The Beginning:
I was 27 years, 3 months, 2 weeks, and 5 days old when I had a stroke on the right side. The exact reason for the stroke is still unknown, even almost a year later. We are still unsure if it was a stroke caused by a clot (ischemic stroke) or stroke caused by a narrowing artery (stenosis). I was abroad when I had my stroke. It was a nice Saturday afternoon, I felt I was getting a migraine but this one was different, a bit more intense than my usual migraine. Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain that felt like a shooting star and then boom it stopped and suddenly I really needed to pee so I went to the bathroom, where I lost consciousness for a bit and fell (obviously). In terms of symptoms, I had a textbook stroke. My face was so droopy it might as well have been melting off, and my left arm and leg were clearly on a break from communicating with my brain. Due to my age, the paramedics said it was “impossible” that I was having a stroke and even asked me to stand up and walk to the stretcher. At which point they realized that I literally could not move and was in fact stuck behind the door so they had to detach the door before they could successfully clear me onto the stretcher. Again, due to my age, they did not administer the tPA* (a protein that breaks down clots and is typically administered within a short time frame post stroke in an attempt to dissolve the clot, refer below for more of the fancy science), because “there’s no way she's having a stroke, she’s too young” again, ignoring all signs that I was indeed having a stroke. In hindsight and after a lot of time thinking, I have chosen to believe it might have been a blessing in disguise as it could’ve caused a brain bleed which would have further complicated my already complex story. I was taken to the hospital, one of “the best in the world” [which to be honest, based on my lived experience, there is no way they are top of the list when it comes to patient treatment; they're clearly failing at training in patient empathy and communication, but more on this later.] I spent about five days in the neuro-ICU before being transferred to the regular neuro-ward where I spent a couple days before being transferred to an inpatient rehabilitation center. This inpatient rehab was “one of the best in the country, if not the best rehab hospital in the country” but again, not the best at training in patient empathy, communication and consent. Are you catching on to the trend common in my patient experience so far? I spent three horrible months at this hospital, unfortunately experiencing both harassment and trauma. The occupational and physical therapists were phenomenal, but the rest of the care team should reconsider their career choices immediately. Once discharged, I spent a month in outpatient rehab while waiting for a flight home. My mom flew from California across the world in order to be with me, but she had to quarantine due to the pandemic; so I did not see her until I had been living in the inpatient hospital for a few weeks. After a COVID-19 outbreak in my ward, she moved into the hospital with me and slept on a cot next to me to make sure I was properly taken care of while working remotely during US hours. She’s a literal super woman.
The Middle ( read: the present):
At the time of posting this, I am now back in California. I am about ten months out from my stroke, and I still do not have a fully functioning body. I had a pretty severe drop foot (when you can’t lift up your foot because the muscles that do that are paralyzed or weakened.So basically, plenty of opportunities to trip over oneself.) on the left after my stroke so I required a bulky butterfly AFO (ankle-foot orthosis) who I named Ruby. Although I no longer require Ruby, I do still require a drop foot brace, that I named Bob and a crutch/ cane, currently nameless (any suggestions?). I prefer a Canadian crutch (different from a regular crutch in that it has a piece that goes around the elbow/forearm and has a handle like a cane. No armpit pains with this crutch!), as I feel it gives me more stability, but it took me time to find what felt safe and comfortable to me. As for my left arm, I have limited movement in my shoulder, elbow and wrist. My fingers do not consistently function yet either, although my thumb and index finger on occasion make an appearance. My hand still suffers from pretty intense tone (natural tension/contraction in a muscle that resists stretching. Basically another name for a painful fist that refuses to open.) and I’ve found it's very hard to overcome the tone to move my fingers. Once the tone subsides, I think and hope that my fingers will be able to move on command again. I don’t have a lot of stamina or endurance when it comes to walking, so I either walk with Ruby or sit in my manual wheelchair (could also use a name; drop me a name suggestion!). I currently attend outpatient physical therapy and occupational therapy at my local regional hospital. I go three times a week. I do physical therapy in the pool (hydrotherapy) once a week. In my hydrotherapy sessions, I am also learning adaptive swimming.
The End (read: the future):
I do not know what the end will hold, but I choose to believe that this happened to better my life and help me fix the parts of the world that I have access to. I just have to figure out how.
Fancy Scientific References:
Info:https://www.ninds.nih.gov/About-NINDS/Impact/NINDS-Contributions-Approved-Therapies/Tissue-Plasminogen-Activator-Acute
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