Macalester College graduate, geology major
It was around 10 p.m., and I was in one of the labs on campus working on a geology project. As I left the room, I suddenly felt dizzy. I was afraid I might fall, so I laid down on the floor in the hallway. I felt nauseated and discomfort, but otherwise I wasn’t in any pain. A pair of geology students— friends of mine—found me lying there. They knew right away that something was wrong from the way I looked.
My friends called the campus security service, and told the security officers to call for an ambulance.
At the Regions Hospital in St. Paul, emergency care workers quickly admitted me and ran a CT scan of my brain. The scan showed a small shadow that looked like a clot. As the emergency room crew assessed my condition, they noted that I became more alert and responsive. That was a good sign. However, I still felt a strong sense of nausea and my left arm was weak. Dr. Michael Madison, a neurological interventionist used a special device to inject a tracer dye into my arteries. He located and removed a blood clot affecting a portion of the right hemisphere of my brain. My symptoms immediately improved. I felt so relieved.
I am grateful to my quick-thinking colleagues at Macalester. I think my abilities would have been seriously limited if they hadn’t thought to call for help so quickly.
(While it is not common for someone of my age to suffer a stroke) if you or someone you know suffers stroke symptoms, don’t hesitate to get help. Even if the affected person is young or has few risk factors, a stroke could happen for reasons that might not be immediately obvious. We still don’t understand why a blood clot formed in my case.
military retiree, father of 11
On May 26, 2007, at the age of 48, I woke up with a numb left hand and a limp when I walked. I didn’t realize I had had a stroke in my sleep. As a man and a military retiree, I was in denial that I needed help. I didn’t recognize the signs of a stroke even though I had had two transient ischemic attacks (TIA or mini-strokes) in 2000 and had become a volunteer for the American Stroke Association’s Power To End Stroke program.
I rode the bus to my daughter’s house, and while leaning on the fence, my daughter came outside and asked me, “What’s wrong with you? Why are walking like that?” I told her, “I don’t know.” She asked if I had a stroke. I told her “no.” I later grabbed a bus to get to the hospital. As doctors rushed me into the emergency room, I still refused to acknowledge the seriousness of my condition. While I was undergoing testing, one of my daughters showed me my watch and asked me, “What is this?” I responded, “It’s not a Rolex.” I heard laughter around me, but I couldn’t see anyone. All this time I thought I was alone with the doctor in the room. When I turned to the right I saw my family there. It was then that I realized something was really wrong. I was blind in my left eye and couldn’t speak properly. I had had a stroke.
Today I regularly do physical therapy exercises and my weight has dropped from 240 to 180 pounds. I volunteer and speak regularly to groups about stroke risk factors and encourage people to live healthier and know their family health history.
Wesley, along with his 13-year-old daughter, have become such dedicated volunteers that he was one of 13 volunteers from across the country to be honored at the National Power To End Stroke Awards in Atlanta on June 13, 2009.
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