Grieving

The Stroke

My dad had a stroke in the winter of 2002. It started when one evening he complained of feeling weak and dizzy. He was taken to Emergency Room of the small town where they lived. Upon assessment there, they found his blood pressure to be profoundly elevated and began treatment to bring it down. However the stroke occured, leaving my father unable to walk, or use his right arm and hand. My father had always been a strong and very independent man, and the sudden onset of becoming totally dependent on others, was completely devastating to him; sent him spiraling into a state of depression. That day as I look back, was the start of our grief process.