My Stroke of Insight

I was 23 years old. My son had recently turned 1 and I was getting ready to start back to school, follow my dreams, and make something of myself. Then, it happened. Sitting on the hospital bed in the ER, the doctor says to me, "Mrs. Poole, I believe you have just had a mini-stroke.  We are probably going to have keep you for a couple days to run some tests. You might want to call your husband or close family to let them know." I thought to myself, "A mini stroke? No. How could this happen to me? I am only 23 years old! Young people don't have strokes!" Then I wanted to slap myself.  "Hello Christian! Wake up! Your mother had a massive stroke at 39!"  

My mother was 39 when she had a massive stroke, or what is known as a hemorrhagic stroke (a bleed in the brain).  The stroke left her unable to talk, walk or eat on her own, and she was paralyzed on the right side. She spent about a week or so in the ICU. She had a feeding tube in her nose for a while and she had a colostomy bag.  When I walked into the ICU, she had no idea who I was or really anyone around her. She looked into my eyes and there was no recognition. I turned away, sat down and cried like a baby.
They eventually put my mother in a nursing home where she stayed 6 more years.  The nurses worked with her and she eventually learned how to eat on her own and some of her memory came back. She did have some short term memory loss, but she knew who her family was when we came to visit. She could remember things that happened 20 years ago, but if you told her something, she would forget it in a few hours. She could say "mama" for my grandmother and "baby" for me, since I was her youngest child, but that was about it. She did gain a little bit of movement on the right side by moving her leg a little, but she was mostly confined to a bed.  On October 10, 2012, just a couple hours after my nephew was born, my mother took her last breath and became an angel. 

After losing my mother, then finding out that I myself had suffered a mini-stroke, I knew I had to do something.  I knew I had to research strokes and know my risks.  The doctors asked about my family history and any medications I was on. Unfortunately, my family does have some pretty "sucky" genes and I relayed all that I knew to them:

- my mother had a massive stroke at 39
- my grandmother (maternal) has diabetes

- my grandfather (maternal) died of a massive heart attack at the age of 39

- my father has had a few mini heart attacks

- medication:  i was taking birth control and I (hate to admit it) was a smoker.

My doctor said that all of those factors combined together were probably what led to my stroke. She also wanted me OFF of birth control. I didn't know it but the hormones that the birth control puts in your system can elevate blood pressure and can in turn cause a stroke. My OB-GYN never told me about that.  

I began researching sites such as strokeassociation.org and stroke.org.  I also found numerous articles on younger people who have had strokes. Frankie Muniz, the former Malcolm In The Middle TV show star suffered 2 mini strokes recently. He was just 27 years old!   http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/entertainment/2013/11/frankie-muniz-suffers-second-mini-stroke/

So, i'm sure your reading this thinking, "This is very sad, but what does this have to do with me?"  I am sharing my story, and these websites with you because I want you all to know that you are not IMMUNE to a stroke. Yes, I should have been taking better care of myself but I also had other risks that affected my health and were risk factors for the stroke. I also want you to know the warning signs so that if you think you, or anyone around you is having a stroke, you can get medical attention a.s.a.p.

There is an important acronym you need to remember:    F.A.S.T.
F - FACE....ask the person to smile. look to see if one side droops down.

A - ARMS....ask the person to hold their arms straight out palms facing up. Look to see if one arms drops (like dead weight).

S - SPEECH....ask them to say a simple sentence. If their speech is slurred or sounds strange, this could be a sign of a stroke.

T - TIME...If you see any or all of these signs, get them an ambulance or to a hospital a.s.a.p. 

When my mother had her stroke, my grandmother said she looked up at her and tried to say "I love you" but it came out "I uhhhh ooh". She knew then she was having a stroke.  When my stroke happened, my left hand started going numb and the left side of my face was tingly. I couldn't write or even pick up a coin. My mind was saying to move my fingers, but they weren't working. I knew something wasn't right.

Please don't think that a stroke can't happen to you. It can happen to ANYONE. Know your risks. Know your family history. Get a head start on keeping your body healthy. Take preventive steps and measures.  Let others know about strokes and the signs. GET AWARENESS OUT.

My Mother - before the stroke

My Mother - after the stroke; me before my stroke

Me after the stroke