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Unit3Unit3Unit3Detailedreading1DetailedreadingMyStrokeofLuckShekeepssavingmylife.Betterstill,shekeepsgivingmereasonstolive.KirkDouglas1IthappenedonthewayhomefromameetinginFillmore,40milesnorthofLosAngeles.MyfriendNoelBlanc,ahelicopterpilot,offeredtogivemearidebacktothecity.Wewere50feetintheairwhenwecollidedwithasmallplaneflownbyaflightinstructorandhisyoungstudent.NoelandIsurvived,butthemenintheplanediedinstantly.2Idon’trememberbeingpulledfromthewreckageortheambulancetriptoanearbyhospital.ButIdoremembermywife,Anne,staringdownatmeonmygurney.Afterhearingoftheaccident,Annetookahelicoptertoreachme.SheinsistedonmovingmetoourneighborhoodhospitalinL.A.,Cedars-SinaiMedicalCenter.Anotherhelicopterride.JustwhatIneeded!Detailedreading2DetailedreadingButAnnewasright.InL.A.Icouldgetthebestcareformyspinalinjuryandstartseeingpsychiatristsformyveryreal“survivor’sguilt”.Annehassuchgoodjudgmentandintuition,sherarelymakesawrongdecision.Afterall,shefirstsavedmylifein1958,whensherefusedtoletmejoinfilmproducerMikeToddonhisfatalflight.Shesavedmeagainaftermystrokein1995,whenIbecamedepressedandsuicidal.Detailedreading3Detailedreading3Detailedreading44Anne’ssecretisthatshelearnsfromlife,thenmoveson.BorninHanover,Germany,shefledtoBelgiumtoescapefascismasateenager.ShethenmovedtoParis,survivingtheoccupationbyputtingherlinguisticabilitytowork.FluentinFrench,English,ItalianandhernativeGerman,shesupportedherselfbyplacingGermansubtitlesonFrenchfilms.DetailedreadingDetailedreading5Wemetin1953whenIwasinParistostarinActofLove.Iwaslookingforanassistant,andAnneBuydensshowedupatmydressingroomforaninterview.Sheworeabluesuitwithawhitecollar,andhadverydelicatewristsandankles.Quitestriking.Iexplainedthepositionandshepolitelysaid,“Idon’tthinkthisjob’srightforme.”Iwasmiffed.HereIwas,anAmericanmoviestar.Iexpectedhertobeeagerforthejob.Detailedreading5Detailedreading66Shedidaccepttheposition,butonlyonatemporarybasis.Andsheeventuallyagreedtogooutwithme,whichhadbeenmyfirstthoughtanyhow.Butthattooksomedoingonmyparttoo.Afterourfirstmeeting,IcalledtoinvitehertosupperatTourd’Argent,oneofParis’sbestrestaurants,withfantasticviewsoftheSeine.“No,”shesaid,“I’mtired.IthinkI’lljustmakemyselfsomeeggsandgotobed.”Mythoughtthenwas,tohellwithher.DetailedreadingDetailedreading77Butitwasjustthatpoignantstylethatmademefallinlove.Duringthefollowingmonths,whileIwasfilmingUlyssesinItaly,Anneoftenmetupwithme.In1954,whenournextjobsthreatenedtokeepusapartformonthsatatime,IrealizedIdidn’twanttoloseherandaskedhertomarryme.WeslippedawaytoLasVegastotietheknot.DetailedreadingDetailedreading88Forty-sevenyearsofmarriageisquiteajourney.Annehaskeptmegoingthroughsomeofthehardesttimes,whichhasn’talwaysbeeneasy,giventhatI’msometimesanactorwrappedupinhisego.Afterthecrash,Icouldn’tsitwithoutextremepain.Whenwewentout,Annewouldputmeintherearofthestationwagon,whereIcouldstretchout.Atdinnerwithfriends,she’dsetaplaceformeasifitwerethemostnaturalthingintheworldtoeatlyingonthecouch.Sheconsoledmeduringmysurvivor’sanguish,butwhatshewouldn’ttolerate—andhere’stheimportantthing—wasmefeelingsorryformyself.DetailedreadingDetailedreading99Thenagain,I’veneverseenherfeelsorryforherselfeither.ThirtyyearsagoAnneunderwentdiagnosticsurgeryafterfindingalumpinherbreast.Herdoctorreportedthetumorwasmalignant,anditwasspreading.HeencouragedmetoauthorizehimtoremoveAnne’sbreastthenandthere.Idid.DetailedreadingDetailedreading1010After,Ifeltguiltyhavingmadethatchoicewhileshelayunconscious.AnneassuredmethatI’ddonetherightthing.Shedealtwiththecancer,fromwhichshehasfullyrecovered,byhelpingothers—talkingtogroupsaboutherexperiences,andestablishingResearchforWomen’sCancerswithsixfellowsurvivors.Overtheyearsthey’veraised$9milliontohelpfinancearesearchfacilityatCedars-Sinai.AnnerecentlyreadanarticleaboutthedeplorablestateofschoolplaygroundsinL.A.,andstartedaprogramtorebuildandbeautifythem.DetailedreadingDetailedreading1111That’smywife’smethod,findingwaysherlifecanhelpothers.I’vebeenthebeneficiaryofthatpracticemanytimes.TheafternoonIhadmystroke,AnnewasplayingbridgewithBarbaraSonata,andIwashomegettingamanicure.Whenmyspeechstartedtoslur,themanicurist,aformernurse,immediatelyphonedAnne.Mywifewashomewithintenminutesandhadmeatthehospitalwithinanhour.DetailedreadingDetailedreading1212Althoughshewasmyrescuer,Anne,whobelievesintoughlove,wasn’tabouttoletmejustliearound.Duringmyrecovery,shekickedmeoutofbedeachmorningtogetmeworkingwithmyspeechtherapist.ShetaughtmeexercisesthathelpedherwhenshewaslearningtospeakEnglish,likeputtinga/d/beforea/j/tosay“just.”Mytherapistwasimpressed.Oneday,feelingproudofmyprogress,Isaid,“Ithinkasatreat,tomorrowI’dliketohavebreakfastinbed.”DetailedreadingDetailedreading1313Annelookedatmeandsaid,“You’dlikebreakfastinbed?Ithinkyou’dbettersleepinthekitchen!”ThemostdifficultconsequenceofmystrokewasthedepressionIsuffered.WhileIwasgoingthroughit,Anneenduredmymoodsbutdidn’tallowmetocomplain.14Inthemidstofwritingmylatestbook,MyStrokeofLuck,Ihadanepiphany,inspiredbymywife.Howtohandleastrokeishowtohandlelife.Theworldisfilledwith