I’m always looking for history and culture to share with y’uns, but I did NOT start out to this week to research stroke treatment and recovery. However, I’ve spent the week visiting hospitals and rehab facilities, reading articles about stroke therapy and learning a great deal after my mother-in-law suffered a devastating brain-bleeding episode.

Now the sad coincidence of this development is that my next book will have a central character who suffers a dreadful disease, probably some type of stroke. As you no doubt already know, all of my novels are based on true characters and their legendary stories. Stories of Lottie Todd have far out-lived her seventy-six years. And during her final, bed-ridden years she imparted lessons to her family that we are still trying to pass on.

God’s hand is always directing His children, and the events leading up to Mother Durham’s stroke are so far beyond coincidence that only God could have orchestrated them. Despite a bad headache, she left home where she would have been alone for several more hours; she drove out of her quiet neighborhood and stopped at a red light before turning on a major thoroughfare. She never moved when the light turned green, despite the car’s transmission remaining in “drive”. A neighbor, who wasn’t personally acquainted with the family but recognized the car as belonging on his street, called 911 rather than pull around the car with an angry look or honked horn as so many of us might have done. Finally, she was able to answer all of the stroke-test questions that the paramedics posed; yet her husband took her on to the emergency room anyway where a serious bleed was detected and she was immediately prepped for surgery. All of these happenstances worked together to save her life and bring her through with very minimal physical effects. I told her the very next day, “God ain’t done with you!”

According to the American Association of Neurosurgeons, in 2007 over 135,000 people died of Cerebrovascular Disease – which is the underlying cause of strokes. I couldn’t find a correlating number for the early 20th century, however, I think it’s a very safe assumption that the percentage would be much higher since surgical intervention didn’t begin to expand until the 1960’s.

I don’t really know the exact nature of my Great-Great Grandmother’s illness, no one seems to know. One said there was nothing wrong, she just took to her bed. Her death certificate lists Tuberculosis as the cause of death, yet her diaries record her re-learning how to write which certainly points toward a neurological event. Regardless of the specifics or even the progression of her disease, Grandma Todd could surely have benefitted from the team of Physical, Speech and Occupational therapists in a 21st century rehabilitation center.

Instead, stroke patients in the early-1900’s were kept at home, put to bed and cared for by devoted family members. I can scarcely imagine the turmoil those caregivers went through watching their loved ones suffer, powerless to really help them and wondering if they would ever get back to normal.

I don’t know what normal is going to be going forward in the Durham family, but rest assured you’ll get a feel for it when you read Lottie’s Letters (that’s my working title).