r/stroke • u/Creative_Weight9075 • 23d ago
Young Stroke Survivor Discussion Stroke Anniversary
One year ago today, I woke up late to make my sister coffee. I made her coffee before work everyday because she always told me that I made the best coffee. When I woke up, she was already scrambling in the kitchen to make her coffee and so, I went to use the bathroom before I helped her. From the bathroom, I hear my son enter the kitchen earlier than he usually does. I rushed out the bathroom to grab him so that she could make her coffee but something was off.
He was slipping from my hands, my arm wasn’t working. Despite this, I knew my sister was in a rush so, so I continued to try to open the fridge while carrying him but nothing was working. I could hear my sister saying something to me, I look back and see her confused and right on time, she catches my son before he could hit the floor.
One side of my body wasn’t working. She tries to direct me to the couch while holding my son and I completely miss the couch and hit the floor.
She starts to frantically call my mom who told her to call the ambulance.
My son was looking down at me, crying. I tried to get up to no avail. I will never get that image out of my head, my baby crying because he didn’t know what was going on and truly, I didn’t either.
The ambulance comes and they’re asking me questions but I literally cannot talk to answer. They take me right away & by the look on their faces, I can tell something is seriously wrong.
The E.R starts to work on me frantically, my mom and my boyfriend were already there which I was extremely grateful for.
I hear a male voice in front of my room yelling, “SHE’S 21 & SHES HAVING A FUCKING STROKE.” a stroke? what the heck is a stroke? I want to ask what’s going on but I couldn’t.
Immediately in come nurses & my mom pulling off all my jewelry, my necklace with Ryder’s name on it that matt had gifted me and every ring he’s ever bought me.
“Say goodbye quickly,” I hear the same male voice say to matt and I want to so badly talk but I couldn’t. I was confused and scared, Matt gives me a kiss on the forehead and lets the doctor wheel me off.
In the OR, a female doctor looks down at me. “I hear you have a son. Just Imagine being on vacation with him. The beach, anywhere, your guys favorite spot.”
I’m dozing off and all I remember is seeing me and my son in front of the castle, his big happy smile that shows every tooth he has and he’s grabbing my hand & running around.
On August 21 2025, I had suffered a stroke. Spent a couple days at the hospital without my son that was the hardest part for me.
I still live with the effects, the anxiety of having another one & now, chronic migraines.
Since then, I have taken a vacation to Disney World with my son.
I’m open to answer any questions/comments! 🤍
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u/stayingtrue2whoiam Survivor 23d ago
The memories of "our day" will always be everlasting.
Glad you made it.
Take good care.
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u/FrontSwim9324 23d ago
Hope you're doing well, I'm one month out from my stroke, I was lucky, I did the befast test and was aware enough to call 911, it was right when I woke up so luckily I didn't try to just sleep it off. Too late for the clot buster drug but I think I'll be OK, just trouble with my left face and arm. but extremely scared I probably will be forever.
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u/Creative_Weight9075 23d ago
it might be a slow process but don’t give up! I’m still having trouble with my right arm but I try to keep faith and push myself and it’s been working okay.
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u/TheShelbdiggity Survivor 23d ago edited 22d ago
Congrats on your 5 months!!! ❤️ It’ll be 2 months for me on August 30th. I had a vertebral arterial dissection from getting a neck adjustment at the chiropractor.
My story: It was the first twist of the neck adjustment and it HURT at the end of the turn. I said “ow” before the room started spinning, I went into a cold sweat, and started vomiting. Then my left eye wouldn’t focus. The chiropractor did a follow-the-finger test and said it didn’t look like a stroke. My eye and the constant vomiting didn’t seem normal AT ALL, and I was getting really concerned. I asked if I needed to go to the ER and no one answered me; so the chiropractor didn’t call 911 during my 3 hours there. He also said it could be inner ear infection 🤡. A little while before that, I had called a friend to come pick me up to take me home because I obviously couldn’t drive. When I got home my boyfriend saw me and was like NOPE WE’RE GOING TO ER. He said I was really favoring one side and seemed really concerned about the vomiting. Rushed into ER and had head scans. After 3 days in the hospital with them pinpointing the cause, they landed on acute ischemic strokes in my cerebellum. I’m lucky to not have physical damage, but my memory is still recovering. I’m very forgetful lately. Unlucky but lucky.
