Everyday Imaginaries, Narratives and Strokes: An Ethnographic Exploration of Narratives among Stroke Patients and their Spouses

That a stroke is a disruptive event in many people’s lives is no secret. That it also represents challenges to the communal construction of narratives between couples is less explored, and is the subject matter of this paper. With a narrative theoretical approach to ethnographic fieldwork conducted among couples where one partner has had a stroke, this article explores how everyday imaginaries are challenged when narratives are reassessed following a stroke. The paper suggests that sometimes the communal narratives are taken over by the part not directly afflicted by the stroke. Thus, when the non-afflicted spouse is in control of the narratives, they may be utilized as a way to monitor both the relationship as well as the brain of the spouse afflicted by the stroke.