Thursday, October 9, 2014

I had a stroke on Saturday night.

Before I get too deep into this post, I must tell you that I fully recovered from this episode. Multiple doctors and neurologists have confirmed that I have no deficits, no residuals, and I am home resting and doing well. Because this part of my story has only just started, you should know that this is only the first of many blogs that I will write about this event in my life. So stay tuned! I am still processing what happened and I find that writing about it helps, so thank you for reading. I feel blessed...

Imagine looking at a mirror and watching it shatter into a million pieces.  Then throw water on the fragments and watch the broken images float around and appear swirly...This is what I saw on Saturday, Oct 4th, 2014 at around 5:30pm.  

Sean and I had just arrived at Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz a few minutes before.  We parked in guest parking lot F and made our way up many stairs to the hotel.  We walked through the lobby and I remember feeling so excited to be there.  I looked outside and saw the sun shining on rose, golden and copper colored leaves surrounding the lake.  I couldn’t wait to walk around outside.  After all, our couple’s massage wasn’t until 6:30pm so we had till 6pm to explore. Sean said he needed to use the restroom.  I did too.  

After using the toilet, I was washing my hands when I looked up at the mirror to check myself out.  And that’s when it started.  I knew something was wrong.  Could it be my contact lenses? I blinked a few times, but no change.  I felt like I was going to faint.  I made my way to the door and stumbled out to the hallway where Sean was thankfully standing.  I told him something is wrong with my eyes. I knew he was standing on my right side, but when I looked at him, his face was on my left.  It was like staring at broken mirror images that were displaced, or sharp-edged puzzle pieces tossed about on top of each other.  What is going on with my eyes?? I asked him repeatedly if I was cross-eyed.  He looked and reassured me that they weren't. What is going on?

Within seconds, I could no longer stand on my own.  He found a chair in the next room and sat me down.  I could no longer hold my head up.  He thought I needed air.  He held me up and walked me outside by the lake and sat me down on a chair.  He asked me to stay so he could get help. When he stepped back to walk away, I slid down my chair.  He then moved the chair next to the railing and placed my left hand on the railing so that I could use it to hold me up.  He stepped away, and my hand started to slide off.  He told me he thought we should call 911.  I tried to talk him out of it.  I was embarrassed and didn’t want to create anymore commotion.  Then he asked me, “baby do you know that you’re drooling?”  With my right hand, I touched my face and felt the drool coming down the left side of my mouth.  I knew then, I was not myself.  I told him, “ok, call 911.”  

He got the attention of a woman working in the hotel and asked her to get some help.  She tried to help me herself, but Sean demanded she get a doctor right away. A doctor, also a hotel guest, finally came.  The paramedics from the hotel also came.  I wish I had their names.  The doctor started performing what I would later know as neurological tests.  He had me raise both arms above my head, squeeze his hands, touch my nose using my right, then left pointer fingers, smile, etc.  Sean later told me that during this time, my left side was weak. Even when I thought I was raising both arms up, I was only raising my right.  When I would smile, it would be crooked.  I had some motion on my left, but it was delayed, weak, and later on non-existent.  I kept my eyes closed to keep the crazy images at bay.  I was still seeing double. It felt better to just close them and listen.  They were asking lots of questions. I could hear myself slurring my words as I answered them.  They were holding my head up because I couldn’t do it myself.   

I remembered that the Spa at Mohonk had a policy of charging their guests 100% for no shows. I didn't want to be charged so I mentioned this and the MOD of the hotel said not to worry, and that he would take care of it. I was secretly hoping we would still make it in time for the massage. I really needed it. I had been under a lot of stress leading up to this and was really looking forward to relaxing. Why now, I thought?

The ambulance finally came.  I remember hearing someone say that we should go to Vassar because they have a stroke unit.  Was I having a stroke?  Was this really happening?  The driver asked one of the EMT’s if she should expedite.  He said, “do what you have to do.  Time is of the essence.” She said she would turn it on when we got to 299, which days later I confirmed was Main Street in New Paltz. I heard him mutter under his breath, "Geez, I have to tell her how to drive this thing too?" I was amused by this comment. Even in that state, I understood this meant turning the siren on.  I had no idea where we were going.  Sean was following behind the ambulance because they told him he couldn’t ride inside with me.  

While in the ambulance, they put the IV in my arm, poked my finger to check my blood sugar which was really low at 67.  I told them i had breakfast around 11am and a banana around 4pm. They asked me repeatedly if I had been drinking or was on some sort of recreational drugs.  I said no.  They asked again, and I said no again.  I was getting annoyed to be honest.  My head felt like it was spinning and the area around my right eye was hurting.  I heard the siren come on.  I asked if that siren was coming from us.  They confirmed.  The right side of my neck was hurting because my head was tilted left the entire time. I couldn't hold my head up. One of the EMTs had to keep my head in his hand to keep my head up. I felt like I was drunk in the worse possible way, in a way I had never ever felt before. I had no control of my left side.
To be continued....

1 comment:

  1. OMG. Cousin. I'm crying as I'm reading this but I know that's not what you need.
    I am so grateful that you have no deficits. I am so grateful Sean was there with you. I am so grateful that you are ok. I'm sure there will be many more tests in your future...I'm sure this also means a greater sense of awareness for so many things. Please take care of yourself. I know you work is stressful, but you take care of yourself. Take the time when you need it. Listen to your body from now on. Thank you for sharing this story with us. I love you.

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