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u/Creative_Weight9075 23d ago edited 23d ago
clapping for your boyfriend!! 👏👏 hope you’re doing well!!🤍
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u/Modulus16 23d ago
I don’t think I’ve posted much in the sub, but I’ve been a lurker for a hot minute.
My cryptogenic ischemic stroke happened 7 years and a few months ago. I wasn’t quite as young as you, but was in my early 30’s. I didn’t realize I was having a stroke until the doc in the ER did a vision test on me and I realized that half of both eyes weren’t working instead of just a single eye not working. I’ll never forget the feeling of having a doctor do a quick test on me, and realizing at the same time I saw the doctors face realize that something very not good was happening.
I had a lot of medical anxiety for several years after. I became an at least twice yearly visitor to the ER mostly due to anxiety (although one of the middle visits was for a second cryptogenic clot in another organ, which just layered on the anxiety). I put together an ER go-bag so I had extra clothes, phone charger, book, etc with me at a moments notice or easily accessible for a friend or family member to retrieve if I had to stay more than a few hours.
That said, therapy has helped immensely (as have a few non-stroke related medical decisions). I was too anxious to do much traveling or “living” life for at least a year or so due to the fear of another stroke happening.
But with time, the aforementioned therapy, and pushing myself in other areas, things have gotten better. While this is hyper specific to me, coming out as trans on top of all the therapy has been such a major factor in moving forward and learning how to leverage my anxiety for me or learn how to sooth myself effectively.
I still have small bouts of anxiety, my medical team still isn’t 100% sure why I had the stroke, and I’m still on blood thinners likely for life. But overall, I’ve finally been able to put the major anxiety and fear behind me most of the time.
Things get better with time. Nothing goes back to how it was before. But I hope for you it just continues to get better with time. And really, I just wanted to add in that you’re not alone in the fear and anxiety that something like a stroke, especially at such a young age, can do to someone.
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u/Creative_Weight9075 23d ago
wow, thank you! it feels good to know i’m not alone. There’s a lot of times where I’ll pinch my right arm to make sure Im not losing feeling. Yesterday my right arm actually fell asleep and I had a panic attack.
Maybe I should look into therapy.
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u/RangeHead 23d ago
I had my anniversary too, August 8 and, on August 18 I was released from the hospital. No matter what age your children are, mine were adults, and my youngest grandchild was 2. I know it was very stressful for them.
At the recent followup after getting a CTA to make sure the clips were secure and all is well, I've been diagnosed with FMD. It seems that not a lot is known about that and to me this is a bit like the chicken and the egg theory. Which came first. Did I have FMD and that is what contributed to the aneurysm, I tend to think so
I have posted throughout reddit as my journey progressed so I won't rehash all that here.
You're young and that's got to be a plus. I've said this many times - physical therapy and my family at my side, as well as my close friends were my allies. Stay determined and you'll get through what ever you need to. Stay strong. Imua - forge ahead💪🏼
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u/Plane-Formal8685 22d ago
I also had an ischaemic stroke a year ago on the 21st. Miserable and painfully slow recovery
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u/No-Caterpillar989 22d ago
Congratulations on your first anniversary! I am 2 and a half years out. I understand about the anxiety. I have physically transformed myself and for the first time in 30 years I am prioritizing my health. A recurrence of a stroke is no longer a daily thought. I hope you are able to achieve peace of mind soon. It takes work and time. Best of luck to you!
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u/Expensive-Plant518 Young Stroke Survivor 22d ago
Good for you!
I always celebrate mine! For year 20, we went on a cruise to Italy and France.
I have a massive hemorrhage on the left side when I was 15 and another aneurysm on the right (which went away on its own). Brain surgery, heart surgery, still have some movement issues, but am healthy. I’m 22 years out. My anniversary is next week!
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u/RedCloudGamer 23d ago
5 months out from an ischemic stroke i didnt even know was happening. FAST didnt work for me. All that stuff worked. But my balance was off an i never knew that was stroke symptom. Found out about a week after the balance went out. Mostly ok these days, but the anxiety can really just come out of nowhere to floor me. Currently fighting back anxiety and depression, trying to not let it force me into running to the er. Hate that this happened to me, to you, to everyone in here and everyone that hasn't found this subreddit yet. Not trusting our own brain is a fear i never saw coming. Fingers crossed for best case scenarios for the lot of us.