What did you say, A Stroke, I’m only 43???

Sept 18^th 1994 was just another Sunday Morning!

My Wife and I had gone to the Fair the night before and we got home around 11:00 Saturday night. We had eaten some food at the fair but hadn’t done anything wild n crazy! When we got home, I sat down, put my feet up, took a breath, had a beer then went to bed.

As with many families, Sundays mornings when we it worked out, was our lazy, relax, sleep in day!

On Sunday morning, Pain was my alarm clock.  This strange head/eye ache and upset stomach was a very rude wake up call. The pain held outrageous intensity! Its throbbing, consumed my head!

The first thing that went through my head was, WOW, this really Hurts!

I had to get up and go to the bathroom, and then immediate went back to bed.

My wife looked at me and asked if everything was OK, but my mouth just mumbled, “I just don’t feel good.”

In laying there for a few more minutes trying to evaluate the severe strange pain, all of a sudden, I started seeing rotating marble sized images circling around at a slow pace inside the entire room. Now maybe I’m a little scared. What the heck is going on?

Now the intensity of this eye splitting painful headache now with bubble like images rotating in my vision and that darned upset stomach got to me!! The porcelain throne seemed to be calling me! At this time it was the beginning of my stomach turning inside out.

After my second trip to the bathroom, and throwing up, I took about two steps out of the bathroom, heading back to bed and I fell to my knees, then flat on my face on my Bedroom floor. My body was stretched out flat and both arms were above my head then it all stopped working!

At that time in my life, one of my many hats was, I was an EMT and the Volunteer Captain of the Fire Dept. Medical situations was a very big part of my real life.  Our training always included a quick ABC medical evaluation of persons on each call.

Now, I wasn’t able to move, lying on my bedroom floor, and trying to figure out my condition! ABC evaluation was fine but SCARED was now working against me.

• I can talk, but I can’t move!
• I am thinking clearly, (I thought I was) but I can’t move!
• My heart is beating normally, but I can’t move!

What the heck is going on?

Now my wife is trying to call 911. I’m telling her to just let me lay there for a while. It was my thought that this was something temporary, then after my shower if she still wants to, she can take me in and get me checked out at the ER. WHAT WAS I THINKING!

I can’t move, but I am still in denial and refusing help!

Fact: Men die more often than Women because, they live in DENIAL. It can’t happen to me syndrome. Don’t let this be you!

Now again my wife is telling me that she is going to call 911.

My though pattern was correct, but, my DENIAL or desire to not be in this situation was overrunning my common sense.

Well at this point, I am just confused!!!

My body now just started sweating profusely. At this point I remember my fear of this symptom and I agreed with my wife that help was needed. My loving wife called 911 and they came and got me.
The Fire dept extricated me from my house and hauled me off to the hospital.

I was very sick and now couldn’t even open my eyes without throwing up.

It was determined that I had a stroke. I was blown away. Me at 43 a stroke that changed my life, Forever.

My next posting will be more of this story.

I am hoping that someone, some friend or a family member who has had a stroke recently will read this and offer them a ray of hope. A flicker of encouragement.  Our goal is to try and offer to others an avenue of awareness to realize, we are all only a heartbeat away from a major issue and it could happen to YOU at any age!

We can change diets, or life style but the real thing that I would like to offer is the fact, people to people we can support each other.