"I wanna be...."

"Your stroke survivor...."

As the song goes.

Got your copy of copy of Stroke News through yet? If not, why not? Nip onto the Stroke Association website (see sidebar) and get yours now.

It's, in my opinion, gone a bit downhill nowadays in some respects - less readers letters, a greater emphasis on promotion. But then again, it IS free, and drumming up support is what it's all about.

On the plus side, great articles, Lager - er... larger typeface, much easier to read, and more event adverts - had to chuckle at the one for "10K Military Run" One-half K Military Wobble followed by a 91/2 K stretcher in my case :) And in this Spring edition a great emphasis on Aphasia and depression, something both of which are grossly under recognised individually, and even rarely considered together.

I'm luckily enough not to suffer from depression, but I do have aphasia. To quote the writer Terry Pratchett, on discovering he had early onset Alzheimers, it's an "Embuggerance".

How does an Aphasic blogger blog? Very, very, slowly, and very carefully :)

Please note the new link on the sidebar to the Left Handers Club .

I was born in that generation where the left-hand was considered "The Devils Hand", and got a rap on the knuckles if I used it when I used it. After a right-sided stroke, it turned out they did me a favour. I'd always favoured my left in most cases. So adapting was easier.

However, getting hold of left handed scissors, or a tin opener, for instance, was an absolute pig. Until I found their shopping site.

Oh, on the tin-opener front, I found a NO hand tin opener The One Touch for £20 (about $36) from a local John Lewis. Marvellous :)

Watch those sharp edges though - and as I'm sure you're aware, some commercial carer organisations won't use anything other than ring-pull cans. Health and safety fears, apparently.

Wusses. But that's for another day...

Please feel free to share your experiences.