence of how it has impacted his speech and physical abilities like walking and playing guitar.
We understand the brain is like a sponge for three months, ninety days, post stroke, so now is the time for Richard to push himself a bit to encourage neural plasticity to relearn things and create new neural connections. It seems all my study into how the brain works (I’d been studying it for other reasons than to rebound from a stroke), are helping us through this time. My monthly calls with Dr. Bruce Lipton and listening to the recordings in his online forum have given me hope.
We’re grateful to meet a general practitioner medical doctor near us, who also happens to be a guitarist songwriter, has helped us understand the medications a bit more too. He can communicate with Richard and connect with him on multiple levels, which is very reassuring.
And of course Richard’s sister, Rose, and her husband, Alan were our biggest supporters throughout this time, actually driving from Kentucky to help–her decades as an ER nurse and personal experience were invaluable to us. We still incorporate things we learned from them as we live our “new normal” each day.
Emotions have run high during the nine days Richard spent in the hospital (yes, some are symptoms post stroke), as well as during his rehab and recovery at home. Synchronicities hit us when we listened to a song he’d finished and received back from our Nashville, Tennessee studio just prior to this event happening.
We are reprioritizing
We’re now, actually living the concept of “go where you are celebrated, not just tolerated.” We’ll be moving to a new area when our lease is up in Bradenton, as #1 we don’t want to live near the coast anymore, and #2 none of our friends from this area have shown up in person to help us. I know that sounds negative, but I don’t intend it to be negative as in bad, simply that now that we know this, we can move to a northern area of Florida without any guilt or feelings about missing them.
I had more friends in the St. Petersburg, Florida area and points north anyway, and living somewhere between Ocala and Brooksville should work out better for us to seem them whenever we can. It seems to me that people who live north of the Skyway Bridge do not want to travel south of it and drive across it very often. And of course in general, many in my circle have not been venturing out nearly as much after March 2022 when C*VID became a thing.
What we’re improving upon
We’re focused on learning new ways to cook and eat. New ways to save money. New activities to improve our physical bodies, such as moving more, walking, working out with our Yamuna balls and other rehab type gym equipment, and taking more time to sit together and hold hands. And I am getting certified in Reiki again and practicing more self care and in turn, practicing Reiki on Richard each day. And I am finding blessings in ALL of those things.
Acknowledgments
I thought this would be a short post, but want to thank a few people! ❤️😉
Thank YOU, Victoria Stitzer (and our beautiful Reiki circle practitioners and attendees) for sharing and teaching profound Reiki concepts and practical application. https://transformvegas.com
Thank YOU so much Beaird Studios! https://www.beairdmusicgroup.com
Thank YOU family and friends for gifts, calls, Facebook shares (of our story and music), as well as warm thoughts, prayers, holistic bio healing sessions, and sending loving Reiki Energy.
ABOUT ME
I have a new book coming out SOON! Stay tuned.
I have a passion for WORDS and Connecting people. In particular, I love speaking and writing about spiritual and consciousness raising topics, holistic wellness and simple healthy living. I am empathic, intuitive, compassionate, and kind, with a keen and unified wisdom about life.
I’m an Amazon bestselling author of two co-authored books: “Transform Your Life Book 2 Inspirational Stories and Expert Advice” and “Energy of Receiving”, available on Amazon. Plus, I’ve written a health book (in the making for 13 years), Take It Upon Yourself to Live a Wholly Vibrant Life, that’s available here.
OBSERVATIONS ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Conversations surrounding emotional balance, moral ambiguities, and deep spiritual truths (such as We Are All Connected, and Put Your Hands Together When You Pray), are what Sheila is most passionate about.
Sheila feels a profound empathic Connection with people and what they’re going through by merely sharing her own truth, speaking freely about her personal struggles, and shares authentically about the challenges she continues to overcome. Sheila strives to ease lonelines, strengthen the will of those exiting toxic relationships, remind us all that we are stronger than we think we are, and that eventually, Everything Resolves to Gratitude.
Be who your soul beckons you to be.
Here’s us: https://vimeo.com/416711742?ref=fb-share
Information provided is for educational purposes only and is not intended to treat, diagnose or prescribe.
Wholly Integrating Spirals 
My thoughts are with you and your husband, Sheila. I hope he continues his recovery and the move goes well for you.
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p.s. you have a good singing voice.
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Aww, that’s a sweet compliment.
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Oh, I just realized you were talking about the vocal on the “new song.” Thatwas a professional out of Nashville TN.
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Thank you so much!
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You’re welcome.
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I hope your husband continues to improve following his stroke! I myself had a subarachnoid hemorrhage as a result of a ruptured cerebral aneurysm back in 2019 and spent a while in the hospital as a result (I eventually wrote a six-part series about it), so I can empathize. Best of luck with the move and the upcoming book!
