My somewhat purposefully planned life took a radical turn 23 years ago this week, In a matter of minutes,when I had a stroke in my early fifties. I was ready to open the Demo technology showcase and launch approximately 55 fledgling startups.
I was on top of the world, happy and a little stressed.
I missed a key preshow staff meeting and a trusted admin was sent off to see If I was sleeping. With the help of security, she came into my room and discovered me on the floor near my bed.
The next thing I remember were two paramedics learning over me, checking my pulse, blood pressure and respiration. I immediately sensed two things: my left hand wasn’t working, I was alive, didn’t have chest pains so I foolishly thought “It’s all good!”
I know enough about first aid to understand that when the paramedics were asking me to smile and squeeze their hands, they suspected a stroke. Then they saskerd “Do you know the date, time and day of the week? I looked over to a paramedic’s hand and noticed he had the same digital watch I wore.
“No, but if you look at your watch, it will tell you that.”
They laughed, I smiled crookedly and drooled, then I was off to the hospital which was frightening to me. I was fed into the tunnel of truth for a scan but before I was put down on the carrier a radiologist asked if I had plates or screws in my head.”Nope!”
The device whirred a couple of timers around my noggin and the radiologist yelled “stop! You said you didn’t have plates or screws in your head”
“Whoops” I think, I forgot to tell him about the copper shotgun shot in my skull, the after effects of a slight hunting accident when I was younger.
“Its non ferrous, doc” so things aren't going to come popping out of my head in response to high levels of magnetism in an electronic, non-invasive, medical imaging device”
Hmmnm two A-game comments in one day! Maybe I can get out of here and go to work?
Well that didn’t happen and after long chats with various medical professionals I was wheeled into a bed on a stroke ward. Then came numerous days of therapy on the ward and in a PT suite. And serious feelings of shame and fear because I had blown a deadline and left a supervisor I deeply admired in a lurch.
The only form of identification I had on my person the morning of my stroke ws an ATM card, plus four quarters. So the hospital began charging my ATM card
Right until the moment our human relations veep, Sue Murphy, can in like an avenging shrike telling my health insurance provider MY STROKE DEFINITELY WASN'T OUT OF PLAn,” It’s covered!”
Sue Murphy then relieved the hospital of my ATM card and had them reverse all charges they had made.
whew, another bullet dodged.
Soon I had been in the hospital one week and the ward staff was busy looking for a bed a a hospital where I could be admitted
Alas, there was No room at the Inn and the VA was unable to find any record of my marine corps service.
Stroke recovery takes a long time and I’m still at it: the final tally has been: no use of my left claw that requires coordination-- such as signing my name; slight cognitive and executive function damage.
But my sense of humor is still present
I’m very fortunate to have in my life not just good friends, but really the best kind of friends, Dr Andy Sobieski, is very high on my pantheon. Dr. Andy urged me to enroll in an adaptive PE course at the College of San Mateo where my workouts and particularly pool therapy improved my left hand and arm. Initially I didn't want to take the course but didn’t feel up to driving in stop and snivel traffic going up to my adaptive PE class. Once again, it was Dr. Andy suggested that I call San Mateo county’s transit district handicapped point to point bus service.
Being able to go shopping , pay bills and getting out of the house for my PE class was an intergalactic leap in my self confidence.23 years post stroke I have a life I could barely see as a distant dream:
I have three gardens, do some fruit tree grafting, and had a large bedroom built for my then 91 year old mother . I Took care of her until I sent her home to the East Fork of the San Gabtrierl river upstream from Azusa.
Oh in 2003 a chihuahua named “Perro” romped into me,my life as a result of a firestorm, in the mountains around me.he quickly became by road buddy, Perro was an older dog when I adopted him from Escondido Humane and was at my side until he was 23 and scampered over the bridge.
Little did I know, Chihuahuas are gateway dogs and I now have two dogs: a palomino colored female chihuahua named “La Vida” and a mixed breed-- part whippet, named “Sammie”
My one experiential takeaway is: even if you're handicapped, there’s hope, plus, you get all the great parking places.
I have my independence and still have great reporting skills. I’ve taken a lot of non fiction, graduate school writing classes and learned how to get tuition fees lowered by up to 45 percent by asking for previous student, disabled veteran and over 65 discounts.
23 years later, I'm not worried about my independence\financial well being or the like.
According to the American Heart Association, about 30 percent of the population will have strokes but for me it helped me learn how to live a full life
Jim Forbes on 12 February 2023-- Rancho Bizarro.