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Editor@Oracle20-20.com by the first of each month. All submissions are subject to editing. Name withheld upon request`
By Carol Gee, M.A. The Day that Changed My Life
Ok, I admit it: the thrumming in my left ear was new. What followed, at first felt like the flutter of butterfly wings on the left side of my temple, gradually escalating to what it must have felt like had that little penguin from the movie, Happy Feet been tap dancing in my head.
Self-diagnosing, I attributed this to problems with my sinuses, or the barometric pressure of Atlanta’s fickle winter temperatures. Spawn from ancestors who self- medicated with herbs and other home remedies, I too self-medicated. First, with Tylenol. I then threw in a few M&Ms —you know — for measure. When nothing worked, clearly a trip to the emergency room was warranted.
Nothing prepared me for the diagnosis. Stroke! Or more specifically, a mini-stroke, or a (TIA)
transient ischemic
attack. A TIA occurs when a blood clot temporarily clogs an artery, and part of the brain doesn’t get the blood it needs. The symptoms occur rapidly, and last less than five minutes. Unlike a stroke, when a TIA is over, there is no injury to the brain. As a person can experience a TIA and not know it, failure to receive immediate medical treatment makes it all the more dangerous.
Initially, suffering a TIA left me overwhelmed with a tsunami of emotions. Suddenly, I felt as if my chest was caught in some kind of vise. It felt so tight it was difficult to breathe. Oh dear, was I also suffering a heart attack, I wondered? These emotions packed a four-fold whammy, disbelief, denial, anger, before finally, acceptance.
Disbelief. I really couldn’t have had a stroke. Could I? Didn’t strokes only happen to folks much older? Denial. A TIA or any kind of stroke wasn’t supposed to happen to someone whom others constantly said looked young- er than her actual age, despite that one chin hair that kept returning even after plucking with extra-strength tweezers. Anger. Strokes weren’t supposed to happen to someone who had finally realized a life-long dream of becoming a freelance writer and published author.
My emotions swung like a pendulum: one day swinging one way; the next swinging in a totally opposite direc- tion. I hosted a pity party for one — complete with a funny, party hat. Acceptance, when it finally came, was subtle. With it also came this warm, soothing balm. It was as if a switch had been flicked on in my brain. Suddenly, everything was illuminated. You know— it happened. Now what?
Surviving a TIA made me realize three things: the Oracle 20/20 December 2013
first being that strokes do not discriminate by age. In truth, a TIA can strike a person at any age. While not common, they have been reported in people in their twenties, thirties and forties. Likewise, strokes do not discriminate between gender or class. Strokes don’t care whether you are politically aware or even politi- cally correct.
Second, a health scare causes you to focus on what is important. For me, it was things like my marriage that in just four months will have spanned four decades, which in itself with frequent military moves, and my spouse’s myriad chronic health challenges over the years, has been no small feat.
Third - If nothing else, suffering a TIA made me aware of my immortality. Still, it wasn’t until my mortality flashed before my eyes, came the realization of how much there was to lose: things like my mobility, my ability to think, and to write. Thus, I now feel more self- protective of my dreams.
Does the thought of suffering another TIA or a full blown stroke scare me? Yes. Of the individuals whom have had one or more TIAs, more than a third will have a major stroke some day. However, I can’t and won’t allow what could or might happen, keep me from living my life. I still have too much I want to do.
Recalling the day that changed my life, perhaps Edward Teller said it best, “When you come to the end of all the light you know, and it’s time to step into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing that one of two things shall happen: Either you will be given something solid to stand on, or you will be taught to fly.”
Spotting a Stroke F.A.S.T. F
A S
T
Face Drooping Arm Weakness Speech Difficulty Time to call 911
Additional signs of a stroke may include:
* Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body * Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding * Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
* Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, lack of balance or coordination * Sudden severe headache with no known cause
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