Celebrating Every Piece Placed
"Progress is not one big move. It's lots and lots of these small, sometimes barely noticeable steps. These small victories are the fundamental building blocks of greater independence."
Lewis Bartelle
Oct 313 min read
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The Word!
Your Blueprint for the Rebuild
If the stroke was the crash that shattered your world, The Word is your blueprint for the rebuild. This space is built on a single, unwavering belief: the ultimate progress in recovery comes from within. You are not just a patient; you are a Gladiator ready to take back your life.
Hello, I'm Lewis, and I'm a brain aneurysm warrior!
This is where we shine a light on the unseen 80% of the journey—the hidden mental, emotional, and communication battles.
I created this platform because I desperately needed the awareness and encouragement that wasn't readily available during my own recovery from a brain aneurysm, dysarthria, and ataxia.
Stories of Hope and a Voice for the Unseen
This main section is packed with teachable moments and strategies drawn from my real-life experiences and travels. Here, you'll find candid, encouraging stories of hope and a voice for the daily struggle.
We transform confusing, frustrating episodes into concrete solutions, helping you turn every challenge into a step forward. Think of this as the instruction manual you were never given.
Your Key Resources
To help you conquer the biggest hurdles of the "new normal," I've organized our content into two essential categories:
🌟 Stroke Support: 14 Articles to Guide You
This category is dedicated to the overall journey of healing. It's where we focus on mindset, motivation, and taking ownership of your progress. We help you transition from feeling lost to becoming the CEO of your own recovery.
What you'll find: A series of 14 articles designed to provide clear direction, including how to find The Hustle and use Visualization to accelerate your recovery.
[Click here to explore all 14 Stroke Support articles]
🗣️ Dysarthria Awareness: Your Right to Be Heard
Featured Articles:
STOP the Silent Nods: Your Toolkit for Overcoming Dysarthria's Social Struggle: Essential rules for successful communication.
The Unseen Battle Over Inner Frustration: Why your internal anger is often misinterpreted as directed anger—and how to handle it.
The Iceberg of Recovery: We use this metaphor to expose the unseen 80% of stroke symptoms, making the invisible visible.
We add new stories all the time, so please check back often.
Thank you for being here. Let's find some hope together
My Journey Beyond the Shatter
My recovery from stroke and dysarthria is deeply personal—it began with a brain aneurysm that shattered my world. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever faced, but it led me here, to The Word.
Every story I share on this blog, and every piece of advice I give, comes directly from that experience. When a stroke happens, there is no "instruction manual"....
So I Wrote One For You!
As a stroke survivor or a loved one/friend, many questions will come up from time to time. The goal is to fill this up with stories of all kind so you may find the inspiration you need.
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