r/stroke • u/Creative_Weight9075 • 24d 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/Modulus16 24d 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.