LIVING IN THE DAY
Charlottetown resident cherishes his post-stroke life
Charlottetown resident cherishes his post-stroke life
Positive perspective has replaced the paralysis Tim Bolger suffered temporarily following a stroke.
The 53-year-old Charlottetown resident chooses to cherish what he still has rather than lament what has been stripped away.
“It’s definitely had a significant impact, but not all of it is bad,’’ he says.
“I have really learned how to live in the day.’’
Bolger’s life has been clearly altered since an ischemic stroke caused by a blood clot sent him to hospital on Nov. 20, 2015.
First, he had some paralysis on his right side. Speech was also a challenge.
For 10 days — a period he calls a blur — Bolger received test after test after test.
He recalls being asked to think of every word that begins with the letter ‘R’.
He was given one minute. He could not come up with a single word.
Today, no signs of paralysis exist.
His only physical difficulty is fatigue, which is not nearly the issue it was in the weeks following his stroke where simply getting up a flight of stairs was a “brutal’’ process. “Physically, I’m OK,’’ he says. “Mentally I get exhausted. I’m always processing words all the time now. And I have to think more than I ever did before.’’
Both his work and play are suffering due to the stroke.
The quantity and quality of Bolger’s golf game has taken a hit.
Before the stroke, he would play as often as six rounds a week. Now, it is not uncommon to play only a portion of a round
due to fatigue.
Work has been sidelined completely since the stroke.
Bolger hopes he will eventually be able to return to his longtime job as an addictions youth worker.
“I want to work for what I get,’’ he says.
“I want to contribute. Drawing insurance is not my style. So that has an effect on me. The other thing is not being able to help people. It’s very rewarding (work), and I find that I miss that a lot.’’
Bolger, though, subscribes to the cup-is-half-full-not-halfempty thinking.
For instance, he has worked out in his home gym for years. He is back to about 75 per cent of what he used to do. That, he notes, is quite good.
“I don’t really look at where I want to be,’’ he explains.
“I’m just going to take every day as it comes, and if I get a little bit better every day, then that is fantastic. If I stay where I am, that’s fantastic, too.’’