On October 16th 2024 I (Margot) I had the privilege of having gave four presentations on disability. I spoke to two medical student classes about disability and bioethics such as how many disability rights activists see euthanasia and medical assistance in dying, and certain genetic testing, as a violation of disability rights (Not Dead Yet 2024). This conversation highlighted the importance of understanding how society views disability and the ethical implications that arise from these views. I discussed how side effects of medications can be disabling, and how invisible physical disabilities can sometimes be misdiagnosed and therefore dismissed as psychological disorders. It’s vital for future healthcare professionals to recognize that not all disabilities are visible and that the impact of treatments can vary greatly among individuals. Then I spoke to a group of college faculty about accessible teaching strategies like UDL. Last I spoke to a class of special education teachers, and paraprofessionals about accessibility and my life story.

On October 24th 2024 I spoke to another class of students learning to be general education and special education about the film “A Stroke Of Endurance” and modifications that can be made and addressing both mental and physical disability. This session highlighted the importance of recognizing each student’s unique needs and the role of educators in facilitating their success.

Introduction to Stroke Awareness

Stroke is a medical emergency that occurs when there is an interruption of blood flow to the brain, causing brain cells to die. Recognizing the signs of stroke and taking immediate action can save lives and improve recovery outcomes. The importance of stroke awareness cannot be overstated, as timely intervention can mean the difference between life and death, or between full recovery and permanent disability. Read more....

A large trial investigating the effectiveness of a celery-seed-derived neuroprotectant drug for use in ischemic stroke cases has shown significant promise.

Patients given the medicine called butylphthalide had a 70% better chance of improved neurological and general living outcomes 90 days post-stroke, a finding generated from a little over 1,000 cases.

Butylphthalide is already approved for use in treating strokes in China. Currently though, the FDA has not approved it for any use.

How butylphthalide works isn’t clear, with animal studies suggesting various possible mechanisms. It may help protect brain tissue from damage when the supply of oxygenated blood is cut off and it works alongside existing clot-busting drugs or procedures to remove blood clots in ischemic stroke conditions.

The trial consisted of 1,216 patients who were admitted for stroke in China where the drug is approved for use, and given it alongside a tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and/or a mechanical clot removal procedure—two primary means of dealing with ischemic, or clot strokes.

Every year, more than 795,000 people in the United States have a stroke, with 87% of these being ischemic ones. The burden of these events is large, and they are a leading cause of disability in the elderly.

“This is the first trial to show the benefit of using a medication that protects the brain from damage caused by a lack of oxygen to brain tissue...” said Baixue Jia, M.D., co-author of the study...

The results will soon be presented to the International Stroke Conference this week in Dallas, Texas.”

I did. I was in the hospital for a few days and had to have a procedure called a brain angiogram. They cut a slit near my groin and sent a tube up my arteries to get to my brain and spray a dye in my head to help them take x-rays of my brain.

From there they discovered I’d had what's called an Ischemic Stroke. It seems a blood vessel in my brain on my right side they were worried about after taking CT scans of me and found an anomaly, is tightening up and basically was killing a part of my brain. But the slack of that vessel is being taken up by other blood vessels around it. So they put me on medication.

I now have to get checked on once a month for awhile to make sure nothing is going haywire. And keep on my medication….

When Neurogenesis Goes Wrong

Neurogenesis is a complex biological process by which neurons are generated from neural stem cells and progenitor cells. Indeed, the discovery of a dynamic neurogenesis in the adult brain (in both humans and animals) was a kind of extraordinary revelation. In fact, contrary to common popular belief, neurogenesis continuously occurs in specific regions in the adult brain, such as in the hippocampus and the striatum. Neurogenesis occurs in both physiological and pathological conditions.