Being health conscious and embarking on your own health journey may help you to prevent a stroke from happening.
Many people are truly concerned about their health journey. In the world that we live in today with technology at our fingertips, we can research any health concern we may have in the blink of an eye.
We hear a lot about certain diseases and conditions such as obesity, unhealthy eating, diet and weight loss, cancer, diabetes, and mental illness; but unfortunately, stroke is a huge disease that affects a lot of people. I believe stroke is a disease that many are misinformed about and are ill-prepared, thinking it only affects the older generation.
I suffered a hemorrhagic stroke at the young age of twenty-nine. Unfortunately, I was not aware of the symptoms or different causes of stroke the day I had mine, and I wasted a lot of time before reaching out for medical help.
I will share about the different types of strokes, stroke signs to be aware of, important stroke statistics, a summary of my stroke story, and additional resources.
The three types of strokes
There are three different types of strokes. The first and most common stroke type is the Ischemic Stroke, accounting for 87 percent of stroke-victims. Another type of stroke, which is the type I had, is the Hemorrhagic Stroke. This accounts for 13 percent of all strokes. The third stroke type is called a TIA, which stands for Transient Ischemic Attack. This is very similar to the first type of stroke but not nearly as damaging.
- Ischemic Stroke happens when a blood vessel is blocked by a clot or mass, stopping blood flow from reaching part of the brain. The golden rule for this type of stroke is to get medical attention within 4.5 hours to administer the clot buster drug.
- Hemorrhagic Stroke happens when blood spills into the brain from a ruptured blood vessel.
- Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) is like an ischemic stroke, but the blockage is brief and there is not usually permanent damage.
The signs of a stroke
It is very important to be aware of the signs of stroke and remember that this is not an age-restrictive disease. I was not aware of the signs like I should have been and wasted time the day of my stroke before seeking medical attention. It would be better to seek medical help and not need it than to wait and to be too late. The American Heart and Stroke Association have an acronym to help remember the signs of a stroke and get help if needed. Remember BE FAST!
- BALANCE difficulties, headache, dizziness
- EYESIGHT changes, blurred vision
- FACE drooping or weakness
- ARM or leg weakness
- SPEECH difficulties
- TIME to call 911
My stroke story
On the day of my stroke, I had a headache, felt sick to my stomach, and my left arm felt heavy and numb. I truly thought I had pulled a muscle and hurt myself working out and was just not feeling well. My professional background is sales, marketing, and customer support, and I had just transitioned my career three weeks prior from the airline industry to our church. My husband and I had been trying to start a family for over a year at that point and had not been successful. We were hopeful this career change would help our family planning.
Those were our plans. We have a strong faith. And we learned that God’s plans were to save my life. I declined quickly and was unconscious by the time they had me in the ambulance. I went through an emergency brain surgery that night to stop the brain bleed, and seventeen days later, I woke up from a drug-induced coma, paralyzed completely on my left side.
We learned that in the blink of an eye, life can change. I started learning to swallow, sit up, stay balanced. Eventually, I learned to stand and walk with assistance. I went through a second brain surgery a month later to remove the malformation in order to ensure another stroke would not occur in the future. I left the hospital in a wheelchair after a two-month stay, and my husband and I went to live with my parents. Their house was more accommodating than ours, and I was still in outpatient therapy almost daily back at the hospital. Life was not easy, and I will always be so grateful for my family and spousal support systems.
Stroke statistics
As stated before, you don’t often hear as much about stroke as you may about other diseases or challenges that affect others. But this disease still affects many, and the damage is devastating.
- Each year, 795,000 in the US suffer a stroke.
- Every 40 seconds, someone has a stroke.
- About 55,000 more women than men have a stroke each year.
- Stroke is the fifth cause of death.
- 185,000 reoccurring strokes happen each year.
- High blood pressure is one of the leading causes of stroke.
- Up to 80 percent of strokes can be prevented by keeping a healthy lifestyle.
The health journey
It sure would be nice if all we had to do to stay healthy was eat an apple a day. Unfortunately, our health journey tends to get more complicated than that.
Although my stroke was hemorrhagic, there are precautions we can take to ensure we are living our best healthy lives. Here are ten things you can do to prevent a stroke.
- Keep your blood pressure low.
- Lower your cholesterol.
- Eat healthy foods.
- Exercise regularly: 15-30 minutes a day, 5 days a week.
- Treat sleep apnea.
- Manage your diabetes.
- Drink alcohol in moderation.
- Stop smoking.
- Reduce stress when possible.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
Online resources
For more detailed information on stroke, stroke symptoms and causes, and industry resources, the following websites offer a wide variety of tools, resources, personal stories, and events.
- American Stroke Association
- American Stroke Foundation
- American Heart Association
- National Institute of Health
- Stroke Awareness Foundation
There are many resources available for us to live our best, healthiest life, but it is up to us to take that next step. I encourage you to take the time to eat healthy, exercise daily, manage your stress, and be prepared for the what-if’s. We live in an amazing time where resources and prevention information are at our fingertips. Other blogs to enhancing your knowledge include:
As someone who has journeyed through medical challenges at a young age, I have learned so much on this journey. So, take care of your health and make it a priority at all ages, know the signs of the different diseases and don’t ignore them, and communicate your needs effectively with others by being the best patient advocate you can be.
About the Author
At age twenty-nine, Lori suffered an intracerebral hemorrhagic stroke and later developed epilepsy from the stroke. Lori is a walking miracle, and she feels called to spread her story and her journey of faith and perseverance to encourage others. And while Lori believes God has a plan for everyone, she also believes that life is about your choices! Lori and her husband, Dainis, became adoptive parents to a sibling group of three.
She published her first book, Choices: When You Are Faced with a Challenge, What Choice Will You Make? in March 2022 (which can be found on Amazon and Barnes & Noble) and has been connecting with and encouraging others to survive and thrive. Her book received the 2023 Reader’s Choice Awards from The Christian Literary Awards in the categories of Christian Living and Testimonial. By the fall of 2023, she will be a published author in four other books as a compilation author. You can find out more about Lori on her website.