My name is Shari Winters, my husband’s name is Dick Winters, and we’re from the U.P. of Michigan; Escanaba, Michigan, which is real close to Wisconsin.
Dick was the ultimate of social; in fact there were periods of time where I thought “oh my goodness, I wish he’d just want to stay home!” But we played cards, we volunteered, we went to plays, we went to band concerts, we did socialization with the friends that we had at Sol la Vida.
He also was very active. He’s a retired minister, and he would fill in for preaching at different congregations. So playing cards, playing games, being with people, going out to eat, going to plays, going to musical events: those were all things that we loved to do.
Well for one thing I’m in charge of everything, I have never, up until the day he had his stroke, I never wrote a check, I never paid a bill, I never filled the car with gas so I’ve had to learn all kinds of new and different things. And not only that, but we have found that friendship is just a beautiful thing because they have been extremely forgiving of his present state of not being able to converse. And we are continuing to play games, we are continuing to socialize, but it’s just a little more difficult.
Very thankful for whatever advancements he makes in conversation. The grandchildren are very forgiving and loving. In the house he is totally independent. I don’t have to help him with anything for his personal cares, and that’s been wonderful. That part of the stroke he has overcome.
My challenge is to remember to repeat things, and talk slowly, and give him time to come up with the words he’s trying to get and not to accept the word “the thing” or “I don’t know”. Just to continue the policies or the procedures that we’ve learned here at The Aphasia Center.