Johan d.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
By: Johan deRoos

Survivor

Struck Down by a Stroke, but Now in Full Swing!

In August of 2006, at age 52, I suffered a very serious stroke. Almost five years later, I am proof positive that the road to recovery has no stop sign!

I have always loved travel and adventure. In May 2006, I joined the working crew of the Stad Amsterdam, a 250-foot clipper, for a voyage across the North Atlantic. But I faced my greatest challenge ever three months later, when I suffered a serious stroke.

The stroke affected my right side, and the communication center of my brain. It resulted in aphasia, a condition that impairs my ability to speak fluently. The road to recovery has been a long one—with a month of inpatient therapy, continuing outpatient therapy and I have participated in eight research programs.

My doctors, therapists and researchers appreciate my adventuresome side, and they are constantly finding new ways of challenging me. One way was to get me back on the tennis court!

Some people still think that stroke survivors can't improve after a certain point. But here I am almost five years later, and I am still improving strength, balance and speech. I am proof positive that there's always hope.

Remember the road to recovery may have many pot holes and be a tough one to travel—but there is NO STOP SIGN at the end! GO recovery!