Life has been much different for Dan Merenick since he had a stroke in September 2006.

"I had my life torn away from me," said Mr. Merenick, 52, of Munhall, who has been unable to drive or perform some of his former tasks and hobbies.

But he has been helped by services offered by Health Hope Network, including a symposium last year that updated stroke survivors and their caregivers on new treatments and technologies.

He plans to attend the second annual symposium on Saturday at the Four Points by Sheraton, Pittsburgh North in Cranberry.

A number of vendors will be represented. Sponsors include Allegheny General Hospital, the American Heart Association, Eat'n Park Hospitality Group, Giant Eagle, Hanger Prosthetics & Orthotics, Highmark and the UPMC Stroke Institute.

Dr. Ashis Tayal, medical director of Allegheny General's comprehensive stroke center, will speak on the topic, "What's New in Stroke 2008."

Another speaker, Dr. Kathryn Garrett, of Alternative Communication Therapies and Strategies, will outline ways to support communication in aphasia, an impaired ability to use or understand language.

Frank Erdeljac, the area's associate market leader for Hanger Prosthetics, will discuss new trends in orthoses, devices that can address difficulties in walking or similar stroke-related problems.

Lori Massaro, clinical administrator of the UPMC Stroke Institute, will speak on the critical need for urgent assessment after a stroke.

Dotti Bechtol, Health Hope's executive director, said the topic is of interest to stroke survivors because they are at risk for having another stroke.

Formerly the Visiting Nurse Foundation, the nonprofit Health Hope Network operates the largest flu shot program in Allegheny County and uses the proceeds to fund its Stroke Survivor Connection program.

That program provides weekly meetings, hosted by trained facilitators, that offer support, information and resources free-of-charge to stroke survivors and their families. Currently, it serves nearly 200 patients in more than two dozen locations throughout Allegheny County.

Mr. Merenick said he attends the support groups and benefits from sharing his story and hearing those of others.

Doing so, he said, helps him remember "I'm not the only one out there" with stroke-related problems.

He had a stroke while on a family vacation. He remembers getting up to go to the bathroom, "taking two steps and freezing in place."

At first, his left arm and leg were paralyzed. But in time, he recovered some function, moving from a wheelchair to using a cane and eventually walking unassisted.

"I still have a long way to go," he said, noting he still has limited use of his left hand and left leg.

No longer able to work on firearms at his security job, he now has a desk job at a computer. He also has given up crafting the stained glass windows and lampshades he made as a hobby. And he gets rides to and from work because he has occasional seizures, preventing him from regaining his driver's license.

At last year's symposium, he learned of a mechanical glove that helps him flex the fingers on his left hand. He's also stopped smoking, works out at his employer's fitness center and continues to focus on his recovery.

"It's a very slow process," he said. "You have to keep working at it."