Help me identify everyone that's had a dissection, and let's bring this much-needed news story to the masses!!
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 ...
Thursday, December 22, 2011
December 2012
As you read, you will see that I suffered a dissected carotid artery from a "hit" I sustained on the slopes of Vail. My passion and niche are artery dissections from slams, jerks and falls while wrestling skiing, running, biking, playing hockey or football ... or from heavy sex! This does sound like fun, but what a way to go :)
Saturday, December 17, 2011
December 2012
I am so excited to advocate for stroke awareness—and it's most of what I do these days. Although I just did an interview with People Magazine the other day for the March issue about quick fixes for clothing care problems!
I met with the communications director of the American Heart and Stroke Assoc. in Denver last week and laid out some fun projects. I will be doing some speaking, writing and education for them.
By the way, if any of you know a stroke survivor—or people in the medical field—please forward this email and contact information. Feel free to contact me yourself, too. I have formed a National Stroke Support Book Club (NSSBC) and have amassed quite a database of support groups and books about stroke awareness. Visit my new home at www.survivingstroke.com to read about my projects and advocacy! Check out the free excerpts from my new book, Different Strokes!!
I have been calling stroke support groups and stroke coordinators for months and I have had some incredibly illuminating conversations. My latest passion—in addition to all my other pursuits for stroke—is the fast-rising occurrence of sports-related dissections and subsequent strokes. Of the the twenty survivors and spouses I interviewed for my book, five had dissections associated with physical activities. I've since done hundreds of interviews with active stroke survivors and dissections are very common amongst active people!
I have been calling stroke support groups and stroke coordinators for months and I have had some incredibly illuminating conversations. My latest passion—in addition to all my other pursuits for stroke—is the fast-rising occurrence of sports-related dissections and subsequent strokes. Of the the twenty survivors and spouses I interviewed for my book, five had dissections associated with physical activities. I've since done hundreds of interviews with active stroke survivors and dissections are very common amongst active people!
I am also on the case of the millions of "unaware" people that don't understand aphasia. These people don't recognize aphasic people, so it's up to us to teach and educate. People think we're drunk or retarded: they become frustrated with our speech and, too often, finish our sentences, which is demeaning and frustrating for aphasic people.
My advice ... be patient when encountering such conditions, ask about the person's challenges—as most people are open about this—and take a breath while we get our words out. I know it's not easy, but it is respectful.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
OCTOBER 27, 2011
First of all, let me explain why my blog goes from May to October in one swift kick ...
I was slammed with the editing of my new memoir, Different Strokes. This timely book follows my stroke, from TIA'S to full-blown stroke. It also tells the story of twenty other survivors, spouses and caregivers, hence the title! I wish I had this book after my stroke (as does my wife!!).
Okay, if you want to know what my wife Barbara and I decided, once the doctor stated that he'd have to admit me, you will have to read the book! This is not a copout, it's just that my life has changed and I have to start writing about these changes. You can buy Different Strokes at www.survivingstroke.com, as well as at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and booksellers everywhere.
I had this brain cramp that I couldn't shake —like ice cream on the brain. But once it subsided, I realized that I had to start a National Stroke Support Book Club (NSSBC): Affordable, easy-to-read titles, with larger lettering and inspiring stories ... Not too scientific, but emotional, real accounts, with uplifting stories of strength and accomplishment.
I am painstakingly calling every stroke coordinator and support group facilitator, coast-to-coast to share my vision for the fledgling NSSBC. In addition, I am asking group leaders to share their TOP 3 topics for meetings, so every group can benefit.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
The Roller Coaster Ride ...
My wife and I talked about the choices. If I chose the "wait and see" method of the ICU and Coumadin, and I did suffer a major stroke, how would it be for Barbara to nurse me? Would we sustain the experience and come out loving each other, or would I be so incapacitated that the "old" me would only be a memory? On the other hand, the radiologist said that the stent procedure is mostly safe: I could have the stent and be on my way, back to normality in a few days!
We chose the stent procedure. I would just have to hang in the E.R., hooked up to an I.V. of Heparin while she located the proper stent and reserved an operating room. No sweat! However, between the cold blue steel bed in the E.R., the I.V., and the incessant activity in the E.R., I didn't sleep much during the night. I woke t 6am the next morning hoping to be taken into the operating room. Hours later they came and prepped me. Barbara was called and told to wait an hour or so for me to be wheeled into the recovery room.
I was on a twilight drug so I could remain conscious and able to confirm feeling in my limbs. They inserted the catheter into my femoral artery and I felt it creep its way up to my carotid. I could see the Doc and nurses surrounding me. The Doc asked if I could feel my fingers and toes ... "Could I wriggle them?" Yes, I could. "Could you push on my hand with your feet?" Yes, I could.
I felt a very strange sensation, like water rippling through my left arm and it started flopping a bit. I reported this sensation. Moments later, there was all kinds of activity, the Doc barking orders to the staff. I'm lying there freaking out, unable to grasp the just what was happening to my body. That was the last thing I remember.
