Martin Health System | For your health | Winter 2018

martinhealth.org 11 JODI WEINBERGER had her first stroke in 2007 at the age of 52. With few side effects, she was soon back to work. Eight years later, she was admit- ted to Tradition Medical Center after a second stroke. “I couldn’t talk,” she said. “My right side was paralyzed. All I could say was, ‘No.’” While in the hospital, Weinberger began speech and occupational therapy. She then transferred to HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hos- pital at Martin Health in Stuart for HERE FOR YOU. Martin Health offers an aphasia/stroke support group to provide a helping hand to stroke survivors and their families. See page 15 for details, or for more information, contact Kristen Whalen, speech pathologist, at 772.345.8100, ext. 13423 , or kristen.whalen@ martinhealth.org . Since having a second stroke, Jodi Weinberger has been attending the Martin Health aphasia/stroke support group. Jodi is pictured here with her husband, Andy. What is aphasia? Aphasia is caused by a brain injury—usually a stroke but sometimes a head injury, brain cancer or illness. It can make it dif- ficult to communicate and is fairly common. At least a million people in the United States have aphasia. Aphasia may affect a person’s ability to speak, to understand what is said to them or both. It may also affect the ability to read, to write or both. A person who has aphasia may have only minor difficulty with speech or near total inabil- ity to understand language or to communicate. You may not be able to speak in full sentences, you probably pronounce words wrong and there are gaps in your vocabulary where there used to be familiar words. When people talk too fast, you can hardly understand them. When they talk slowly, you feel lucky to get the drift of the conversation. There are many types of aphasia, depending on which area of the brain has been affected by illness. To learn more about the differ- ent kinds of aphasia, visit martinhealth.org/ aphasia . STROKE SURVIVORS: You’re not alone intensive therapy and later worked with the Richard C. Raub Rehabili- tation Center at Martin Health. “I’m determined,” she said. “And I’m working to get back to where I was.” Weinberger also began attending an aphasia/stroke support group, led by Martin Health speech and language pathologists. “Having aphasia can be very isolating,”’ she said. “The support group members are so patient as I try to get my words out. I don’t feel alone when I’m with them.” STROKE