31

Earthquakes happen suddenly, with no warning and if strong enough, leaves massive destruction at its wake. Then the aftershocks follow. Little tremblers that are just as nerve wracking as they could be signaling another big one. I use this analogy because this is how I felt after the stroke. I get anxious whenever I get a headache or a tingling in my hands or feet. Afterall, the stroke literally caused a shift in my brain. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder  (PTSD) is frequently attributed to

May

2018

30

About a year and a half ago, I had a hemorrhagic stroke. It took me about 15 months to say it was, in fact, a stroke. It took another month for me to say it without shying away from the word. It’s not that I was embarrassed, I just didn’t believe it. I was 28 years old. The day after I brought my beautiful baby girl home to meet her older brother, I was struck by what I now know is a thunderclap headache. I was incapacitated, blinded, and terrified. The doctor told me to take Motrin. I took

May

2018

28

I still think about that night, every time I go to bed. I am a light sleeper. After the injury, any movement or sound tends to wake me up. A year ago, I was awoken by his movement and noises. I vividly remember him repeatedly moving onto his side, rubbing his right eye with his right hand. His movements seemed chaotic then suddenly stopped. He was unresponsive for a bit. He awoke but wasn’t aware of the situation. His left arm and leg couldn’t move. He thought he was fine. But he didn’t know.

May

2018

24

I took a picture one year ago at 5am May 22, 2017. I had woken up to feed my daughter Aubree and placed her back in her pack and play and take this moment in. She looked so beautiful to me and I wanted to capture that, never knowing that this would be the last moment prior to my stroke. I had no idea that in three short hours I would wake up to something that would change my life forever. It has taken me a year to really look at the picture again. I was afraid to look at it and I mean really

May

2018

23

Jacob was your normal healthy 17-year-old.  It was his senior year and he was looking forward to graduation and was preparing to take his ASVAB.  On 2/20/2017 my Jacob went to school and then to work after classes ended.  Two hours after his shift started my oldest son received a phone call that Jacob had suffered a medical emergency.  As soon as we saw him we knew that it was bad.  Face drooping, arm and leg gone and he could not speak.  He received TPA at our local hospital and was rushed to

May

2018