Best,
Steve - The Stroke Survivor
We chose the stent procedure. I would just have to hang in the E.R., hooked up to an I.V. of Heparin while she located the proper stent and reserved an operating room. No sweat! However, between the cold blue steel bed in the E.R., the I.V., and the incessant activity in the E.R., I didn't sleep much during the night. I woke t 6am the next morning hoping to be taken into the operating room. Hours later they came and prepped me. Barbara was called and told to wait an hour or so for me to be wheeled into the recovery room.
I was on a twilight drug so I could remain conscious and able to confirm feeling in my limbs. They inserted the catheter into my femoral artery and I felt it creep its way up to my carotid. I could see the Doc and nurses surrounding me. The Doc asked if I could feel my fingers and toes ... "Could I wriggle them?" Yes, I could. "Could you push on my hand with your feet?" Yes, I could.
I felt a very strange sensation, like water rippling through my left arm and it started flopping a bit. I reported this sensation. Moments later, there was all kinds of activity, the Doc barking orders to the staff. I'm lying there freaking out, unable to grasp the just what was happening to my body. That was the last thing I remember.
Best,
Steve - The Stroke Survivor
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
A life-changing experience ...
Yes, I had to stay. "Could I run home to get my clothing and to put my life in order first?" "No," was all they said. Back I went to my room in the E.R. and waited for the next visit from the doctors.
"The MRI showed that you have a number of blood clots in the left hemisphere of your brain. You also have a dissection (or tear) in your right carotid artery. In addition, you have a 60% narrowing in that artery. The flap of the tear 'caught' the blood and formed a clot, which is affecting the blood flow and oxygen to your brain, hence the TIA's." For the record, TIA'S stand for transient ischemic attacks. A TIA is like a mini-stroke that produces similar symptoms as a full-blown stroke, but they usually last only a few minutes and do not cause permanent damage. These mini-strokes should be considered a warning that a bigger stroke is coming; maybe in a week, maybe in a year.
I looked at Barbara as if to say, "What do you think of that?" The Neurologist brought in an intervention radiologist to offer her viewpoint, as she would be the one to put a stent in my carotid, if I chose to go that route. The neurologist continued, "We can send you to the ICU and give you Coumadin and then wait and see if the clot dissolves on its own over the next two weeks." "What are the side effects of this drug, and how long would I have to remain on it?" "You would be taking Coumadin for six months to a year."
He read me the side effects, including the fact that people have a hard time clotting, should a cut or injury occur. I would have to stop most of my active sports during this period. I was not into that, at all. "What other choices do I have?" The radiologist piped in, "You could have a stent inserted into the carotid artery through the femoral artery. It's a reasonably simple procedure and not too invasive. The stent would open the artery and restore you to full blood flow."
The doctors left the room for Barbara and me to talk about this option. We both agreed that this would be the preferable direction. We called the docs back in and listened to the details; the stent would be inserted with an "umbrella" on the top to catch particles of the clot that might become dislodged during the procedure and shoot north to the brain. If even a small piece of the clot should get past the umbrella, you could end up with a stroke or brain damage. This is not a common occurrence, so try not to focus on that too much. She added that the normal procedure in cases like this is to do the ICU and Coumadin, as a "wait and see" process. However, it is possible – given the number of TIA's that you've already had that you might have a major stroke while in the ICU. They would try and mitigate the condition should this occur. I asked her which procedure she favored. She seemed pretty sure of herself that the stent was a better way to go.
We asked the docs to leave us alone for a bit to discuss this.
Best,
Steve - The Stroke Survivor
"The MRI showed that you have a number of blood clots in the left hemisphere of your brain. You also have a dissection (or tear) in your right carotid artery. In addition, you have a 60% narrowing in that artery. The flap of the tear 'caught' the blood and formed a clot, which is affecting the blood flow and oxygen to your brain, hence the TIA's." For the record, TIA'S stand for transient ischemic attacks. A TIA is like a mini-stroke that produces similar symptoms as a full-blown stroke, but they usually last only a few minutes and do not cause permanent damage. These mini-strokes should be considered a warning that a bigger stroke is coming; maybe in a week, maybe in a year.
I looked at Barbara as if to say, "What do you think of that?" The Neurologist brought in an intervention radiologist to offer her viewpoint, as she would be the one to put a stent in my carotid, if I chose to go that route. The neurologist continued, "We can send you to the ICU and give you Coumadin and then wait and see if the clot dissolves on its own over the next two weeks." "What are the side effects of this drug, and how long would I have to remain on it?" "You would be taking Coumadin for six months to a year."
He read me the side effects, including the fact that people have a hard time clotting, should a cut or injury occur. I would have to stop most of my active sports during this period. I was not into that, at all. "What other choices do I have?" The radiologist piped in, "You could have a stent inserted into the carotid artery through the femoral artery. It's a reasonably simple procedure and not too invasive. The stent would open the artery and restore you to full blood flow."
