One of the frustrating about aphasia for me is the lost opportunities to make snide remarks. I'm too slow.
A few days ago, Neal and I were driving, and the Diane Rehm Show came on NPR.
I couldn't say it, but I wanted to say: a southern drawl is nice, but she sounds like a southerner on a big dose of tranquilizers. Or: isn't time for her to retire?
Neal was about to turn off the car. I was still trying to formulate a witty remark.
"I wonder if she had a stroke," Neal said.
I hadn't connected the dots. Her voice sounds a little like... mine, I realized. But without my grammatical mistakes.
That evening we went online to find out about her. Diane Rehm has Focal Dysphonia, a neurological disorder.
One of the good things about aphasia is that sometimes I'm too slow to make stupid remarks.