An editor who survived a life-threatening stroke, awakens from a six-week coma with no short-term memory and must rely on a lifetime of Daytimers to create order in an unfamiliar world.
Judith and I were neighbours but not close friends at the time of her stroke in 1985, yet hearing about it the day it happened, I was drawn to the ER. No information was forthcoming being neither close friend, nor relative, so I returned home.
I visited Judith frequently during her six-week coma and happened to be the person with her when she regained consciousness, uttering her remarkable first words, “Where is the blanket of earth that was covering me?”
Fast forward: two plus years later. During one of my visits to Judith in her home post-stroke, she invited me to stay for dinner. We were in the kitchen, the hub of her life. I was seated in Judith’s “Queen’s” chair where she reads her daily newspaper and writes and reviews her daily annotations in her Daytimers.
At some point Judith began preparing the food for dinner in the manner she always does since her stroke-- “No help please!”. [She finds another person involved in meal preparation distracting given her memory and double vision.] Don, her live-in companion, came into the kitchen as he always does at mealtime. They began bringing the food to the living room where they eat while watching the news, Wheel of Fortune and whatever other programs they choose for the evening.
Given Judith’s double vision, it was, and still is necessary to avoid colliding into anything in her path. I noticed how she and Don moved about one another like a choreographed dance and it was at that moment I decided to do The Daytimers film.
Judith Parsons edited Seasons Magazine for more than two decades, working closely with John and Shirley Clemmer on the magazines’ layout. Five years post-stroke (1990), Judith asked John to write a Summary of her stroke. The Daytimers team referred to John’s Summary from pre-production throughout the entire filming.
As you will note, John Clemmer began his Summary with Judith being prepared for Gamma Knife Surgery (GKS) by Dr. Ladislau Steiner, at the Virginia Health Services in 1989 yet no one mentioned GKS in the film. GKS was recommended to Judith by Dr. James Sharpe, her Toronto Neurosurgeon to prevent a secondary stroke-- a frequent occurrence with an SAH bleed from an aneurysm. Don, who was not yet living with Judith, drove her to Virginia site as there were no centres in Toronto at the time of Dr. Sharpe’s recommendation. [There is presently a Gamma Knife Centre at The Joey & Toby Tanenbaum Family Gamma Knife Centre housed at the Toronto Western Hospital.]
The location of Judith’s aneurysm was in the Anterior Communicating Artery (ACOA) of her brain, as per Dr. Tulk’s illustrations, with resulting:
Short Term memory impairment
personality changes
a tendency to confabulate
Memory Impairment and Neuroplacticity
by Dr. Anne J. Green, Executive Producer, The Daytimers.
Neuroplasticity and Judith’s Daytimers: Judith’s daily use of her daytimers, in dealing with her Short-Term Memory impairment, has made her a poster person for the concept of Neuroplasticity as detailed below:
Neuroplasticity refers to the brain’s ability to re-organize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life. Neuroplasticity allows the neurons (nerve cells) in the brain to compensate for injury and/or disease and to adjust their activities in response to new situations or to changes in their environment.
The concept of Neuroplasticity is the guiding principle of this documentary film through Judith’s use of her Daytimers. By developing a sophisticated code, writing and re-visiting her annotations every morning and throughout the day, Judith has been able to VISUALLY memorize what and where things are on a page.
Judith’s opening statement in the film about “having no memory” is technically incorrect. Her VISUAL Memory of the pages in her Daytimers have gone into her Long- Term Memory (LTM) through creating and reading her annotations several times daily. Some say Judith’s LTM is stronger than many people who never suffered a brain insult.
Judith’s Short-Term Memory (STM) and Double Vision remain the areas affected by the severe damage to her Anterior Communicating Artery (ACoA). Given the extent of the damage and poor prognosis for survival post stroke, Judith’s daily use of her Daytimers and ancillary files for the past 30 plus years, and the Neuroplasticity in so doing, have been major factors in her ability to live independently.
Personality Changes
There are cases of “positive” personality change where people report becoming happier and even a nicer person after having suffered a stroke. Judith consistently reports having become happier since her stroke, echoed by her physician, several of her friends and her siblings. One of her closest friends cautioned “This is not a fairy-dust spin. Judith is a whole person; there is still evidence of the more challenging aspects of her personality.” Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Judith’s personality change is her tendency to express her love and gratitude for the many people in her life.
Less common are cases of “positive” personality changes, in which people reportedly become happier and even nicer. Surveys suggest such changes occur rarely, but the frequency may be underreported. They might arise if a person has experienced a mild frontal lobe impairment that has led to a small increase in apathy and less anxiety. A slight loss of inhibition may also explain why a stroke victim might begin to experience more positive emotions.
Then, 2½ years ago, she had a stroke. It stole her ability to read, her ability to remember names, her right-sided vision. It also stole her depression.
