August-November 2025: The Aphasia Social Club (part 2)

I introduced you to the Aphasia Social Club in the First Session. I now know more of the Club.

I have gone to all of the sessions for, maybe, 12 meetings. A person I knew was already one of the members. That made things easier, but the people are so friendly.

Aphasia stats suggest that there are more women than men, but the men in our group are very much in the majority.

We usually have about 20 members every week. We also have volunteers. Some are Speech and Language Therapists, or training, or people with an interest to help. They are all invaluable.

Some members read the newspapers, others talk. The volunteers keep things going. Some members can’t speak, but they can use a “Magical Drawing Tablet” (usually used for toddlers). They work very well, allowing people to converse.

I think it was the first session I went to. I was chatting with a few people. I asked one of the people “Do you feel the same inside”. She said “Yes”. It’s only when you try to communicate with the outside world that the difficulties happen. It is frustrating. But indoors, outdoors, wherever, my experience is that almost all people are helpful. I have said that before. I’ll probably say it again.

The Club has a serious purpose. Some members had good jobs, but suddenly their world crashed. Creative jobs, crashed. People have been in hospital for 6 months after a stroke, or brain tumour, severe head injury, or dementia. Some can’t speak. Some can’t walk. But there is a positive: members have fundraised for Aphasia, and volunteers have fundraised for Aphasia. But best of all is the friendship and support.

I’ve had it easy. I am awed by my friends.

……….

Now to Bruce Willis.

Bruce Willis’s family announced that he had aphasia on March 2022.

The first line of this strange diary is: “I think it starts around April 2022”, referring me becoming “worried” and “lost my spark”.

Bruce (I now think him a friend) is just older from me by 8 months. So even more of a coincidence. I’m waiting for Bruce to call in.
For the last 3 years Chris and I have been saying that we will downsize. The time has now come. We have already benefitted of our generosity to charity shops. At the moment we are agreeing, or not agreeing, about what should go.

We don’t want to go into a sheltered flat now. That might come along later.

Our house has been Chris’s home for 44 years, and me for 32 years. 32 years ago was when I moved in with Chris, James and Rosie, and we married, and it was the best thing I have done. I introduced Ginger, my cat, to the family. He had some disgusting habits, and fleas, but he was likeable. Ginger liked to watch TV. His favourite programme was X-Files. Ginger had an amazing ability: at the start and finish of X-Files he danced in a insidios sinuous movement.

(Of course, it was me holding Ginger’s paws).

……….

Chris and I agree that it has to be Brighton or Hove. We can hove into Brighton. Or brighten Hove. And the “must” for Chris is a balcony.

……….

After my mum died, my dad moved into a sheltered bungalow. It was in Burton on Trent, near one of my brothers. Dad got one of the bungalows with 2 bedrooms. Now the drawback. The smell. It’s not their fault. Each day a different aroma. Beer (yeast), then Beer (sulphuric delights), marmite, bovril, and pies.

Near to my dad was a garage. Usual things: petrol, car clearing, overpriced snacks. But they also had a “dog clean”. It was a tank, with a hosepipe. The dog was hauled into the tank and the dog is hoses down. There was a long queue for the owners, and the dogs knew what was coming. I think it was only entertainment in Burton on Trent. Then they stopped it. Spoilsports.

My brother and sister-in-law lived in Burton while Dad was there. A few times, when they went on holiday, Chris and I dad-sitter. Dad liked to make things complicated. The warden checked once a day to make sure the occupants are OK. Dad said that the warden demanded to stand by the emergency button at 7 am. I asked the warden about it. The warden said that it was correct, except for one tiny detail. Dad demanded the 7am call.

How silly. Why did he do that? So stubborn?

Chris says that I am stubborn. She said that I’d do things like that. Sadly, she is right.

……….

Friday 22 August.

My Tesco Shopping list:

Cooking apples.
Foil (silver).
Milk.
Cheese.

I went to the The Aphasia Social Club first. I talked to a few people. There are some people I haven’t yet spoken to. One of them sits opposite to me. And he draws.

He smiles, specially when he uses a walking stick to gather the biscuits. On this occasion, I had the opportunity to talk to him. He was drawing a farm, but he said he draws anything.

After the session I went to see a friend. We had a coffee in Costa, George Street.

Then I got the bus home.
Is something missing?
The answer is next page.

