Don’t Let Healthcare Workers Silence You

Photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash

I can’t speak. There are times when my speech is very fluid. There are times when it’s not, like right now. When I first had my stroke, I was assigned to a speech therapist. I had two appointments. I would work on speaking slowly and clearly. I would work on reading out loud. I had specific tasks I was supposed to follow to help me work through my speech problems.

The problem was that when I am tired (medication) or my allergies kicked up (brain fog), I had a hard time speaking clearly. My speech therapist seemed to think it had something to do with my childhood stuttering, which I conquered. I am convinced that it’s due to my stroke. Either way, it’s frustrating.

I lost my speech therapist.

After only a second appointment, I was told she would follow up with me regarding her schedule. She was a contractor, and her schedule was not regular. After several weeks, I read in my medical record that I had not scheduled another appointment and bailed on the speech therapist. Which was utter bullshit. I was waiting for her to call me.

I hooked up with a chiropractor who did hyperbaric oxygen therapy. I would sit in a chamber that was pressurized to double the standard atmospheric pressure. Oxygen was added to the chamber through a cannula. The combination of pressurized air and oxygen would work together to heal my brain. Unfortunately, I was unable to keep my appointments for more than 10 sessions due to finances. Interestingly, it seemed to work while it lasted.

Not being able to speak has affected my home life.

One thing where not being able to speak has been my home life. My wife has a way of saying things that make my brain stop being able to communicate well. She tries, and I try to communicate with her, but sometimes my inability to communicate gets in the way. My kids (they are all adults) do the same, but they lose their patience at times. I can see it in their eyes. Just this evening, I tried to have a conversation with my wife about my son’s bank account being overdrawn. I tried to explain to her what happened, but I was unable to effectively describe the issue. It was frustrating for me.

I’m unable to get a job. 

My inability to speak has made it very difficult to find a job. Imagine trying to have an interview when you can’t communicate your skills and strengths. Couple this with being tired due to medication and it’s nearly impossible. I’m not complaining. It’s up to me to get things done no matter how I feel. It’s just difficult.         

Conclusion

If your therapist or doctor, whoever, wants to put you off, don’t let them. Stay on them. Don’t let them take advantage of you. Make sure you get what you need for your quality of life.

Published by Jeff Reynolds

Principal of Reynolds Consulting LLC.