‘Kinder and Sweeter’ After Brain Aneurysm

I was very touched by Robin Abcarian’s column, “The Big Squeeze: Our Parents, Our Babies, Our Lives” (May 9). Like Abcarian’s mother, my husband, Don Strom, had a brain aneurysm and brain surgery. Don is 47 years old. He was personnel manager at Hewlett-Packard in San Diego.

It’s been 11 months since his surgery, and he still can’t write or speak clearly, and his reading comprehension is about 60%. He can’t spell or compose a sentence. Often he can write the first or second letter of a word but can’t remember the other letters. When he speaks, he has trouble remembering nouns or names, yet he knows exactly what he’s trying to say. Don’s memory, judgment and personality are unimpaired. Only his language skills remain jumbled.

Through all this, Don is an inspiration to me. He’s usually smiling and easy-going. His personality is unchanged, though he seems even kinder and sweeter than ever. He celebrates his successes and always looks on the bright side. He works on his speech therapy every day with workbooks and tapes. He jokes. He goes out walking and appreciates the flowers and sunshine. I love my husband now more than ever. We believe love and laughter will help us through. As Robin wrote, I hope it helps us to “find our way into the light.”

JANE LaFAZIO

San Diego