……….

Soon after January 2025 I had some exercises at the Speech and Language Therapy unit, Brighton General Hospital. We met every 2 to 3 weeks. Chris came to some sessions. I think that I was being assessed to see what I can do. Later, the focus was to keep the ability I have.

The most difficult for me is to name a category (animal, food, anything) and see how many objects in a minute. It was dismal. I think 9 animals was my highest. After 30 seconds, I gave up. I sweated through the rest of the 30 seconds.

Similarly, you have to remember three objects, there will be another task, then name the 3 things. I can’t to it.
There were things I could do, like drawing the route of a maze to get out, and sentence structure. But I have lost one of the months. Really. I am happy with September, and November. But the middle one I can’t remember. That’s Halloween scuppered.

A very clever company called Tactus has come up with a range of apps. The Therapist showed me in a couple of sessions.

Chris and I decided to buy the Language Therapy, and Advanced Language Therapy.
There are loads of exercises, each can be moderated for easy to difficulty, and can be scored. There are audio and keyboard you can use.

You could spend a year going through the whole lot.

I am very grateful for the Clinic Support Worker for giving me a couple of sessions.
There is always a “but”. They are:

1. The picture is clearly a “Shirt”, but the audio says “Shed”.
2. I dislike “apps”. I prefer “apes”.

……….

What did I forget?

I forgot the shopping list. I had to turn back from Lyon Close to get back to Tesco’s. This is normal for me.

Thank you for playing.

The good thing is that I make a nice apple crumble. It’s all gone.

.…….

About 10 years ago BBC Radio 4 had a programme called the Talking Booth. Generally, 2 people chatted for 10 to 15 minutes. On this occasion, there was a son, and he talking about his father. His father had not spoken to him for many years because his son was gay. Then the father had Alzheimer’s Disease. He didn’t remember that he hated gays. He loved his son again.

Good things can come from bad things.

……….

Writing this has been interesting, and sometimes frustrating. Some of the small words have been most difficult for me – such as “new”. You would think that they are easy. Oh, yes, “easy” is difficult as well. I use “google” when I am stuck. If it is a long word, “google” will probably give you an approximation of the word that, and you can work it out. It is the smaller words that are difficult. For example, if you try “esey” instead of “easy”, you’ll never get “easy”. In fact, AL Overview gets you “refer to the name of a person, which has African origins meaning gift or healer and Hebrew origins meaning God will save.” Not so useful.

What would we do without AI Overview?

As I said at the start, I will a lot of mistakes.

But the sensation of letting your fingers use muscle memory, and knowing it is doing it, is exhilarating. Honestly. The word underlined in the 4th line I did with muscle memory.

……….

It’s only a few days before seeing the neurologist on 10th October 2025. We are going to peek into what may happen on the 10th October 2025. Remember​? Yes, the diagnosis.

Doctor: Let’s have a look at you.
Me: Yes, doctor.
Doctor: This is remarkable. I have never seen such an improvement
Me: Are you sure?
Doctor: Everything is all tippity top.
Me: Completely? How has it changed?
Doctor: I just don’t know.
Me: Well, this is wonderful. Thank you.

Well, that wasn’t difficult.

I generally don’t look up much about medical stuff on the net because there is so much information, and sometimes conflicting. I like: "Que Será, Será (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)". Just take what you are given. The song was released in 1955, and I was released in 1955. And don’t forget that Bruce Willis is on my side, and he was also born in 1955.

Let’s continued:

Me: So I have no aphasia?
Doctor: What?
Me: Aphasia.
Doctor: Oh, no, I deal Addison's disease.
Me: What’s that?
Doctor: The address and disease must been mixed up.

I live in Addison Road, not Addison’s Disease. For the record, “The Addison’s disease, or primary adrenal insufficiency, is a rare, long-term condition where the adrenal glands don't produce enough essential hormones like cortisol and aldosterone, often due to an autoimmune disorder.” You can’t say that this isn’t educational.

A different doctor

Me: Do you work with aphasia?
Doctor: Yes.
Me: Sure?
Doctor: Of course. It’s on the sign on the door.
Me: Got your stethoscope?
Doctor: It’s around my neck.
Me: Got the scan?
Doctor: Yup.
Me: OK. Lets go.

The real story on the 10th October continues.