Stroke turns criminal into an artist

  • Thread starter Evo
  • Start date
In summary, Tommy McHugh, who had no interest in art before his stroke, now spends all his time creating art and writing poetry. His stroke unlocked his creative side, a rare phenomenon with only two other documented cases. Tommy's stroke was caused by two small bleeds in both sides of his brain, which were repaired by surgeons. He returned home with memory loss and confusion, but eventually regained his creative compulsion. The conversation then shifts to a discussion about someone's girlfriend, a program at Midland College, and a possible career in nursing. The conversation ends with Holly expressing her struggles and feeling inadequate compared to others on the forums.
  • #1
Evo
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Creative side unlocked by stroke

Before suffering a stroke three years ago, Tommy McHugh had no interest in art save for the tattoos that covered his arms while in prison.

Now, Tommy, 54, spends every moment he can drawing, sculpting and writing poetry.

Tommy's stroke appeared to unlock his creative side.

This phenomenon is extremely rare, with only two other cases of "sudden artistic output" following brain injury documented worldwide.

Tommy's stroke was caused by two small bleeds in both sides of his brain known as subarachnoid haemorrhages

Surgeons at Fazakerly Hospital in Liverpool repaired the bleeds using a clip and a coil.

Creative compulsion

Ten days later, Tommy returned home with "a woman they said was my wife".

Tommy said he was jumbled and confused for the first few weeks after the operation.

"I didn't know much about who I was and what I was. My brain wasn't telling me I was hungry, I was talking in relentless rhymes. Everything was a rhyme."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3826857.stm
 
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  • #2
Sir123 moved because of your story!, that is true right (hu..hu..) :cry: it comes up to be news on BBC (hu..hu..):cry:, is that guy well now ? (hu..hu..):cry: , could he remember his past ? (hu..hu..):cry:
Sozzy, Sir123 didn't read it all becos if Sir123 went on, perhaps tomorrow, Sir123's girlfriend will think Sir123 should have gone out playin around somewhere and got hit in the eyes-they get swollen!

Last cry I want to give you guy .hu..hu. :cry:
 
  • #3
Pity they don't show any pictures of his artwork... Interesting stuff though!
 
  • #4
My "brain insult" turned me into someone who started using long strings of vulgarisms, most notably the f-word. And I stopped painting. And had to start over in math, down to kiddie arithmetic. And I still can't tell time.

*sigh*

Anyone with spare prayers/good karma, I need it. I am OUT of the ultrasound program, after all the slaving away to get into it and all the hours spent begging for help in PF. I'm begging for good thoughts on all the forums where I formerly begged for help.

Yep, o-u-t. Fellow Texans, don't go to Midland College's ultrasound program. It is ultra-unsound of a program.

Thank you.
 
  • #5
Holly, YOU'RE BACK!

What happened??
 
  • #6
Hi Evo...I'm back because (1) I need nice thoughts and (2) now I have to take a REAL physics course if I want to qualify for some other sonography program...I got into the local one, only to find that they expect me to drive five hours a day (yes, five hours, yes, five, that's right, five hours minimum on 2-lane West Texas highways) to get to my clinical rotations. *sigh* Can't do that...that's nuts...was told I'd have a local rotation; oh, THEY LIED.

I weel nehvar make eet throo a real, how you say, Feeziks course...the stress, she is make mee type weeth a funnie accent, make me go crazee...

So now I have a very slight chance to get into the only online sonography program in the U.S. of A., with the addition of real physics, or, just say to heck with it, I'm going into nursing, get my R.N., that's doable locally. I think even with PF, I can't make it throo the real physics. It gives me a headache just to think about it. *sigh*

How you doing? Life going okay? Are you and Tsunami really twins? We have twins next door. Okay, I'm going to go lay on the garage floor and cry now...maybe go out and eat some dirt and some worms ... oops, I'm a vegemetarian, guess I'll skip the worms and eat extra dirt. I'm too old for these sorts of setbacks. Everyone on the boards, they are all so successful and cool, and I'm laying on the dirt in the middle of nowhere, a dumb poo-head who can't even wrangle a local rotation.
 
  • #7
holly said:
Hi Evo...I'm back because (1) I need nice thoughts and (2) now I have to take a REAL physics course if I want to qualify for some other sonography program...I got into the local one, only to find that they expect me to drive five hours a day (yes, five hours, yes, five, that's right, five hours minimum on 2-lane West Texas highways) to get to my clinical rotations. *sigh* Can't do that...that's nuts...was told I'd have a local rotation; oh, THEY LIED.
The SCUM! :devil: How can anyone possibly drive 5 hours to do a clinical rotation? Are they nuts??

holly said:
I weel nehvar make eet throo a real, how you say, Feeziks course...the stress, she is make mee type weeth a funnie accent, make me go crazee...
You are so great, that's why everyone here loves you! :approve:

holly said:
So now I have a very slight chance to get into the only online sonography program in the U.S. of A., with the addition of real physics, or, just say to heck with it, I'm going into nursing, get my R.N., that's doable locally. I think even with PF, I can't make it throo the real physics. It gives me a headache just to think about it. *sigh*
Holly, you are an inspiration to all of us. When I think about the challenges you face, I realize how easy I have it.

holly said:
Are you and Tsunami really twins?
We are PF twins, but so is Math Is Hard, and I think you may also be one (or maybe we are quintuplets?) :tongue2:

holly said:
Okay, I'm going to go lay on the garage floor and cry now...maybe go out and eat some dirt and some worms ... oops, I'm a vegemetarian, guess I'll skip the worms and eat extra dirt. I'm too old for these sorts of setbacks.
Nooo, dirt contains things even vegemetarians don't want! I will send chocolate, the only pure food on earth.

holly said:
Everyone on the boards, they are all so successful and cool, and I'm laying on the dirt in the middle of nowhere, a dumb poo-head who can't even wrangle a local rotation.
Not true. What am I going to do with you?

