So there I was, knocked down and unconscious on the ski slopes of Vail. When I woke, my son was standing over me asking if I was okay. I gathered myself and tried to move my body. No, I was not okay! My shoulder was dislocated, I had three cracked ribs, a "big black "floater" in the perimeter of my left eye, and a concussion.
It was my first toboggan ride down the mountain in 45 years of skiing. The doctors gingerly helped me out of my ski gear, took X-Rays, put my shoulder back in place, gave me some PT and Vicodin, and sent me home. What they didn't know was that I had suffered a whiplash that caused a mini tear or dissection in my right carotid artery: something none of us would know until the TIA's began three months later.
My shoulder and ribs healed in a few months and I got back on the slopes. It was scary, but exciting to be skiing again. I fell on the third run down and almost threw out my shoulder, again. But after recovering from the pain I realized that the fall actually loosened my stiff shoulder. I shook off the discomfort and kept skiing. No problem!
Three weeks later, after a massive ski day in deep snow, I got a headache that took me down. I have a history of migraines, so I've felt pain before, but this was different ... quicker to come on and quicker to subside. This repeated again a few days later.
Best,
Steve - The Stroke Survivor
You don't have to be old, sick, fat, or a smoker to have one! This blog follows my stroke, from inception to recovery and beyond ...