About Me

My name is John VanDeun and my stroke journey began on November 8, 2008, followed by a second stroke just after midnight on November 9 that was very severe. I lost the entire left side of my body and woke up in the ICU unable to move my left leg, foot, or hand. Recovery has been long, difficult, and far from perfect. Over the years, I’ve worked through therapy, repetition, setbacks, and a lot of frustration to regain what was lost. Along the way to today, I also hit some major snags in my recovery. Depression was probably the worst. It shut me down for quite a while and put my recovery on hold. Luckily, I eventually found a terrific psychiatrist who helped bring me back from that lost time through counseling and the right medication. Then yes… there’s more. Because of an old high school football injury, I reinjured my knee along the way. Thankfully, I had to go to physical therapy for it anyway, which actually worked out OK because I still needed to keep working on my leg. And now, most recently, I was diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis, an autoimmune disease where my body’s antibodies attack parts of the neuromuscular system, causing weakness and fatigue. Hopefully, that will be enough setbacks for a while. One thing I’ve learned through all of this is that you don’t have to do it alone. That’s one of the reasons I createdmyfrigginstroke.com — a community blog built for stroke survivors, caregivers, and families who are trying to navigate this journey together. After a stroke, it’s easy to feel isolated, frustrated, or like nobody really understands what you’re going through. My goal with the site is to help people feel less alone by sharing real experiences, honest struggles, rehab ideas, tools, and stories from other survivors who are fighting their way forward too. Sometimes the biggest thing you need is knowing that someone else has been where you are—and kept going. If my story or the stories shared by others can help even one person keep moving forward, then it’s worth it. If you look at how long it’s been since my stroke, you’re probably thinking, “Wow, 18 years and he’s still not healed?” But as they say, sometimes sh*t happens. Even with all of that, I’ve still made a lot of progress. Today, I can walk independently with a cane, drive on my own, speak well, and I’m continuing to regain movement in my hand. I’m not fully healed, but I’m far better than where I started. This journey is still ongoing—but it’s proof that progress is possible, even when life keeps throwing obstacles in your path. And one thing I’ve learned through all of this is that you don’t have to do it alone. That’s one of the reasons I created myfrigginstroke.com — a community blog built for stroke survivors, caregivers, and families who are trying to navigate this journey together. After a stroke, it’s easy to feel isolated, frustrated, or like nobody really understands what you’re going through. My goal with the site is to help people feel less alone by sharing real experiences, honest struggles, rehab ideas, tools, and stories from other survivors who are fighting their way forward, too. Sometimes the biggest thing you need is knowing that someone else has been where you are—and kept going. If my story or the stories shared by others can help even one person keep moving forward, then it’s worth it. Let’s go help some survivors out there. Who knows, someone’s story might be just what you nede to get your journey back on track. Recovery has been long, difficult, and far from perfect. Over the years, I’ve worked through therapy, repetition, setbacks, and a lot of frustration to regain what was lost. Along the way to today, I also hit some major snags in my recovery. Depression was probably the worst. It shut me down for quite a while and put my recovery on hold. Luckily, I eventually found a terrific psychiatrist who helped bring me back from that lost time through counseling and the right medication. Then yes… there’s more. Because of an old high school football injury, I reinjured my knee along the way. Thankfully, I had to go to physical therapy for it anyway, which actually worked out OK because I still needed to keep working on my leg. And now, most recently, I was diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis, an autoimmune disease where my body’s antibodies attack parts of the neuromuscular system, causing weakness and fatigue. Hopefully, that will be enough setbacks for a while. One thing I’ve learned through all of this is that you don’t have to do it alone. That’s one of the reasons I createdmyfrigginstroke.com — a community blog built for stroke survivors, caregivers, and families who are trying to navigate this journey together. After a stroke, it’s easy to feel isolated, frustrated, or like nobody really understands what you’re going through. My goal with the site is to help people feel less alone by sharing real experiences, honest struggles, rehab ideas, tools, and stories from other survivors who are fighting their way forward too. Sometimes the biggest thing you need is knowing that someone else has been where you are—and kept going. If my story or the stories shared by others can help even one person keep moving forward, then it’s worth it. If you look at how long it’s been since my stroke, you’re probably thinking, “Wow, 18 years and he’s still not healed?” But as they say, sometimes sh*t happens. Even with all of that, I’ve still made a lot of progress. Today, I can walk independently with a cane, drive on my own, speak well, and I’m continuing to regain movement in my hand. I’m not fully healed, but I’m far better than where I started. This journey is still ongoing—but it’s proof that progress is possible, even when life keeps throwing obstacles in your path. And one thing I’ve learned through all of this is that you don’t have to do it alone. That’s one of the reasons I created myfrigginstroke.com — a community blog built for stroke survivors, caregivers, and families who are trying to navigate this journey together. After a stroke, it’s easy to feel isolated, frustrated, or like nobody really understands what you’re going through. My goal with the site is to help people feel less alone by sharing real experiences, honest struggles, rehab ideas, tools, and stories from other survivors who are fighting their way forward, too. Sometimes the biggest thing you need is knowing that someone else has been where you are—and kept going. If my story or the stories shared by others can help even one person keep moving forward, then it’s worth it. Let’s go help some survivors out there. Who knows, someone’s story might be just what you nede to get your journey back on track.