I will think of something. :approve:
 
  • #8
evo, excellent link. this could show that many people have latent talents, but are not in the mindset to show it for whatever life experiences they have had.
 
  • #9
HOLLY! I'm so HAPPY to see you back with us! But what a POOPY deal you've been handed! I'm an xray/CT Technologist. You can come to Oregon and go through OUR Sonography program! We know how to appreciate good people here! They also have a wonderful one in Seattle. Are you stuck in Texas?? Why?? Is the megadrive the only problem with your clinicals? Can't you do an externship elsewhere? Or transfer into another program? What do you mean a REAL physics course to get into another program. Didn't your program teach you REAL physics? Sorry about all the questions. I want to help! I feel SO BAD for you! :cry:

I believe Evo is right. You are the forth twin! :biggrin: What's up with the brain thing? Did YOU have a stroke? (Jeepers, sweetie! You're too YOUNG for that crud!) You'll be in my thoughts and prayers. O'Tay?? Hang in there, Toots. We'll help all we can. Much love is coming your way. Can you feel it!?? :biggrin: :wink:
 
  • #10
Welcome back, Holly! Too bad it's not on better terms... But we like having ya' anyway!

Sucks about the driving thing. I think you'd be able to pass that physics class, though.

cookiemonster
 
  • #11
it's nice to have Holly back, however it might be good to keep this on topic and visit in the chat room :)
 
  • #12
Wow, thanks for the good thoughts...now I feel perked up...

Evo, you are so nice, that's why all the ladies on the board like you and all the guys on the board are at your feet...*sigh* Ditto for Tsunami, although her frightening avatar scares some away...

Gosh Tsunami, I am very awed by your credentials. I have a strong interest in radiology but fear having to deal with the accident victims and the abuse victims...that gets my heart jumping into my throat, how do you do it? That's why I chose sonography; it is getting used in EM now, though, but I felt I could avoid that by going into ophthamalic ultrasound. Yes, I had a stroke right after I had my son. My ex-the-physicist said "I can't warm up to that" when he saw me, and walked out of the hospital and left me and our 7-month preemie son! (Who's now a fine teenager.) I had monophasia and all I could say was the f-word, which actually came in handy.

Cookiemonster, if you'll recall, I could barely do the baby physics stuff, you and Doc Al had to talk me through every single problem, and I never did recognize the same type of problem from one day to the next. I'd better just resign myself to nursing, heck, they don't require any physics at all. God hands you a lemon, make lemonade, right? Altho I personally feel this time He hit me in the head with a rotten grapefruit...

Well, I love Midland, but yes, I'm stuck here for four years until my son graduates from his school, it's a private school and I moved almost 2000 miles so he could attend it. I got the high sign from Jesus to move to Midland for the school, so I'm here until he graduates. I have my eye on moving to McMinville up Tsunami's way once I get my new career, fell in love with that place...

*****Anybody got their eye on moving to another place that they just love?**** I am hot to get a place in Destin, too, used to live there summers. Now, it's horribly expensive. Well, I'm talking too much.
 
  • #13
oops, I am sorry, I did not know about the chatroom until now, is the chatroom new? Ignore the posts I put up except for the parts about the stroke. I got what I needed, the good thoughts, and am just going to go into nursing so I won't need the physics help anyway. Funny how things jell. If I hadn't had the stroke, the physics wouldn't have been a problem for me. But He must want me on the nursing path. cya!
 
  • #14
holly,

Although maybe this sounds trite, don't worry too much! Your perseverance will help you through any challenge put in front of you, including the big bad p-word. It's really just one small roadblock between you and the career you want, and you can certainly do it!

I'm extremely impressed with your recovery -- you're one of the wittiest people I've ever known! Stick with it, apply yourself, let us carry you when you need it, and you'll be able to do anything you want to do -- I guarantee it. (And by guarantee, I mean that if you don't pass the physics class with our help, I will personally fly down to Texas and punch your physics professor in the nose.)

- Warren
 
  • #15
Kerrie said:
evo, excellent link. this could show that many people have latent talents, but are not in the mindset to show it for whatever life experiences they have had.
I was thinking the same thing. We know so little about the mind and how it works.
 
  • #16
I got Karma to spare Holly, and some of it is in this post for you ----> in here [_K_A_R_M_A_] welcome back.
 

1. What is a stroke?

A stroke is a medical condition that occurs when the blood flow to the brain is interrupted, either by a blocked or burst blood vessel. This can result in brain damage and can lead to a variety of physical and cognitive impairments.

2. How can a stroke turn someone into an artist?

In rare cases, a stroke can cause a phenomenon known as "sudden artistic output" or "sudden artistic talent." This occurs when the damage to the brain from the stroke affects the part of the brain responsible for inhibiting creativity. As a result, the person may experience a sudden surge in artistic ability and may even develop new artistic skills that they did not have before the stroke.

3. Can anyone who has a stroke become an artist?

No, not everyone who has a stroke will experience sudden artistic output. It is estimated that only about 1% of stroke survivors will have this phenomenon occur.

4. Is this phenomenon permanent?

It is difficult to say if the sudden artistic output will be permanent as it varies from person to person. Some people may continue to have artistic abilities even after their recovery, while others may lose it over time.

5. How does this phenomenon affect stroke recovery?

The sudden artistic output does not necessarily affect the recovery from a stroke, as it is not a common occurrence. However, for those who do experience it, it may provide a form of therapy and can be beneficial for their overall well-being and quality of life.

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