For those of you who don’t know me or my background, I am a 3 time stroke Survivor.
My first stroke was the worst one I’ve ever had. It started on May 31st, 2009.
My symptoms were dizziness, numbness in my right leg, foot, arm and hand for more then 12 hours. I was later administered to a hospital where I’d get treatments and physical therapy. I was there for about a month before being released home but still obtaining treatment from physical therapy over the course of 6 months.
Fast forward 11 years later gaia_right gaia_right gaia_right
My second stroke occurred on October 23ed, 2020 while I was watching television with Dad and playing on my iPad. I realized something was wrong with my right thumb and that I had lost control of it. Dad tried to talk to me, but I couldn’t speak. Only mutter in gibberish. Dad quickly called 911 and told them I was having a stroke. Within minutes later, they got me in an ambulance and on my way to the ICU. 45 minutes on the way there, I could finally speak again and asked where dad was as he couldn’t be there with me due to Covid. The the man assured me that he’s right behind us on the way to the hospital and told me that for some one so young to have a stroke, he was surprise I recovered my speech so quickly. When we got to ICU, they put me in a room being shared by another patient. Dad was very relieved that I could talk again, despite the fact I felt very delayed. A nurse asked me the common questions they’d ask anyone who has had a stroke”What year is it or Who is the president of United States” I answered both correctly and they gave me a COVID test to make sure that I don’t have it before they let me stay the night. ‘It was negative” as always. I felt as though I have a rare blood type that makes me immune to this virus... my body knows all to well on how to protect itself, but against carotid artery disease, it is powerless to having strokes. That is why they put me on blood thinner medication. For a while it was working... the next day I was sent home with this new blood thinner medication and I was so relieved that it was nothing but a hiccup of a stroke...
However later that night that very stroke returned again, rejecting the blood thinner they gave me. This time it took my right hand and I could barely walk. Mom called 911 and they put me back in ICU. They did several cat scans on my skull and one brain scan that required putting a crown on my head that would squeeze my skull for about 30 minutes... it was very uncomfortable. After the brain scan they performed on me, the doctor came in and told mom and I what he found happening in my brain. He found the very root of my first stroke that occurred 11 years ago and the 2 new strokes I just had in great detail. He prescribed an alternate blood thinner medication that is to be monitored daily. So every day mom took me to the blood doctor to see if my blood was(1.0)too thick likely to have another stroke (2.0) being good (3.0) blood is too thin, likelihood of bleeding out. As long as my blood is 2.0 I’ll be fine.
The reason I had my strokes was because I grew careless about taking my medication daily and thus resulted in having a stroke eventually. Ever since then, I’ve made it my goal every day at morning and dinner to take my meds as prescribed.
How my strokes changed who I am... my desire to play mmo rpgs are no longer there anymore. I took a long 7 week break from my favorite MMO RPG World of Warcraft during their New expansion launch and I’m so glad I did... however I try to keep in contact with my friends that still play on it... so I haven’t completely uninstalled WoW as of yet. My addiction has never returned thanks to the stroke that cleared my desire to play for more then 10 hours a day. Today, I only pop on it for 2-4 hours 3 days a week just to do dailies and Mythic dungeons. I’ve retired as a raider.
My desire to go to church has greatly increased as I need Jesus in my life more then ever. Before I ever had a stroke, I rarely went to church and when I did, it was for POKÉMON GO... Now I go to serve the Lord in anyway I can. I believe God still is using me even in WoW as I speak... What I say in Trade Chat to /say can change everyone’s perspective of who GOD is.
Michiko Kitty Community Member 
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