Getting Better All The Time
My name is Wayne Pifer. I had a stroke on Christmas Eve in 2009. I was 54 years old. I lived in North Carolina. I was in the hospital and rehab for 7 months in North Carolina. I was in the hospital for 2 months. Then I went to rehab for 5 months. I had PT, OT, and speech therapy. Therapy was very hard.
Then I moved to Maryland with my mother. I’ve had a lot of support and help from my family. I have 2 sisters in Maryland- Carla and Terri. I have 2 brothers in Maryland – Mike and Gary. And I have 1 brother in South Carolina – Kenny. My brother Gary helps me a lot at home. My family supported me with writing a letter to a lawyer for disability benefits.
I have a daughter, Lauren she is 13 years old. She lives in South Carolina and I don’t get to see her much. I miss her.
I started coming to SCALE 3 years ago. I come on Mondays and Wednesdays. It’s a good place and I like it here. Before coming to SCALE I was home alone most days. Now when I go to SCALE I get to talk to my friends all the time. I go on trips like bowling and the aquarium. I even had a friend from SCALE come over to help me paint a room in my house.
I also like all of the classes at SCALE. I like the Lingraphica class because it is hard but helps me get better. I also like working in Arms and Hands class. I use a Saebo-flex at home 3 days a week to help my hand. The Arms and Hands class helps too. I also like working on my reading and writing at SCALE.
After my stroke I was depressed, angry, and frustrated. Support from family, friends, my daughter, and SCALE have helped me get better. My arms and legs are getting better and stronger each day. I have learned to use my ipad to stay in touch with friends and do more online. I don’t feel as alone as before. It’s hard but I’m getting better all the time.
