Stroke Survivor: Female, 30 / Caregiver: Male 33
Stroke Survivor
Gender: Female
Age(s): 30
Story(s): My ischemic stroke happened on May 3, 2016. I was at home when this occurred. I called my husband to tell him something wasn’t right –I couldn’t use my right-side or get off my office couch. Fire and Rescue took me to the emergency room. At first the hospital thought I was drunk because I was young! I had a CT scan then a MRI. The CT was negative but the MRI showed that I had a large right cerebellum stroke. I opted not to get the tPA drug because my clot cleared itself. On May 6th, if I could remember, is when I had emergency brain surgery for my expanding brain. I also had a implacable loop recorder implanted on May 13th. That same day I was taken to a rehabilitation facility. I was in the hospital for 10 days (5 in ICU) and the rehab facility for 3 weeks. Visual impairments included fluttering eyes, and I developed a tremor on my right-side about 6 weeks after stroke. I have physical and mental deficits but I’m grateful to be here! By the way, doctors are not sure why I had the stroke – it is referred to as a cryptogenic (unknown) stroke.
Caregiver
Gender: Male
Age(s): 33
Story(s): My wife called me on my cell at work to tell me something wasn’t right. I first thought she was very stressed and feeling overwhelmed with her work. I immediately knew something was wrong when she became upset and said, “I don’t know what’s wrong but I don’t feel right. I can’t get off the couch in my office. I think I need to call 911.” I tried to remain calm and told her I would call and to stay on the phone. I raced to the hospital and thankfully her ambulance had beaten me to the ER. My adrenalin was pumping and I was feeling fear, anxiety, and multiple other emotions.
In a matter of a couple of days, I watched the love of my life endure a stroke, which I knew nothing about and brain surgery. The surgery “option” was presented without warning by the surgeon who I had not met before. I can remember feeling helpless when the doctor said, “…if we do not operate now, [she] will die.” I spent as much time as I could with her in the hospital, only leaving to take care of our dog and gather supplies. I am thankful to have had a great support group of family and friends who took care of me and our dog, while I stayed with her. I couldn’t do anything but be with my wife and hold a few of her fingers as she slept in the ICU. I knew there was a lot of people coming and going from the room and rooms adjacent to ours, but it was blurred out from my vision. I could only focus on my wife and watch her rhythmic breathing.
Although I was constantly thinking about how life would be like at home, I was not prepared for the day she was discharged from the inpatient rehab facility. I wish I had more time to understand what her needs would be and what was available. I later learned these resources are available but I needed to be more of an advocate for her while she was a patient in the hospital and rehab facility.