For any of you not on Facebook, here's a video update from Ginger.  Feel free to share this link if you feel inspired.  Thanks again for your past & continued prayers and support.  We can feel the love and it's making all the difference in the world.  Bless you all!

Photo: Ginger's been swimming everyday as part of her PT.

Video: https://youtu.be/7M-nQOpgjaU

Hey look... it's a bee. Keeping at it, every day.

A friend brought me a 1000-piece puzzle. 🧩 The puzzle is cognitively challenging, visually stimulating, and therapeutic for my left hand. And it has a big bee. 🐝🌻 My vision has returned to its pre-stroke status, and I am able to use my old reading glasses now. 🤓 Praise God. 🙏

Hey, Ginger here (dictating), something good that happened this week is that I met with 2 alternative practitioners that are open to taking me on as a client, and I would like to start with them in July.

I’m being told that my speech is getting more and more clear. Sometimes I sound like I’m tired, but no longer like I have a speech problem. I was able to reduce the dose of one of the meds so that’s a move in the right direction, and allows me to stay awake twice as many hours as before.

What is frustrating is trying to transition out of the impersonal care of the institutions that are determining a plan for your life based on an algorithm not my actual needs. It can be so disheartening and discouraging. Like once they get you dependent on them, they don’t want to let you go. I am praying that I am able to make the transition to a more wholistic healing plan by August.

This week should be my last visit to the hospital, and my first big step away from mainstream medical care.

Thanks again for all your prayers and support.

It has been a difficult week. As you can imagine finding herself at the mercy of the mainstream medical system's indifference is hard for her. This week we learned the hospital suspects she has a brain aneurysm and scheduled her for a procedure in two weeks, but it’s not clear why they suspect this. We even woke up at 3 am and drove 2 hours to Charleston to meet with her medical team to learn more but they cancelled the appointment 30 mins after we arrived. Someone read us the medical file, but with no context and we still haven't heard the goal for procedure... it's very frustrating (so much for informed consent.)

As part of her self-directed PT (yes, you heard that right, no one has showed up yet) Ginger is swimming in the pool and walking the driveway circle everyday. She’s getting stronger, but progress is slower than she’d like, and she gets tired out easily. Although, she has finally achieved the dream of justifiably sleeping 10 hours a day. “Doctor’s orders!"

It's amazing how many of you have stepped up and said "how can I help?" which we all appreciate so very much. So here's the latest:

This fundraiser has *mercifully* covered the cost of the hospitalization, but we have a long way to go, and none of us can work at least for the next month. So spreading or re-posting the link would be a big help. Additionally Ginger welcomes and appreciates your prayers and kind words for a resolution to whatever problems may exist currently and long-term in her noggin. She feels very loved by all of you. Keep it up!

💖🙏✨

The Taylors

A note again to thank you all for your love and support. One of the blessings of this stroke is that it has given me some insight into what our kids with the autism label go through.

Not being able to accomplish what your brain is telling your body to to is frustrating. having people talk to me like I am a child just pisses me off. I hand been tolerating it politely for weeks but one woman came into my hospital room didn't bother introducing herself or telling me why she was there and straight up started to baby talk to me. I lost it, " Can you please stop talking to me like I am a child. I am a 55 year old woman with a masters degree from a famous university." Turns out her last job was an elementary school nurse. I suggested she adjust to her new population. Grateful that I had the verbal skills to do so. What about our non speakers who don't? I can't imagine tolerating that for years.

I had one therapist I really liked come in and say, "Here is what we are going to do..." and then lay out her very reasonable plan. I responded, "Have you ever heard the phrase, 'nothing about us without us?'" She had not, so I introduced her to the concept, and then my modifications to her plan, and she was immediately onboard with both. How a many good, well meaning therapists can't get that feed back have angry clients who are being insulted, and short changed because they cannot express their own (adult) goals?

I am a richer woman having walked in their shoes, if even only for a few steps, as I am recovering.

Please pray for my continued encouragement and provision during this journey.

- Ginger

Hello friends, it’s me Ginger, writing to you from home which Chandler fills with joy and laughter. I am so thankful to be here, and I am so grateful to my friends, family and this community who have given me an abundance of loving encouragement and tangible support in this difficult time. After 3-1/2 weeks in the hospital, coming home is an amazing milestone, but it also presents new challenges.

Fall prevention is job number one, so Scott has been busy fitting the house with enough grab bars that we can rent it out as a rock-climbing parkour gym after I recover.

I have some impairments (big and small) but I am grateful to God that my recovery has come relatively quickly thus far. Among the challenges, my vision was impacted, but it is returning. Additionally my LEFT HAND FORGOT HOW TO TYPE. These two difficulties conspire against me in achieving my former glory in the online communication of my deep wisdom and razor-sharp witticisms. Rest assured my superior intellect remains intact. Webster is typing this for me now and fortunately speech-to-text exists, so please offer extra grace as my online rants will contain far more errors and non-sequiturs than usual.

I have found that having a stroke and facing my weaknesses has opened up a whole new avenue for comedy and know that I will be taking myself even less seriously than before. I am grateful for the information I've received from you all on hemorrhagic stroke and treatment thereof. I know that this community is the best possible resource on treating brain injury, so keep the information coming. 

Also, keep in mind that everything is exhausting for me. Even just brushing my teeth takes forever. Therefore, I am instituting a new policy. I am allowing myself one calendar year to reply to messages. Please be patient with me, I function much like a drunk toddler these days.

I am so grateful for your financial support. Seeing how much you’ve been willing to help us has been a hedge against discouragement. I feel so loved. Thank you.

Your friend, Ginger