Coming Face To Face with Stroke

After the department meeting yesterday, I visited my English Boss with a few colleagues.

I was hoping to see a much improved version of her, but she continued to lie on the bed, and she was still immobile. This time, her limbs were fitted with plastic slabs, supposedly to prevent them from degenerating as a result of lack of use.

The machines were gone, but her diet remained as 'Ensure', brand of a milk powder.

Her dented head looked more sunken than ever. The skull that was removed was larger than I had thought.

She was sleeping when we arrived.

Her eyelids fluttered a little, hinting that she was not too deeply asleep.

I touched her hand and called her name.

Her eyes opened for a while, and sank into slumber again.

I touched her and called her again.

This time, her eyes opened widely. We called her and spoke to her. Her eyes remained widened. Compared to the last time I saw her, I felt that she had improved a little. She was able to make eye contact with us now, albeit for a little while. Previously, she could not focus on the person right in front of her. I thought it a marked improvement.

She looked like she wanted to respond. Her neck stiffened, like she wanted to get up.

A nurse propped her up.

We talked to her, asked her if she could remember us.

She looked like she wanted to say something, but could not.

Her six-month-old son's pictures were blue-tacked onto the sides of the bed so that she could see them, and hopefully motivate her to get well.

One of my colleagues wept.

We felt that she could understand what we were saying. Another colleague was hushed as she mentioned the words 'M would not want to see her in this state'.

Looking at her condition, I cannot help but wonder how long it will take for her to recover. It has been four months, and her recovery seems to take an eternity.

I look at stroke face to face and feel that it is one of the most fearsome infirmities. It strips a person of her looks, her basic ability to care for herself and above all, her dignity.

I never knew that stroke can be so painful, for the person herself and the people around her. I pray that it will never befall my loved ones or myself.