Maintaining a Positive Attitude

Just six months ago, Vicki woke up and taught an early aerobics class like she always did. She then went on to her job at the bank. A normal day quickly changed when she fainted at work from having a stroke.

Since her stroke, Vicki has made immense progress physically; in six months she has gone from a wheelchair, to a cane, and is currently working on her balance to be able to walk on her own. She is already eager to get back to her active life and go back to work.

Vicki and her family have made it an important part of their lives to maintain positive attitudes in spite of all the changes that have occurred. She knows she needs to stay optimistic for herself and to be a role model for her fourteen-year-old daughter, Courtney.

“I’m not going to let the stroke destroy my life—it can’t happen,” Vicki said, “As long as I have faith, that’s all that matters.”

Vicki strongly believes that God has a plan for her life and that everything will work out the way it is supposed to. Since having to adjust to living with aphasia, Vicki and her husband have developed a stronger relationship.

Vicki said that it is a blessing to have the Aphasia Center of West Texas in her hometown. The Aphasia Center gives her a chance to get out of the house during the day. She takes advantage of the opportunity to communicate with other people with aphasia. If she didn’t have the Aphasia Center to come to every day, she would be stuck at home all day with no interaction with other people who share her challenges.

The Aphasia Center of West Texas was the second independent aphasia center in the U.S. to offer on-going aphasia education, adaptive strategies and a host of programs to help people with aphasia re-engage in life’s activities and interactions.