{"id":14819,"date":"2021-05-26T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-05-26T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/condition-stroke-i-survived-a-stroke\/"},"modified":"2021-05-26T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2021-05-26T00:00:00","slug":"condition-stroke-i-survived-a-stroke","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/condition-stroke-i-survived-a-stroke\/","title":{"rendered":"I Had a Stroke at 31, and I Didn't Notice the Signs-but My Boyfriend Did"},"content":{"rendered":"
As a physical therapist, Meghan McKee regularly works with stroke patients, helping them through recovery. But six years ago, Meghan didn't recognize that she was having a stroke.<\/p>\n
I was born with a hole in my heart but didn't find out about it until I was 17. Since I was in good health, and it didn't prevent me from being active, I chose not to have surgery to repair it. "If it's not broken, don't fix it," one doctor told me.<\/p>\n
The possibility of a stroke was always in the back of my mind, so when I moved in with my boyfriend, Steven, in 2014, I told him, "I know this might sound strange, but I'm at risk to have a stroke. It probably will never happen, but I need you to understand the signs and symptoms."<\/p>\n Steven works in finance, not health care, so I wanted to make sure he knew what to do.<\/p>\n He was definitely taken aback at first, like, "Wait — what?" I'm not sure Steven really knew what a stroke was before we spoke about it. Still, he committed the symptoms to memory and we moved on with our lives.<\/p>\n In 2015, less than a year later, I was having a typical Saturday. I'd gone to spin class that morning. Steven and I went for a walk and had a late lunch. When we got back to our apartment, we decided to watch a movie. I reached for the water bottle on my nightstand, but my left hand missed it and instead, smacked down on the nightstand like a dead weight.<\/p>\n At the time, I didn't realize how odd that was. (This is called left-side "neglect," and it happens when a stroke affects the right side of your brain — It alters how you perceive your own body.) I picked up the water bottle with my right hand instead. Drinking water was difficult. When I took a sip, I coughed and choked. But again, I didn't register why.<\/p>\n "You're not acting right," Steven said.<\/p>\n I had absolutely no idea what he meant — which terrifies me now to think about.<\/p>\n Steven had to point out that the left side of my face was drooping and my speech had become slurred. I couldn't stand on my left leg, and he had to pick me up and move me to our bed before he called 911. Although I knew stroke symptoms from my training and work, I couldn't see them in myself.<\/p>\n In the ambulance, I told the EMTs, "I'm 31! There's no way that I'm having a stroke." Not until they showed me that I wasn't able to lift my arm did I finally accept what was happening.<\/p>\n I was so fortunate that the hospital is 10 minutes away from my apartment had a specialized stroke center. I was able to be treated quickly. Within 12 hours, I was up and walking again, with someone holding my hand. My face began improving and my smile looked more symmetrical.<\/p>\n The doctor didn't need to tell me what would have happened if I hadn't received treatment so fast. I could have lost the ability to use the left side of my body. My speech could have stayed slurred. My life would have become extremely different.<\/p>\n I stayed in the hospital for a week. During that time, I underwent surgery to repair my heart condition. One stroke increases the chance of another in the future, and I didn't want that to be part of my story anymore.<\/p>\n After my discharge, I did plenty of strength and conditioning exercises at home. Building my endurance back up, though, was slow going. At first, I could only walk on the treadmill. Two months later, I was jogging. Fourteen months after my stroke, I finally ran a nine-mile trail race—with one of the doctors who'd treated me in the hospital.<\/p>\n For now, I'm very satisfied to only run a few miles, while I push my 1-year-old twin girls in their jogging stroller. (Steven and I married in 2017.) Still to this day, my left foot and hand don't move as well as they used to. Sometimes, I try to move my fingers and they get stuck, or I take a step and my toes curl.<\/p>\n Still, I'm not in any position to complain — I know how much worse things could have been. Steven and I just kind of go with, "We're lucky, let's count our blessings, and pay it back." If all anyone remembers from my story is the signs and symptoms of a stroke, and to call 911 immediately, I'm okay with that.<\/p>\n A stroke can happen to anyone, at any age, which is why it's important to "BE FAST<\/a>" and seek immediate emergency care if you or someone close to you notices any of these symptoms: <\/p>\n Having gone through this potentially life-altering event as a couple, Steven and I value each other even more. The man I love literally saved my life just by listening to me and thinking quickly. If that doesn't strengthen a relationship, I don't know what will.<\/p>\n I-Had-a-Stroke-at-31-and-I-Didnt-Notice-the-Signs-But-My-Boyfriend-Did-AdobeStock_246796326-238942432<\/span> . A stroke happens when a blood vessel in the brain gets blocked by a clot or bursts, depriving your brain of blood and oxygen. It can be disabling, or even deadly. To reduce my risk, I made a point to stay active. I ran, biked, did yoga, and took Pilates and barre classes. I would often exercise up to twice a day. The majority of the time, I also tried to eat a healthy diet filled with raw, unprocessed foods.<\/p>\n
It happened to me one Saturday <\/h2>\n
Quick thinking\u2014and luck\u2014saved me from what could have been a life-altering event <\/h2>\n
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