The doctors left the room for Barbara and me to talk about this option. We both agreed that this would be the preferable direction. We called the docs back in and listened to the details; the stent would be inserted with an "umbrella" on the top to catch particles of the clot that might become dislodged during the procedure and shoot north to the brain. If even a small piece of the clot should get past the umbrella, you could end up with a stroke or brain damage. This is not a common occurrence, so try not to focus on that too much. She added that the normal procedure in cases like this is to do the ICU and Coumadin, as a "wait and see" process. However, it is possible – given the number of TIA's that you've already had that you might have a major stroke while in the ICU. They would try and mitigate the condition should this occur. I asked her which procedure she favored. She seemed pretty sure of herself that the stent was a better way to go.
We asked the docs to leave us alone for a bit to discuss this.
Best,
Steve - The Stroke Survivor
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Yes, it was more than a headache!
I finally reached the security of my home and deposited myself onto my couch in the den. Sitting there I suffered another bout of numbness in the left arm. My wife, Barbara, came home and I reported my condition and asked her to drive me to the hospital.
The drive was much like the toboggan ride down the mountain after my ski accident. I rocked and moaned in the seat of her car to lose myself in the rhythm of the ride. I was scared and confused. I rolled out of the car and struggled to get my foreign body into the emergency room where they checked me in and was told to wait. What else? Barb joined me and we were called to an examining room.
I won't get into the next 24 hours in the E.R. but I will share this. They sent me to get an MRI and was eventually told that everything looked good, but that I should consult my primary care physician. Standing at the nurses station to get my walking-papers, the phone rang and they conveyed the following message to me, "Another radiologist read the MRI and they found something. You will have to stay."
Best,
Steve - The Stroke Survivor
The drive was much like the toboggan ride down the mountain after my ski accident. I rocked and moaned in the seat of her car to lose myself in the rhythm of the ride. I was scared and confused. I rolled out of the car and struggled to get my foreign body into the emergency room where they checked me in and was told to wait. What else? Barb joined me and we were called to an examining room.
I won't get into the next 24 hours in the E.R. but I will share this. They sent me to get an MRI and was eventually told that everything looked good, but that I should consult my primary care physician. Standing at the nurses station to get my walking-papers, the phone rang and they conveyed the following message to me, "Another radiologist read the MRI and they found something. You will have to stay."
Best,
Steve - The Stroke Survivor
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Was it more than a headache?
I managed to get myself home from Snowmass, as the migraine was subsiding. Things went back to "Life as usual," and I got back to routines. I figured the last headache was associated with a hard ski day and high altitude.
My sister visited from DC and we went skiing for a few days. I skied well and felt good. Back in Boulder, getting ready to head out to a dance party, I got another headache. Again, quick to come on, quick to subside, but this one came without an "aura." This visual aura has been a common thread for most of my life — a precursor to every migraine — so it was very strange to not have it.
I went dancing anyway, drank a glass of wine, and tried to relax. I got another headache the next day, but this time it was accompanied by tingling and numbness in my left arm. After much thought, I believed that the numbness was associated with, and possibly a result of, nerve damage from my shoulder dislocation months before, which was also in the left arm. I visited my acupuncturist and for the the next few days I was free of headaches and numbness. I figured that I'd found the key!
The following day I drove to Denver to pick up some shipping boxes for my on-line store (I am known as The Clothing Doctor in my other life), when my arm went numb again. This time I beat it against the side of the car to wake it up, but it wouldn't budge. I waited 10 minutes for it to subside and then I hit the highway for Boulder. It's a 30-minute drive to the exit, but after 45 minutes I was still driving. I pulled over to re-group and realized that I'd missed the exit a while back. I had the hardest time finding my way home and it took over 90 minutes to finally get there.
Best,
Steve - The Stroke Survivor
My sister visited from DC and we went skiing for a few days. I skied well and felt good. Back in Boulder, getting ready to head out to a dance party, I got another headache. Again, quick to come on, quick to subside, but this one came without an "aura." This visual aura has been a common thread for most of my life — a precursor to every migraine — so it was very strange to not have it.
I went dancing anyway, drank a glass of wine, and tried to relax. I got another headache the next day, but this time it was accompanied by tingling and numbness in my left arm. After much thought, I believed that the numbness was associated with, and possibly a result of, nerve damage from my shoulder dislocation months before, which was also in the left arm. I visited my acupuncturist and for the the next few days I was free of headaches and numbness. I figured that I'd found the key!
The following day I drove to Denver to pick up some shipping boxes for my on-line store (I am known as The Clothing Doctor in my other life), when my arm went numb again. This time I beat it against the side of the car to wake it up, but it wouldn't budge. I waited 10 minutes for it to subside and then I hit the highway for Boulder. It's a 30-minute drive to the exit, but after 45 minutes I was still driving. I pulled over to re-group and realized that I'd missed the exit a while back. I had the hardest time finding my way home and it took over 90 minutes to finally get there.
Best,
Steve - The Stroke Survivor
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