At some point in our lives, most of us have had to help nurse someone through an illness. As the mother of five children my husband and I raised in mostly rural areas where medical help was more than 30 minutes away, and thankfully rarely needed, I’ve done my share of amateur nursing.

Until a couple of months ago I thought my years of experience had earned me at least the equivalent of Amateur Nursing 202. Then my husband had a stroke and we spent 42 days and nights together in hospital and rehab hospital rooms where he determinedly worked on his recovery and I had to learn some new ways to help him.

Take the art of applying anti-embolism hose – please. I don’t even like putting pantyhose on myself when I have to dress up, but learning to help my 6-foot-2-inch husband squeeze into some impossibly tight-fitting, potentially life-saving thigh-high stockings became a priority. Neither of us dared complain about the chore, either, after our cheerful but no-nonsense neurologist informed us her 80-plus, arthritic mother puts on her anti-embolism hose every day – all by herself.

I also had to overcome what seemed to be an innate inability to manage the leg rests and navigation of Frank’s wheel chair. In the course of a day of therapy it seems like you either have to put on or take off a patient’s wheelchair leg rests about every five minutes. I finally got better and faster at that chore, but if my husband had $5 for every time my wheelchair steering gave him a scare or a bruise, he could probably afford to hire a private “real” nurse.

I did pick up some great nursing tips from the real pros, though, such as how to completely remake a patient’s bed with the patient still in it – and how two people (even if one of them isn’t very muscular) can easily “lift” and re-position a 215-pound patient in a hospital bed. My note-taking habit also came in handy for keeping track of Frank’s vital signs, progress and problems.

But whatever I may have lacked in nursing skills, my husband has repeatedly assured me, I made up for it by just being at his side throughout his hospitalization. From the scariest early days of his treatment through his ensuing, steady recovery, we stuck together as we have during all the other ups and downs of our nearly 47-year marriage.

Observing nurses, doctors, nursing assistants and therapists hard at work for 42 days straight was an illuminating and humbling experience – and so was my first personal experience with stroke. I’m grateful for the information I’ve gleaned from every level of medical workers (especially ones who are stroke survivors now recovered and back at their jobs) and publications like “Stroke Smart” magazine and “The Guide for Families Living With Stroke,” and for web sites like www.stroke.org. These resources are helping me better understand what happened to my husband and prospects for his full recovery.

Stroke is now the third leading cause of death in the United States and a leading cause of long-term adult disability, so I urge everyone reading this column to start educating themselves on stroke prevention. Stroke also affects one of 10 American families and can even occur in teens and children, so you’ll never regret trying to learn how to keep yourself and those you love from becoming a stroke statistic.

Damage to the brains and bodies of stroke survivors can vary widely and be temporary or permanent. Not recognizing you’ve had a stroke can even be a symptom that you’ve had one, which happened to Frank. But he has been truly fortunate and blessed in his recovery so far. He did not lose his speech or short- or long-term memory, or suffer any facial disfiguration – his face remains as handsome as ever. With continued rehab, his left leg and arm continue to improve in strength and function and we have good evidence he could soon be walking again on his own.

If I tried to list here all the medical professionals at St. Edward Mercy Medical Center, Cooper Clinic, Sparks Regional Medical Center and HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital in Fort Smith who have helped Frank, they would fill at least half this page and I might forget to include someone. But you all know who you are and Frank and I both thank you wholeheartedly for everything you have done and continue to do – not just for us, but for every stroke survivor and their family members entrusted to your care.

We also are grateful to all our children and other family members, co-workers, friends, readers of this magazine and pastors who called, visited, sent cards and prayed for us while Frank was hospitalized. Frank also was especially thankful for the much-needed haircut his longtime barber surprised him with one day at HealthSouth. May God bless everyone of you as you have blessed us throughout this trying time.

And if any of you ever have the opportunity to offer a word of thanks or encouragement to any health care worker who regularly deals with stroke survivors, please do so. They are everyday heroes who deserve all the encouragement and thanks we can offer.

 

Linda Seubold, editor of Entertainment Fort Smith Magazine, can be reached at lindaseubold@efortsmith.com. Read her archived columns and articles online.

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