Kerry Livgren of Kansas rehabbing from stroke

[Carl]

We were close to nailing down an interview with Mr. Livgren not too long ago, as I'd love to get his take on some of those classic Kansas songs. Let's hope for a continued recovery:

As 2009 comes to an end and 2010 dawns, Kerry Livgren, co-founder of the group Kansas, doesn't know what the future holds for him. For now, he is focusing on one day at a time.

In a letter written on Christmas Eve posted on his Web site, www.numavox.com, Livgren describes the stroke he had in late summer. He said it was a typical Monday morning, and he had started the day with barn chores and then spent a few hours in his recording studio at his home southeast of Topeka.

Because the weather was so nice, Livgren, 60, said he decided to "give up the rest of the workday and fly one of my radio-controlled planes in the pasture."

At 3:30 a.m., he went to his bathroom, splashed water on his face and fell to the floor. He didn't know it, but a massive blood clot had just entered his carotid artery and worked its way to his brain.

"I went to bed about 10:30, read a little bit and went shortly to sleep," he wrote in the letter. "From this point on, I remember little, which must have been God's mercy."

Livgren had surgery, and although it was a success, tests showed that a second clot had again blocked the carotid artery. There wasn't an attempt to remove the blockage because there was too "much mass of coagulation," the Web site states. "It remains blocked."

"For the next three and a half days, I knew nothing. I was in a black vacuous void, lacking sound, sight and feeling," he wrote.

After 11 days in the hospital, Livgren was moved to a Nebraska rehabilitation facility, where he continued to improve. He writes about discovering a piano on the second floor of the facility.

"I had not been thinking much about one of my greatest fears — not being able to make music," Livgren wrote. "I sat down at the piano, my right arm in my lap, and played a few figures with my left hand. Then came the great test. I lifted my right arm and played a simple scale, although somewhat haltingly.

"I was surprised that I was even able to press the keys. However the real surprise happened when I tried to play with both hands. I found that I could play with right or left hand independently, but not with both hands. I just could not do it."

Livgren was transferred to a Topeka rehabilitation center, where he said he "graduated," and is now working on his own at a gym.

Today, Livgren is still working on his piano skills. His guitar skills may never be the same, he said, because of numbness in his right arm. He said he can't feel a guitar pick and can't tell what strings he is plucking.

"I'm doing remarkably well considering I should be in a wheelchair," Livgren said in a telephone interview Tuesday. "I practice (the piano) every day. It is one of the best things I can do for my arm. I could be very disappointed because I used to be a good pianist."

But he isn't. Instead, he is thankful for his full life and career.

"I feel like I had such a glorious career over the last 30 years," he said. "I have never been angry. Bewildered and scared, yes. I have never been resentful. I knew I was going to have to work at this. Almost immediately, I was given an attitude about the stroke that has been very positive. This has tremendously reinforced my faith — revolutionized my faith. It has been quite an experience."

Livgren said his future and recovery are unknown. He is back in the recording studio working on some projects, but he said his career path depends on how much his guitar and piano skills improve. He also struggles with a bit of a speech impediment. Some days are better than others, he said.

"So many people have been praying and rooting for me," Livgren said of his fans. "I have had tremendous support from everyone. Thank you for your support. It meant the world to me. I will give it my best shot. And to stroke patients, don't ever give up trying."

http://cjonline.com/news/local/2009-12-29/kansas_livgren_discusses_stroke

[Jenny]

That is a great attitude to have, and he should be grateful. Many musicians never get a chance at fame, and he did. I hope he continues to recover.

[phil]

I wish him the best. My Mother had a stroke this past November. Luckily, my brother was there at the time, and she got the proper drugs

administered quickly. This definitely was the key to slowing down the effects of the stroke. Her speech is slurred and she has some memory loss. But, she is tough and a fighter, and will get better.