I am reading the most fascinating book entitled My Stroke of Insight by Jill Bolte Taylor, Phd. (Sorry, I tried to insert information, but my computer froze.) Dr. Taylor is a brain scientist and this book tells of her stroke and her journey in overcoming the stroke.
Parts of the book are so overwhelmingly left-brained and detailed with vocabulary I do not understand, so I skimmed over those parts. What I did find interesting is that any hemmoraging on the brain is classified as a stroke. Dr. Taylor was very left-brained just like Truett. Analytical, compartmentalized, etc. When her stroke happened, the only thing she was left with was her right hemisphere of the brain trying to compensate for words she couldn't recall, for details, etc.
As Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor takes us through her journey through rehabilatation, she was asked to repeat three words several minutes after other questions were asked of her. She had difficulty, just as Truett did. She could not recall facts because the left hemisphere of her brain was embedded with blood. Her right hemisphere allowed her to see pictures, even though her speech was impeded. I remember Truett being asked to repeat words or to tell the rehab workers what time it was; and he had difficulty with this time and again.
Even though Truett had a tumor rupture, blood spewed onto his analytical, left hemisphere of the brain. I kept saying, "He didn't have a stroke." But the doctors categorize blood on the brain as a stroke.
When Dr. Taylor was asked who was President, she tried desperately to see from her right hemisphere a picture of the President; although she couldn't remember his name because that came from the left hemisphere, the compartmentalized analytical hemisphere. Truett was asked many times during rehab, "Who is President?" He tried hard to remember; but guess what. His right hemisphere only saw a picture of an African American, even though he didn't remember the President's name.
My Stroke of Insight, by Jill Bolte Taylor is a must read for anyone who has lived with a stroke victim.
http://www.mystrokeofinsight.com/index.html
By the way, Dr. Taylor got into brain research because her brother was diagnosed a schizophrenic. Another similarity at one time in our life.
Go Gators!
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