A Post to update you on my progress and my gratitude to you.

A year ago today I was sitting at my mother's bedside saying goodbye to her. My stroke followed quickly on the heels of her passing.

Suffice it to say this has been one of the most difficult years of my life. Despite this, and even when I have been in deep sadness, I have rarely become despondent. This is almost entirely because of 2 factors — the first is the faithfulness of God, and the second is the support of my friends and family. Words cannot express how grateful I am to you for supporting our family through this time.

In 2024 I considered it my job to sit quietly and focus on recovery. Truth be told, I was concerned that I would not be able to do anymore of the things I have done for the last 20 years. To "outlive one's usefulness" is a difficult challenge in life. I told myself I could start writing and sharing my opinions again in 2025.

At the end of January, I got up the gumption and inspiration to write a piece supporting Bobby's nomination process. It was an exhausting feat at the time and required several naps to complete. But I managed to write an article on Congress's role in declaring vaccines unavoidably unsafe. It was good. In fact it was so good that the Brownstone Institute decided to run it and it became their most read article of the week. I cried a lot because it meant that my mind was not gone. Article: https://brownstone.org/articles/the-99th-congress-that-called-vaccines-unavoidably-unsafe/. 

It gave me the confidence to start writing again and subjects started flowing. I have since come to understand that 1 Substack will cost me 2 naps. So it's frustrating that my output is so low.  

Since then I have been able to achieve a few things. At the end of January I was invited to speak to a class at The University of South Carolina on my response to the Wakefield scandal. I was able to cobble together a one hour lecture from things I had already written, and was privileged to be able to speak to the class of future medical practitioners about the circumstances Before & After the Wakefield scandal. I pulled it off, but by the end of the lecture I was talking pretty slow, and my dear friend had to do some work to help me to the car. Article: https://gingertaylor.substack.com/p/the-andrew-wakefield-story-in-context

After spending a month in Minnesota for hyperbaric treatments, last week I attended the MAPS medical conference with friends. "I get by with a little help for my friends" seems to be my theme for 2025. Kim Mac Rosenberg flew down to Savannah and picked me up and we drove to the conference in Myrtle Beach. She was then my primary caregiver for the week, assisted by many wonderful people I have known for decades. It was ambitious. And I don't think many people there knew how wobbly I was. But I pulled it off, with daily naps of course. Including taking a nap every day in an Oxyhealth soft chamber. My gratitude to Mayur Patel for the daily HBOT.  PS, if anybody has a soft chamber just laying around, I would be happy to give it a good home. :)

I am proud to share that I was among the OG Moms who were honored at the conference, for being a constant, long-term pain in the hind quarters of the medical industry.

I have made great progress in my recovery, to the point where I am useful again. But being useful is hard work. I am working toward being fully functional and useful again by the end of the summer. Please pray that my body cooperates with my plan.

As of now, it has been a year since either Scott or I have had meaningful work. With me learning to function again and Scott being my caregiver. 

While I did over-extend myself last weekend in Myrtle Beach, what it proved to me is that I can live on my own for a week or two at a time. I have successfully driven to the grocery store, which was probably the last piece of the puzzle. So Scott is now looking for work which he usually has to leave home for. So if anyone is looking for a TV line producer or film production help or just a high-stress problem solver (he should’ve become an air traffic controller) please get in touch because we are now scraping in the bottom of the barrel and we need him to get back to work far more than me.

So your donations are still greatly appreciated, but what would be most encouraging to me now is if you'd  consider buying a paid subscription to my substack. This is encouraging and helps me get back into a work mindset.

I won't be able to turn out work like I used to quite yet, but as you can see I have been writing on the regular now.

So please support my work. I want to be of use again. And I think my work is pretty good.

/ginger.

HBOT selfie.

I am back in the can again. The 10 dives I did in Dec were really good. It got me well enough to get to the ball in DC (although I still needed wheelchair assistance a bit) and it got me to the point that I could write a real article for the Brownstone (update #9). So I am back for more.

I also want to say a heart felt thank you to those of you who have donated to us. It has been a year since I have worked and Scott has spent almost all of it caring for me and you guys have kept our heads above water. Further help is needed in case you find extra change in your couch or are a major pharmaceutical manufacturer with a guilt complex.  

Hello friends, I wrote an article that was published on Brownstone.org about the RKF Jr. senate hearings. Looks like my brain is healing: https://brownstone.org/articles/the-99th-congress-that-called-vaccines-unavoidably-unsafe/

Hello dear friends. An update on my recovery process. I feel like I am about halfway back, and I have been graciously offered free hard tank hyperbaric treatment in Minneapolis at the Holland Center. I'm finally at a point in my recovery that I am able to travel, So I will be trying to go up next month. The center reports that their stroke patients are among the most successful of their HBOT clients.

We are currently trying to raise a bit more funds for travel expenses so I can go. I am so grateful for the generous help this community has sent me since last Spring. I'm hoping that you might indulge me a bit longer and help me get to a place where I can fully get back to work. If you can contribute it would be a great blessing. Thank you.

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