Claudia Fortunato-Napolitano is the Happiness Hero at John’s Crazy Socks. While still a young woman (Claudia is only 35), she suffered a major stroke in January 2017. Claudia is an essential team member at John’s Crazy socks working to spread happiness and show every day what is possible when you give a person a chance. Claudia is sharing her recovery in this blog, so others can learn of the challenges facing stroke recovery patients and people in recovery can take strength and inspiration from knowing they are not alone.
I feel like today is going to be a good day. This is the second day in a row that I had a good idea at work. And it’s the third day in a row that I’m really happy. Today, I feel like I am going to continue to get better. I am a superstar! Ha. That’s because I did it again - I recorded my vlog in ONE TAKE. I think we must continue recording in the morning because my words flow better for me in the morning. I am so happy!
It is my last day of happy pills. So tomorrow, and probably for the week after, we’ll see how I do minus the medication. I am nervous, but I am curious how I’ll do. I know that you won’t really understand this unless you are on happy pills, too. I have been on happy pills since the anniversary of my stroke. I was extremely depressed at the time. I am curious about coming off it. I think that I am happy, but is it because of the pills? Or is it because of my job, my family, my friends, my husband, or my Comeback Trail walk? The thought is overwhelming me. The people who are walking with me: my parents, my sisters, my aunts, my friends and co-workers, all of them, I feel so blessed and I feel like I must have something good in the world because they are taking time out of their busy lives to walk with me. Thank you to the people who donated to the National Stroke Association. I have a team behind me and it means so much to me.
My parents are coming to John’s Crazy Socks this afternoon because I would like them to meet Mark and John Cronin before the Comeback Trail 5k Walk. They are coming to my place of employment and I am so excited that they have a chance to come here. As far as the Huntington Historical Society, my parents were there all the time, they were devoted volunteers. And when I had my stroke, the Historical Society were wonderful. They paid me for the time that I was out. I will always be grateful that they did that. And I think that there is something special about showing my parents where I work after the stroke. Because I still can work and that is a thing of beauty since my stroke. The fact that I changed jobs is also a thing of beauty. The fact that I put my own wellbeing over having a job is something my parents were worried about. I have aphasia, but that doesn’t stop me. And actually, I am pretty proud of myself. Stroke, aphasia, you aren’t running the show. I am!
So, I am so worried about London, my puppy. He has diarrhea. He got it in the middle of the night, and I did not realize he was sick until the morning because it was all over the house. My husband, Sean, went to the vet with London, and they did a stool sample. The vet said there is nothing wrong with him. They gave him 2 prescriptions. But I am so worried about him. Thank god that I’m babysitting my nephew over at my house this evening. Sorry, this isn’t about my stroke, but then… maybe it is about recovery because there is nothing in my head except worrying about London. And I even had speech therapy this morning, I tried to concentrate on my story and correcting my homework but in the back of my mind I was worrying about London.
Anyway, I remember every day, every week, I take more steps. It is hard, but I keep getting better.
