You wouldn’t see it from the outside, but the consequences of a cerebral infarction are certainly there for Fanny van der Werf (68). All stimuli, whether sound, light, movement or emotions, they all hit us equally hard. As a result, she can no longer do many things, but low-stimulus guidance offers opportunities to go to a theater performance, for example.
“My world has become much smaller. I am a people person, I prefer to do things myself or with the children and grandchildren. That is no longer self-evident. I have to think carefully about what is and is not possible,” says Van der Werf. “The busy Fanny, the fanatical Fanny needs that a lot, but my brain says this is not possible and that is possible.”
Too many stimuli create ‘traffic jams’ in her head, as if all the stimuli are waiting like a line of cars to be processed. This can cause her to be sick for days. It is therefore important that Van der Werf tries to prevent as many stimuli as possible.
And cultural institutions can do something about this, for example as the Atlas Theater does. On the evening itself, the low-stimulus care starts at a special, separate entrance. Van der Werf is met there by hostess Kitty Eshuis.