Until the moment she had her stroke — a massive brain trauma to her left occipital lobe — Mum had been in a major depressive episode that had endured for two years, the longest stretch ever. Yet in the post-stroke rehab ward, I find her engaging with other patients in a way she has not done for years. She is animated — her speech, unlike her reading, quite unaffected by her brain injury — the antithesis of the lethargy that hamstrung her for so long.
⊳ Neuroplasticity refers to the brain’s ability to re-organize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life. Neuroplasticity allows the neurons (nerve cells) in the brain to compensate for injury and disease and to adjust their activities in response to new situations or to changes in their environment.
⊳ The concept of Neuroplasticity is the guiding principle of this documentary film through Judith’s use of her Daytimers. By developing a sophisticated code, writing and re-visiting her annotations every morning and throughout the day, Judith has been able to VISUALLY memorize what and where things are on a page.
⊳ Judith’s opening statement in the film about “having no memory” is technically incorrect. Her VISUAL Memory of the pages in her Daytimers have gone into her Long- Term Memory (LTM) through creating and reading her annotations several times daily. Some say Judith’s LTM is stronger than many people who never suffered a brain insult.
⊳ Judith’s Short-Term Memory (STM) and Double Vision remain the areas affected by the severe damage to her Anterior Communicating Artery (ACoA). Given the extent of the damage and poor prognosis for survival post stroke, Judith’s daily use of her Daytimers and ancillary files for the past 30 plus years, and the Neuroplasticity in so doing, sre major factors in her being able to live independently.
Confabulation is defined as the spontaneous creation of memories that never occurred or of actual events that have been distorted to another place and/or time. This is a memory disorder that results in the person not even realizing their memories are incorrect. There are two types of confabulations.
Provoked confabulation occurs when a person is asked a question that requires them to rely on their memory to answer. These confabulations can be bizarre such as Judith explaining that the hospital bracelet on her wrist was “to keep track of hairdos” in response to a child’s question. Judith’s hospital bracelet/hairdos comment was made just two weeks out of coma. Years later, she clearly sees the absurdity of that comment.
Spontaneous confabulation occurs when the person is unprovoked, yet shares a supposedly autobiographical anecdote about something that happened to them. This type is less common than provoked confabulation and can result in some outlandish tales. Judith’s explanation of why she is still smoking after her stroke-- that the physicians in hospital recommended she begin smoking again as a trigger for improvement from her post-coma confusion, seemed unlikely. When queried by this writer, Judith replied that the smoking explanation was actually told to her by someone else which has gone into her Long-Term Memory. Querying of Judith’s sister confirmed that Judith’s smoking explanation is in fact, a Spontaneous Confabulation.
The Daytimers characters will discuss Judith’s pre-stroke life, the transformation she underwent in her journey to independent living and how they themselves have been affected by her. We learn how Judith became a magnet for many people as well as the challenges and conflicts for those in closest proximity to her.
Judith Parsons — subject of this documentary film
Judith created a system post-stroke to cope with the massive injury to her Short Term Memory (STM) eventually enabling her to live independently and regain caring for her son. Judith has been amazed at all the people wanting to take part in this film and delighted that the system she developed, which has worked so well for her over the years, will be widely available and hopefully of help to other stroke victims and their caregivers.
Christine Manewell — Judith’s sister, two years her junior
While disposition kept the two sisters at bay, they eventually were brought together on the unforgettable day of Judith’s stroke. She was the first to arrive at the hospital, and with their younger brother, John, ultimately made the decision to remove Judith from life support as their parents were too distraught to make such a decision. Chris remained a constant/stalwart force in Judith’s life as she has in hers. Chris sadly passed away in July, 2021 and the film will be dedicated in her honour.
Dr. Pauline Pariser — Judith’s physician from pre-stroke through her retirement in 2019
Having sat with Judith several times while she was in coma, Dr. Pariser discussed Judith’s having survived and thrived far beyond medical expectations including her personality transformation post-stroke. She emphasized that Judith was actually healthy (apart from the ruptured aneurism) and it was her good health that allowed her to fight for her life while in coma and afterwards.
Elaine Jaques — friend/neighbour/former colleague
Elaine was “command central” directly after and throughout Judith’s coma. During the transitional time as Judith’s long term memory was returning, Elaine, who knew a great deal of intimate details about Judith’s life that she herself didn’t remember, spent many hours with Judith, “literally filling in, timetable— when things happened, what happened so it could be re-contextualized and remembered.”
Don Fitzgerald — friend/housemate/handy man/artist...
Judith needed her broken stairs repaired post-stroke. She noticed Don working across the street. This fortuitous meeting would mark the beginning of a profound/mutually supportive relationship between two very different people that would change the course of both their lives forever. They continue to live together 30 odd years later.
