Strokes are a very different situation. He still has his vocal cords but the stroke has managed to render them almost useless. My grandfather had a stroke in 49 and like your BIL, he lost most of his vocal abilities. He was very fluent with 3 or 4 swear words and my Grandmother and one cousin were the only ones that could understand him. I also used a magic slate for the first 2 or 3 months after the surgery. By all means do not avoid seeing and talking to him. Yes it can be time consuming and awkward. Even at over 30 years I remember the agony and frustration when I would try to have a conversation with someone else. especially when there was more than just one person. One would make a comment, I would start writing and by the time I got through writing, they would be talking about something else. I started withdrawing from all groups and that made it harder on my family. I can almost feel how he feels and reacts not in the same type of situation. Sure wish I had the answers but it is beyond me. Just take the time and realize that the time you spend with him is beneficial not only to him but also with his wife and family. I remember getting so aggravated that my wife would take the kids and go to town until I calmed down. In fact, the first words I actually spoke was after she had loaded up the kids and left. The first word that I spoke was "school". the books I had stated that word starting with Sc and St were the easiest words to vocalize. E-mail is in my profile if you or him need it |