When I wasn’t eating candy today, I was thinking about how since I got sober and since my stroke, I feel like I’m in one of those video games where the path beneath my feet materializes as I take each step forward in my life. I have no clue what I’m doing, but when I get still and quiet my constantly racing thoughts, I get inspired and more trusting in my newly unfolding path.

Rather than sticking to the familiar routes that kept me stuck (and drunk) in the past, I’ve been walking in a direction that is not already paved for me—and, things seem to be falling in to place. When I push too hard, my symptoms kick in—headaches, blurred vision, dizziness—reminding me not to try force myself forward. When I get still, I get more peace and clarity, and my energy recharges, like a video game power bar.

My dual recovery journey is helping me see myself as a whole person, not defined by limitations but reshaped by them. My goal now isn’t just to “get back” to where I was before my stroke but to create a life that’s even more joyful, serene, and fulfilling.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts and YouTube.

Visit me at ⁠⁠⁠recoverydailypodcast.com⁠⁠⁠ or email me at ⁠rachel@recoverydailypodcast.com⁠.

#RecoveryJourney #TrustTheProcess #HealingPath #OneStepAtATime #SobrietyLife #StrokeRecovery #InnerStrength #PathToClarity #SelfDiscovery #MindfulHealing #VideoGameLife #JourneyToWholeness #RecoveryPodcast #ListenWithin #MentalClarity #MeditationMoments #RecoveryWins #PresentMoment #HealingJourney #CalmMind

I decided at the beginning of this year to start a book club for Recovery Daily Podcast. The book club is cleverly called “Reads and Recovery". Each month, I choose a book that resonates with themes of recovery, self-discovery, and personal resilience. Each aims to inspire, challenge, and accompany us through healing. I used to joke with my friends that I was the only one in the book club, but apparently there are some other folks reading along which is exciting! “If you build it, they will come.” 🤓

Today's Reads and Recovery episode reviews the book "An Anthropologist on Mars" by Oliver Sacks, author and neurologist. Sacks profiles seven individuals facing extraordinary neurological conditions, including a surgeon with Tourette's syndrome, an artist who loses his ability to see color, and a man who temporarily regains partial vision after decades of blindness. The compilation of case studies challenges our understanding of what it means to be normal and how one can thrive. even in the face of adversity.

The book gave me a new perspective on adapting and even embracing my disability. Sacks encourages us to look at the whole person behind the disability. My disability doesn't have to limit me; instead, it is just revealing a new way to experience the world.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube!

Visit me at ⁠⁠⁠recoverydailypodcast.com⁠⁠⁠ or email me at ⁠rachel@recoverydailypodcast.com⁠.

#BookClub #RecoveryJourney #OliverSacks #AnAnthropologistOnMars #DisabilityAwareness #NeurologicalConditions #LivingWithDisability #MentalHealthMatters #Resilience #DisabilityAdvocacy #PodcastEpisode #BookReview #IfYouBuildItTheyWillCome #recovery

Today is a special day for my stroke recovery. I get to share my personal experience with stroke, raise awareness, and highlight the importance of prevention, treatment, and recovery support. In June 2021, I experienced an ischemic stroke that changed my life's trajectory. It impacted my vision, left me with chronic head pain, and made me rethink my approach to health, recovery, and life. Through therapies, family and friends' support, and the medical community, I am on a journey of resilience to share my experience, strength, and hope. My purpose is to help another survivor not have to struggle the way that I did to find answers.

Since I am the over-achieving type, today's episode is presented with visuals including identifying the warning signs of stroke using the acronym B.E.F.A.S.T. Today I also discuss how to reduce your stroke risk and what treatments and therapies are available during and post stroke.

Recovering from a stroke is physical and deeply mental and emotional. Acceptance is hard. Really hard. Learning to care for my mental health has played a vital role in progressing my physical recovery. Stroke recovery, much like sobriety, demands patience, self-compassion, and a support network. I'm learning when to rest, seek help, and give myself permission to feel until I can accept the new version of myself.

Please click share so more people know the signs of a stroke and can B.E.F.A.S.T. to get help:

B - Balance: Sudden loss of balance or coordination

E - Eyes: Blurred or double vision, or sudden loss of vision

F - Face: Facial drooping, usually on one side

A - Arms: Arm weakness or numbness, especially on one side

S - Speech: Slurred speech or difficulty speaking

T - Time: Call 911 immediately if any of these signs are present.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts and on ⁠YouTube⁠!

Visit me at ⁠⁠⁠recoverydailypodcast.com⁠⁠⁠ or email me at ⁠rachel@recoverydailypodcast.com⁠.

#WorldStrokeDay #StrokeAwareness #StrokePrevention #IschemicStroke #BEFAST #StrokeRecovery #KnowTheSigns #ActFAST #HealthAwareness #LifeAfterStroke #MentalHealthMatters #Resilience #RecoveryJourney #SurvivorStories #SupportNetwork #PreventStroke #StrokeEducation #RaiseAwareness #ShareYourStory #StrokeSigns #HealthAdvocacy #PatientEmpowerment