07-25-08:
This is going to take a while as I can not sit and type for long.
My Stroke occurred 10/7/2004. Pre-Stroke I worked as a financial analyist/acountant in industry. My hobbies were traveling with my wife, dancing, martial arts, and lifting weights. I was commuting 100 miles daily (6-7) days a week to my work site as well as traveling around the US.
My stroke was due to an "infart". Some time in my past I injuried an artery in the right rear side of my neck. The day of my stroke, the artery gave out and a blood clot formed effecting the brain stim. My disability is; therefore, mostly physical rater then mental. I have facial and throat paralysis on the right side (making speaking and eating very difficult) and lost pain and temperature sesation on the entire left side of my body.
Must rest. More to follow later.
7-28-08
Continued from above.
Needless to say, due to my physical disability, I have no longer do much of what I use to enjoy. Mostly home bound I have been unable to travel, dance or do martial arts. Therapy has replaced most of my phisical activity and my hobbies have now been changed to reading (with my one good eye), meditation (rediscovering my spirituality) and chess.
Looking back over the 48 years before my stroke, I have been blessed with a good life. I have traveled, parachuted, rapelled, kayacked in Alaska, run on a beach in Hawaii, traveled across the US, run 10K’s, and been married to the same beautiful lady for almost 28 years, who gave me two wonderful children. All of which I am very thankful to God for.
Next installment: My hopital and recovery esperience.
08-01-08
Most people think of strokes as sudden events, like a lighting strike. Mine was an "evolving" stroke. One that took place over days; indeed weeks.
I was admitted to the ICU after several days of symptoms that I did not recognize as precurser to a stroke event. My age, 48, and my blood pressure which was under control did not indicate a stroke event. It wasn’t ’til I went to the hospital (ER) when I couldn’t swallow a drink of water and began throwing up that the doctors recognized the sysmtoms as stroke. I passed out in the ER.
When I woke I was in the ICU where I stayed for almost a month. Unable to swallow, they put tubes in my stomach and small intestines for feeding and medicine. I was also attached to an IV for some meds. My rehab began there with some Physical and Speech Therapy to sit up, walk, and try to swallow. I failed the swallow test twice, and there was the possibility that I would have to live on tube feedings the rest of my life. Not a happy prospect, since I love to eat, and alwas enjoy a good meal. I got aspiration pneumonia from acid reflux and that lengthend my stay in ICU. I was so close to death that my wife had our daughter come home from the Peace Corp in Africa. While recovering from the Pneumonia, I had the doctors remove the ventolator tube from my throat and do a Trachiatomy (Trac) on me which was more comfortable. Once they "weaned" me from the ventalator, they sent me to a "transition" hospital to help me prepare for Inpatient Therapy.
Two weeks went by as I built up my strength. I continued to fail the swallow tests, which was very frustrating; but got the trac removed when the doctors felt I could protect my air way with out mechanical assistance. Once they felt I could handle three hours of daily therapy I was moved to an Inpatient Therapy.
To be continued soon.
08-03-08
Inpatient therapy was just learning how to live with my disabillities and gain streangth. I had to relearn just about everything. Also got a nasty staf infection that put me back in ICU; so had to restart inpatient therapy from scratch. Total time in 4 weeks. Finally passed the swallow test and began eatting again, which was a great blessing ( Thank you, God) and was able to go home without tubes in my stomach on December 22. Next came Out Patient Therapy.
Out patient therapy was more in patient therapy, just finer, more difficult tasks. Three days a week; four hours a day. I also had accupunture (from a Chinese Doctor who had practiced for 30+ years). He had studied for five (5) years at a medical school in China before that. I worked with him and my therapists to make sure that the treatments cocmplmented each other. Didn't use any herbal medicines; so not concerns about reactions with my western medications. Did the Out Patient Therapy for three months. They "graduated" me when the insurance money ran out. Now it's in home therapy, which I do on my own. Discontinued the accupunture when i stopped making gains (about 9 months).
I did try going back to work and was able to work 4 hour days for two years before they let me go; and I started on long term disability retirement.
So thats where I am now. Guess I'll have to start another Journal; if I can come up with any thing interesting to say.
The most incredible answer
