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By: Thomas M. Phillips

I’m 67 years old today and I was about 58 years old when the stroke and eventually the aphasia changed my life.

I was a “turn-around” company executive in California and it was a Friday, the 13th when the stroke hit me, and after almost two-months with two heart attacks and a “created-coma” in the hospital they told me I was alive but…I may never be able to communicate “properly” again. For almost three years I couldn’t…I could not speak or write properly, and all of the doctors and all of the therapists told me “this is just the way it is” and all of the therapists told me they could do nothing more for me. That’s what they told me, and for three years I did what so many do: stay home, watch TV and just wait…and wait for what? I thought there was no good life anymore but I was wrong!

Today I write, create websites and talk to people all over the place and most of them do not know I have aphasia. I did this myself and my computer. I had to…I had to be able to communicate again and today I believe I have about 90% of my communication abilities back. Today I wake up every single day knowing there is a good life after a stroke and with aphasia…if you chose. I know it can be done because I did it. Since that was a Friday the 13th when I got my hair cut and got the stroke I never cut my hair again! Don’t fix it if it’s not broken right?

My original and primary website is www.ghosters.com and it is all stroke/aphasia. I have not updated it for a long time because I want to be able to remember “those years”, but many people have opened the site over the years. You may not like it because I do have a “edge” about the therapists and the doctors. It’s not because I don’t care about them, but I’m not happy about the fact that “it’s just the way it is” and the fact that there are not enough therapists using the computer to help those afflicted. I do know it can be done because I did it…with a computer.