Episode 034 -- Meet Author Ted Baxter

Puget Sound Heart and Stroke Walk

I'm participating in the Puget Sound Heart and Stroke Walk on October 13. If you'd like to contribute to the fundraiser, please visit Strokecast.com/Facebook.

Chatting with Ted Baxter

Over the summer, I heard about Ted W Baxter's new book Relentless: How a massive stroke changed my Life for the Better. His team sent me a copy of the book and arranged an interview.

In 20015, Ted had a massive stroke. The hemiparesis was one thing to deal with, but Ted was more concerned with the Global Aphasia he developed. What followed was months and years of intense therapy -- most of it traditional, some of it less so, as Ted worked not to get his life back but to build a new life. This book is Ted's story of that journey.

Ted and I talked about the book, of course, but we also covered a lot of other ground as we talked about life as survivors and the broader stroke survivor community

We have an interesting discussion about English as a Second Language. The idea of of treating your native language as a foreign one to reacquire it after stroke is fascinating. There's a lot of interesting stuff to think about in this book and episode.

More about Ted

After spending 22 years in the financial industry, Ted W. Baxter retired as a global finance executive with a large hedge investment firm based in Chicago. Prior to that, Ted was a managing director for a global investment bank and he was a Price Waterhouse partner and a consultant concentrated on banks and securities, risk management, financial products, and strategic planning. Internationally, he spent 6 years working and living in Tokyo and Hong Kong.

Ted now resides in Newport Beach, CA where he volunteers at several health-related institutions and hospitals in Orange County, leading groups in a stroke-related communication recovery program, and is a member of the Board of Directors at the American Heart and Stroke Association. He is the author of Relentless: How A Massive Stroke Changed My Life for the Better. 

Hack of the Week

Today is another chance to get better.

It's seems simple and obvious but this basic mindset shift is critical to recovery.

Recovery doesn't have a deadline. Despite what you may have heard, recovery doesn't stop at 6 months, 12 moths, or 2 years. It's ongoing. Every day is another chance to do more. To pursue better results. We're alive which means we have another chance to get better each and every today.

Links

Ted Baxter's Website	http://www.tedwbaxter.com/
Ted on Twitter	https://twitter.com/TedWBaxter
Ted on Facebook	https://www.facebook.com/tedwbaxter
Ted on Instagram	https://www.instagram.com/TedWBaxterAuthor/
Relentless on Amazon	https://www.amazon.com/Relentless-Massive-Stroke-Changed-Better/dp/1626345201/ref=sr_1_1
My chat with Reva	http://strokecast.com/reva
My Apprentice Blog Posts	https://cromely.blogspot.com/2006/06/apprentice-links.html

Where do we go from here

• What are your thoughts on Ted's story? Share them in the comments below
• Check out Ted's book Relentless on Amazon, your library, or wherever you get your books.
• Contribute to my Heart and Stroke Walk fundraiser at Strokecast.com/Facebook
• Don't get best…get better

Here is the latest episode of The Strokecast