My Story

When I think back to the day I had my stroke I remember how my life was.

Being at the clinic has been a serious wake up call considering the fact when I woke up I realize there were several things I used to be very lax about. The first was my health.  

When I got up from the couch I used to groan.  The truth is my mother-in-law thought I was frail.

It took a stroke for me to realize that I cared what she thought about me.

I was very badly out of shape, and I ignored my blood sugar and my blood pressure which were both very high.

It took a serious brain injury for me to realize I was killing myself--slowly and steadily. 

To start with I had high blood pressure--I want to say I had hypertension but since my blood pressure was high enough to cause my stroke--as much as I want to call my blood pressure hypertension-- this is what caused my stroke.  

I was also negligent with my medication.  

Add all of this together--this is what caused me to have a traumatic brain injury.

In addition to these factors I also didn't care about my blood sugar--I at what I wanted.  If I look back on the number of things I failed to do it really is no wonder I did no

t have a traumatic brain injury sooner.

The day of my stroke I had eaten what I thought was a small amount of pasta salad but I am pretty sure the amount of carbs I partook of was enough to push my blood sugar above 300 points.

All of this combined with my lax body because I was very unaware that my brain was being battered constantly by the pressure my blood was exerting.  After coming home from work I met my wife.  After waiting two hours I was ready to spend time with her, but not before I had eaten a pound of pasta salad--I thought nothing of this, but this was nothing but pure carbs.


When my wife got off work we spent some time together--I was surprised she wanted to walk.  In fact we walked at least seven blocks.  All the while my body we still trying to deal with the rising blood pressure.  

As a doctor once told me it really is a silent killer.  You do not feel what is happening to you just as I did not feel what was happening--until it was too late.

After walking around seven blocks my wife and I came back to the house, and I noticed a stray pencil that had fallen out of my car and lay vacant in the driveway.

At the moment I bent down to retrieve the pencil and felt very dizzy.  My wife was enjoying the moment but I felt as my leg was about to buckle underneath me.  I remember taking a few steps and saying, "I think I need to sit down."

At the time I sat down in this porch chair.  All I felt was dizzy, but as I sat down my vision began to track like a camera to the right as if my head was a camera.  I closed my eyes a couple of times but my right eye continued to track to the left and all I could say was "My vision is tracking."  

My wife understood the camera term, so I think she understood what I  was trying to say. When I got up however my right leg could no longer support my weight.

Luckily, my wife is very strong and then I said, "I can't walk." I could not actually use my right leg. At this time I was  very frightened, but I guess I had convinced myself that I would somehow get over it.  I had no idea that I had had a stroke, but with the help of my wife I was able to get into bed.

After one day I felt it was time to see a doctor.  My wife helped me get to the doctors office but due to the shape I was in the doctor's assistants demanded I go to the emergency room.  At this time a very kind doctor determined I had had a stroke.

It did not feel like anything had happened.

But I looked over the CT scan and the truth was I could not walk.

Because I still had command of my faculties I was still in denial that anything had happened. I believed I would be back to work in no time at all but the truth was I had had a stroke.

My future was very unsure but I was ready to start again, and I am grateful for my wife and the doctors who recognized what was happening to me. Even now I try to reconcile what I went through, but the truth is a very hard pill to swallow.  

My brain injury has changed me and for the better. I realize now what precious time I have and thanks to my wife and the world I can start each day with a new look on life.

I am rewriting my story, and I believe with a stronger step forward despite the difficulties I face.  The new chapter in my life will take me ahead with stronger footing and a new perspective.

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