The brain is an amazing, resilient organ, much of which still remains a mystery to science. While the mysteries abound, most people have more control over how their brains function than they think, says Indiana University brain scientist Jill Bolte Taylor.
Taylor has studied the brain in a way few others have. As she suffered a rare form of stroke 10 years ago, she was conscious as she lost the left half of her brain. She has since recovered to write the story in her book, My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist’s Personal Journey. She said many neurologists will say the brain has only a short window, just six months, during which it can recover following a stroke. Taylor disagrees.
“I watched my brain grow, change and recover for eight years before I thought I was fully recovered,” she said.
Suggestions and Observations for Recovering from a Stroke
For the survivor:
Give it time – more time than the experts say. The brain is constantly changing because it has a plasticity that lets its cells make new connections.
- Honor the healing power of sleep. With a brain trauma, every moment is filled with millions of bits of information. Sleep, said Taylor, is when the brain organizes and files away this information, leaving people refreshed and ready to learn when they awake.
For the caregiver:
- Break every action down into little steps. Otherwise the person recovering from the stroke could become discouraged by constant failure. Taylor uses the action of sitting up as an example. Instead of expecting someone who is recovering from a stroke to sit up right away, begin with rocking – and celebrate the rocking. When the survivor can rock with enthusiasm, begin working on a roll – and celebrate the roll until eventually the person can progress to sitting up.
- Constantly remind the survivor how far he or she has come. “Keep it in my face that I’ve made progress. You can’t cheer enough.” Taylor was not aware of her past during much of her recovery, so she often was not aware of what she could and couldn’t do. Achievements were news to her.
For everyone:
- Remember that the survivor is wounded, not stupid, and treat her or him with respect.
- When talking with a survivor, come close and speak slowly and clearly. There is no need to speak loudly, however.
- Be as patient with the survivor on the 20th time you teach him or her something as you were the first time.
“How many brain scientists have been able to study the brain from the inside out? I’ve gotten as much out of this experience of losing my left mind as I have in my entire academic career,” Taylor said. |