Gideon Arthurs — friend, former tenant
Gideon began his relationship with Judith as a tenant. According to both, there was an instant connection and mutual admiration between the two. Gideon credits Judith with a transformative quality and major influence in his personal and professional life by forcing him to live more in the moment and be open to people he may not have appreciated prior to living with her.
Dr. Anne Green — friend and former neighbour
Although not close friends at the time, Anne was “inexplicably drawn” to the ER upon hearing of Judith’s stroke the day it happened. She visited Judith frequently while she was in coma and witnessed her regain consciousness, uttering these first words: “Where is the blanket of earth that was covering me?” Anne’s delight with Judith’s daily system functioning propelled her to undertake this film along with her daughter Kaela to hopefully help other stroke victims and their caregivers.
Kaela Morden — Anne’s daughter and Judith’s “daughter” and friend
Kaela was three years old when Judith’s stroke occurred so has only memories of her post-stroke. Having lived with Judith during university, Kaela provides key information about the highs and lows of living with a woman affected by memory loss. Judith and Kaela share a profound emotional closeness that will offer audiences a glimpse of Judith’s softer, vulnerable side.
Dr. Morris Moscovitch —
Morris’s expertise in recent and remote memory with neurologically intact people and people with brain damage, made him the ideal neuropsychologist to assess and comment upon Judith’s daily functioning, particularly with the use of her daytimers. To quote him, “Using Daytimers the way Judith uses them is remarkable for someone who had her kind of stroke. The region that’s damaged is the region that’s involved in Executive Function. And most people with damage is those areas don’t have the wherewithal to plan accordingly”
Dr. Brandon Vasquez —
Brandon’s clinical interests include neuropsychological assessment of acquired brain injury as was with Judith’s stroke. A research interest includes the integration of technology into assessment and intervention of cognitive dysfunction. However, Judith’s non-technological use of her daytimers impressed Brandon as potentially useful to Baycrest’s patients. His comment, “It’s amazing to see how long she’s been able to sustain herself with the strategies she’s come up with.”
John Clemmer — Graphic Designer
John and his wife Shirley were Judith’s colleagues while she was the editor of Seasons Magazine—John was the Art Director. Judith requested that John write the history of her stroke from the day it happened in April 1985 through the (then) present time 1990. John produced a 13-page document which served as “the spine” of this documentary film. John sadly passed away on June 21, 2019 and the film will be dedicated in his honour along with Judith’s sister Christine Manewell.
Jocelyne Brault — Judith’s Occupational Therapist
Jocelyne worked with Judith in her home for 16 months upon discharge from Day Treatment. When called to take part in this film after a 40 year hiatus, Jocelyne remembered her immediately and was thrilled to witness Judith’s current high level of functioning. In Jocelyne’s words—“I didn’t know Judith before her stroke (obviously) but she told me a little bit of what she was like. If she hadn’t been organized prior to the stroke, I don’t think she wouldn’t have survived— doing the daytimers she needed to create her life— that was the Judith prior to her stroke that kind of kicked into gear.”
Jane Weeks — Friend and Judith’s colleague at Seasons Magazine
Jane and Judith have shared a love of the natural world since the outset of their relationship which began when Jane became involved with the (then) Federation of Ontario Naturalists and Judith was chairing the board. Jane provided articles for Natures Magazine, which Judith was editing. Since that time Jane has moved from Toronto to Gores Landing a small town in Ontario where she continues to devote her time to her community.
Carolyn and Neil Turnbull — Friends and Judith’s colleague at Seasons Magazine
Carolyn and Neil Turnbull met Judith while she was chairing the board of the Ontario Naturalists. The Turnbulls are the owners and stewards of Hedgerow Farm, an ecological landscape design company near Sunderland, Ontario. The three shared intellect, ambition and a strong capacity to enjoy life that connected them during the 70s.
Carolyn Rowe — Lifelong friend
An unlikely friendship evolved at the end of high school between Judith, the wild child and Carolyn, the subdued of the two. It was the late 1950s and although not really friends, they decided to embark upon a road trip across Canada. We heard from Judith about the “angelic” ways Carolyn supported her during her healing journey from the stroke. They see one another only every few years yet have share a deep and enduring bond.
DISCLAIMER: This website is dedicated to information and education relevant to Judith Parson’s stroke. It is not to be considered for self-diagnosis nor diagnosis of others who have suffered a stroke. We recommend that you speak to your health care providers if you have any questions about what you find on this site.
NOTICE: All content linked to other sites in the Resources section remain the property of their respective owners. Italicized passages are direct quotes from these sites. They are included for the benefit of the readers but DO NOT reflect an endorsement of The Daytimers film. The exception is the first site — a Summary by John Clemmer, a friend and former colleague of Judith’s who was a participant in the film. John sadly passed away suddenly from a stroke in July, 2017 and the film is dedicated in his honour.
