Stories of Aphasia
Participants in the University of Kentucky Aphasia Lab are making their voices heard. Sharing personal experiences, stories, and opening up to speak about how aphasia has affected their life. Graduate and undergraduate students at the university join to interview and guide conversations full of laughter and emotions.
Stories of Aphasia
Episode 1: Kate's Story of Aphasia
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Kate is a participant in the University of Kentucky Aphasia Lab. In this episode, she shares how she acquired aphasia, along with how it has affected her life as a mom. Kate also shares how it has affected her kids and family members.
Aphasia Friendly:
Kate is a participant in the University of Kentucky Aphasia Lab. She talks about how she acquired aphasia. She talks about her kids and family.
For the Aphasia Friendly version of the transcript, please find our website for the link! https://chs.uky.edu/aphasia-lab
Welcome back to Aphasia Stories at the University of Kentucky Aphasia Clinic. Today we will be talking to Kate to learn more about her story with Aphasia.
SPEAKER_02Okay. My name is Kate. I'm 36. I had a stroke in 2022 in December. Uh when I woke up, I couldn't talk, but I can talk now. So hello. I had to speak to you.
SPEAKER_00So you kind of already told us a little bit about yourself, but do you want to talk about your family and kind of where you're from and that kind of thing?
SPEAKER_02Um I live in Letcher County. It's in southeastern Kentucky, uh, beside of Virginia. Um, it's like 20 minutes from Virginia. Um, I have two kids, Fletcher and Ivy. And Fletcher's 10 and Ivy is seven. She's gonna turn eight in December, though. I know. And uh she's like turning 16 really well. Um I live my sister lives aside of me, and then beside of her is her mom, my aunt, and then beside of my aunt's house is my dad's house. So we're in a row here, and I love it. Um, my sister had a baby, and he is the best thing since sliced bread. Oh, that's awesome. But that's it. I mean, I I love where I live. It's it's calm here, you know.
SPEAKER_00That's it. It's great to be around family for sure. Oh, I know. All right, so um, you told us a little bit about your aphasia, and obviously I know what aphasia is, but how would you explain that to someone who doesn't know what it is?
SPEAKER_02Um, well, I didn't know what a fight a phasia was until I had a stroke, you know? Right, and then my mom didn't know either, and she knew I mean she does know everything about everything.
SPEAKER_01She's like, what is this? What is the failure?
SPEAKER_02But um it's it's so hard to communicate, but in your head you can say everything you're thinking, but you cannot rely it, and it's so hard, and still it's hard, but um getting through it, yes, for sure.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's a lot, but you're doing well, yes, and staying positive, oh yeah, which is nice. What has helped you um stay positive and kind of motivated to keep going? My kids, that's it.
SPEAKER_02When I woke up, I was like, I have to get better for my kids, right? Yeah, and I'm still doing it.
SPEAKER_00Yes, I was gonna say the next question I have is how has apasia affected you as a mom?
SPEAKER_01Well, when I got home from the hospital, my kid, I don't know what, but I said, Give me some merch. And my kids are like, Oh, what is merch? I was trying to say milk. Oh goodness, so from then on, every time they get milk, they say, Give me some merch. That's hilarious, but I mean, that's aphasia, yeah.
SPEAKER_02I say stuff and I'm like, that is not what I'm trying to say, is not right.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. So they've kind of also had to learn a lot, yeah. It's good to have them though, for sure.
SPEAKER_02Oh, I know, it's just me and them now, you know. It I mean, for a long time I had uh have had uh stay with me, you know, for right, you know, a year. And then I got independent and I loved it. I loved it.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I was gonna say I'm very independent, so it's yeah, hard to imagine not having that.
SPEAKER_02Well, the first of the year on the first, my Auntie said, Today, you're getting in the bathtub by yourself, and you can do it, and you can get out. And I mean, I did it, and I was like, oh my god, I really I'm independent for real this time. Yeah, you know, you I mean, I was like, you can't, I mean, it's fine to go home and you don't have to come back to bathe me.
SPEAKER_01I put the um chair away from the bathroom.
SPEAKER_02I love it. Get some time to yourself. Oh no, no, it's no never every time my kids start like talking to me when I'm mad then.
SPEAKER_01Of course, of course. Or they have to pee.
SPEAKER_00They always so you like I said are very positive, very motivated, but there are a lot of people with aphasia who are not like that, who have a really hard time. Um, what like advice do you think you could give to them?
SPEAKER_02I know that sometimes I get down, but you have to remember you uh you could have died, you know, but you didn't. And you have all these big obstacles, but you know what? You are alive, that's it. Yes, you can just I don't you you can do you can do it, that's it. You can do it. I don't care how long it takes, but you can do it. Yeah, for sure. You I mean you have to change like some stuff that you can't do anymore, but you can live a good life because you're alive, right? That's it. I mean, I hope I live long enough to see my kids go to school, like in college and get married and get babies, but really, I mean, probably I hope it's like in 25 years ago. My kids, like 30.
SPEAKER_00They've still got a while.
SPEAKER_02I know, but my son says this time, he says, when I get 18, I'm getting married, I'm getting her pregnant.
SPEAKER_01I'm like, you have an old girlfriend, dude. Moving fast. Yeah, I was like, no, no, that's crazy. I'm like, stop.
SPEAKER_00Great goals though, I guess. Uh no, at 18 no. Oh, God. Yeah, I think also for the people who, you know, kind of don't aren't very motivated or aren't very positive, being in the aphasia lab and getting to come and speak with each other. I can't think you can see how other people live their lives. Yeah. And just having kind of a community of people who are kind of going through the same thing.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00So is that kind of why you enjoy doing the lab? Yeah, I do. That's so great. We love having you here. I love it too. Do you have like a favorite memory from like the lab?
SPEAKER_02Gosh. Well, my girls, um is it Mary Malone and Olivia Meadows? Yes. That's my girls. They're the best. I know, and they taught me a lot because my mouth and my words, I couldn't really like I don't know. But they they taught me a lot, so that's awesome.
SPEAKER_00And you were with them last year. I think so.
SPEAKER_02I don't know. I've had I mean, I've been doing it for a while now. Mm-hmm.
SPEAKER_00That's so great though. Oh, I love it. And you you get to meet new people. You're still I love you all too, though. I mean, yeah. Great. I'm trying to think what else. Um, you you're doing great. You have a great support system, great family. Are you kind of setting goals for yourself for the future or just seeing what happens?
SPEAKER_02I'm just um going to therapy every week. Um just I'm trying to get my arm in a hundred percent, but I don't know if that will be I don't know if I can do a hundred percent yet. You know, but I don't care. I mean my hand is working so yes.
SPEAKER_00You were you made a big step last week with writing hand, yeah.
SPEAKER_02I was riding with my right hand and I mean it's still hard because it feels white in my hand still. But I don't know how to I don't know how to stop it, but I can do it because my leg my leg was like off uh um a weighted leg and um it's it's good now, but it took like you know like three years almost.
SPEAKER_00So you know, but I'm trying. Yeah, you just gotta keep working on it every day. Well, we honestly got through all the questions that I had. Is there anything else that you want to share that I did not ask about? Not really. Okay.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_00All right. Well, thank you so much for talking with us. We are so excited that you're here and excited to share your story with everyone.
SPEAKER_02Okay.