Research Article

Changes in Identity after Aphasic Stroke: Implications for Primary Care

Table 3


Participant  S [interview was 6 monthsafter stroke]: You know, is it—you know, like, do I go onto disability for the—my entire life, or what do I do? And that’s where I’m at right now.

Interviewer: If you want to come in to, ah, [Hospital], to give some back.
Participant B. [2 years after stroke]: Yes! Yes! In fact, here, go ahead.
B.’s partner: Do you want to give back?
B.: YES!!
Partner: Do you want to help?
B.: YES!! YES!! YES!! Yes, because—
Partner: Well, we’ll be able to make that happen.
B.: Yes! Because—because things will be better.

B.’s partner: B always wanted to be-well, he had seriously considered a career in medicine. And I think he couldn’t pass chemistry, it was one-it was something like that. [laughter]
B.  [2 years after stroke]: Yes, but-but now-
B.’s Partner: You know, by default, you’re going to end up in medicine somehow.

J. [15 years afterstroke]: Monday is…Lazarus House. And it’s nice, it’s—and I’ve been going there since the beginning.
J.’s wife: It’s a little thrift shop.
J.: Tuesday, um, it’s—
J.’s wife: The library.
J.: Wednesday is, um, usually a switch between…I take on Monday, on Wednesday…it’s a class at [university].
And then, um, Thursday is—I don’t know what it is.
J.’s wife: [Name of rehab hospital where J works as a peer volunteer.]
J.: So [hospital], yeah, that’s right. Friday is the day off.

J.: But I won—I wonder what it would be like to not have a stroke. What would I do?
J.’s wife: You’d be busy working.
J.: I know that. But I wonder what it—I—I’m not working at [company name] now. I’m working someplace else.
What would—would that be? Maybe I would—Maybe I give up teaching—
J.’s wife: Or you’re probably working in a startup.
J.: A startup, maybe a startup? Maybe I’m more—maybe I’m going to help other kids make the break from college, master’s degree or whatever into—So I really don’t know what I—what I could do. I never knew that.