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WOW! I don’t know what a subarachnoid hemorrhage is, but it sounds scary (probably why medical people name things like that). I am glad you recovered and lived to write about it, James. Please post a link for us to get your series. ❤️
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Oh it’s basically bleeding into the space between your brain and your skull. It’s considered a hemorrhagic stroke and is the most lethal kind of stroke, with a fatality rate of between 40%-60% even with emergency treatment. Good times! If you want to have a look at my writeup of all the fun, it starts here: https://jamesviscosi.com/2020/01/21/the-event-part-1/
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Oh wow, James that really WAS a big deal event in your life!
Were your three pets okay too? And do you still have the pointy coffee table? I might give that away if it were me. Ours has rounded edges but glass, so that’s probably not good either (but we rent and it was already here).
Those paramedics are great, aren’t they?
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Oh the three animals were fine ― they took good care of me when I came home and we have since added a second dog to even things up with the cats. 😁 We do still have the pointy-cornered coffee table but now it lives up against the wall. And yeah, the paramedics get a big hooray from me, and from my wife too, I’m sure!
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I’;m happy to hear you are moving forward and glad you are finding new ways to deal with your husbands tragic stroke. Love this “We’re now, actually living the concept of “go where you are celebrated, not just tolerated.” Happy you have circles of love and friendship. Good luck on your book!! ❣️
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Thank you so much, Cindy! Yes, we ran right up against the “Life is short” thing, so we’re reprioritizing and looking forward to forward positive changes. ❤️
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You’re so welcome Sheila!! this is so true and it makes us prioritize!! ❣️
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So sorry to hear about your Husband Richard’s stroke. I pray that The Lord is with you as you navigate this, may he get the best help he needs for his recovery. May you also get some wonderful friends who are not friends in name only when you move to the new place.
God bless you both.
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I’m sorry to hear about your husband’s stroke. I hope he’s getting the best care and wishing him all the best. My granddad had a stroke when I was a kid and it affected his speech, so I’m familiar with what that’s like.
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My grandmother had a debilitating stroke when I was young too, so that’s all I knew of strokes my whole life until this happened, Jenny. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize the symptoms of a minor stroke or its lasting effects until now, else I would have gotten my husband medical attention when he had a previous stroke 1.5 to 2 years ago (as evidenced by the CT scan they took tgis time, that only shows older injuries to the brain).
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My goodness, Sheila, you’ve been through so much as has your husband. May I just jot down here a snippet from my life? I had a life changing incident back in 1993 having a profound effect on all areas of my life. I too found out friends were not actually friends. My entire life as I knew it to be, I lost. Yet today I can say with true conviction, that accident is one of the Greatest Blessings in my life for I would not be the person I am today. All things work out for GOOD. I will keep your husband and you in my heart and prayers for I know even though the going may be tough right now, both of you in hindsight one day, will be ever so grateful for this stroke. God bless the both of you.
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What a heartfelt comment, AmyRose. You are a dear and compassionate soul.
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I don’t know if I saw this either, AmyRose. I don’t see that I replied to you. If not, I apologize as I love your heart and thought provoking comment! I am so glad and agree, that all things work out for the GOOD eventually. In meditation, that is something I’ve been shown. And the words dropped into my mind of, Everything Resolves to Gratitude. Thank you dear heart!
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Shiela, please do not apologize. Life as we know it to be right now has sped up tremendously and some days find us so busy. I must believe all things work out for GOOD. That doesn’t mean however that the evil I do know that does exist in this world I abide by it and shrug it off. NO!!! This only makes me more focused on keeping my frequency high and radiating love out to the world to help those battling this evil to eradicate it. I am just so grateful Spirit taught me how to love and to end in my life, the evil that had me imprisoned within. BIG HUGS!!! xo
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So happy your husband is on the mend and you are moving to where your heart is calling Sheila. Congratulations. That’s awesome and your book is so exciting as well!
💞❣️
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Reblogged this on How I found My Muchness.
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“New normal” for me is learning to live without my husband of 43 years. He died on the 23rd of September. Your post resonates with me on many level. I am also an author and spent the past decade or more as my husband’s caregiver. I am sending positive energy and prayers for a full recovery for Richard and lots of strength for you both as you travel this road.
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💜 EEP (Energetic Evolution Process) EveryOne; the Ex-Wife Left Me because SHE!!! is Asleep, Oblivious and Lackadaisical while I AM Awake, Aware and Alert so Well Done for Sticking with YOUR!!! Marriage Vows
…💛💚💙…
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I am glad you’re awake!
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