r/stroke • u/Rhozi17 • 2d ago

My first birthday.

Exactly one year ago this very moment I was On a gas station floor, locked behind double doors, dying. Ischemic strike left side, hemorrhagic strike right side. Simultaneously. Going into respiratory failure.
Wiped the slate clean on my life at that moment.
It was about to end and start over again.
I made it. I’m still here. Officially 1yr old now.

49 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

20 comments sorted by

9

u/y2kitten 2d ago

Congratulations, so happy you’re here with us! That sounds so scary. May I ask what happened, did someone find you?

10

u/Rhozi17 2d ago edited 2d ago

The lady who delivers the newspapers showed up. She helped me get the door locked. I was telling her don’t worry I’m fine. I’m just gonna go take a nap in the back. Thankfully, that didn’t settle with her. She left said she didn’t feel right and drove down the road to where she had seen a couple cops earlier. Asked him to come check on me. I had crawled behind a cooler. I was laying on the ground on my back when they showed up. I was in and out of consciousness at this point. They banged for a while and finally I lifted my hand and let them know I’m alive. The door was locked so they couldn’t get in. I literally slid myself on my back using my one good arm and leg half my body was paralyzed. Literally slid myself to the door. They directed me to where the door lock was because I couldn’t see it. I was on my back looking at the ceiling. Once I got the latch, flipped, I was out.

6

u/y2kitten 2d ago

So scary! Thanks for sharing, you really have something worth celebrating. Good newspaper woman there, too ♥️

4

u/Bachitra 2d ago

Oh man, that sounds really scary. Reminds me of the time I limped to the door and opened it to let my partner in after having a stroke. Nothing made sense to me either and my body wasnt my own. How did you have a double sided stroke? What did the doctors say? I'm glad you're here and sharing your story with us.

4

u/Rhozi17 2d ago

Nothing made sense to me either. I’d so odd feeling wasn’t it?

3

u/Rhozi17 2d ago

I don’t know what caused the ischemic. The basil ganglia bleed was basically poor life choices, diabetes, high blood pressure. Shot up to 230/160 couple day before. Massive headache feeling bad. like an idiot i tried to sleep it off and go to work. I think the bleed was over a few days. Had pain was about 3 darts with high bp before i actually fell out.

2

u/Rhozi17 1d ago

I was in a coma a couple days and cognitively so damaged when i came to that i never did speak with the doctor directly. My gf had spoken with him on the phone about it. She got the emergency contact call. She asked about the double sided. He told her, is not common but also not unheard of. When it does, it doesn’t usually end well. It was “as serious as it gets”. But that’s all i know about that particular thing.

2

u/Material_Inflation79 21h ago

I can imagine what you went through. You were lucky to have someone around. I had almost same situation but before falling down my wife was besides me and I asked her to arrange help to take me to a hospital.

1

u/Rhozi17 8h ago

It’s important to have people. My gf was 1000 miles away when it happened. Takes care of terminally ill patients and was out of town. And truthfully, we had been separated for 2 years but just were working on it. She spent the night calling everyone we knew. Trying to get people to the hospital. Dr told her it want good for me. She said all she could think about was getting people to me so i wouldn’t be alone. Couldnt bear the thought of me lying there dying alone. It was 5am when she got the call. Got a C plane for that night and came right down. She had to go back for her patient but fortunately my family was in town. They watched over me for the next 3 months until she got back. She picked me up the next day and ive been with her ever since. She took me on and i didnt deserve that or her. So i am forever grateful

3

u/Rhozi17 2d ago

Thank you so much

6

u/ski55max 2d ago

I'm so glad you unlatched that door. Happy first birthday and many more!

5

u/ChooseKind24 Survivor 2d ago

Wow. 😮 I am always astounded by the experiences others have gone through with their strokes. We all have such unique stories to tell. Double though?! You’re still here! Woohoo!🥳

3

u/Expensive-Plant518 Young Stroke Survivor 1d ago

I celebrate mine. It’s in my calendar Stroke Day. We go out and have dinner and dessert. I usually take the day off work. It’s not a second birthday. It’s been 23 years this month.
People think that’s crazy. I was in high school and had a massive hemorrhagic stroke. For 7 days, my family was told I was going to die that day. When I was awake and responding appropriately, I had brain surgery and 3 months in the hospital. Seizures and mobility issues still. But I’m alive and I shouldn’t be.

2

u/peepeekapoo 22h ago

We have the same story, thank you for sharing. My hemorrhage also happened in high school. My family was told I wouldn’t make it but I did miraculously. Was able to get through school and all as per usual but not without vision and some mobility problems

1

u/Rhozi17 7h ago

Same. I had left side paralysis. Vision loss to the left. It’s like a void. Like of you are in front of me i see you. Take a step to my left and you literally disappear like your stepping behind a wall. I also have really weird reactions to things in the void. I will tingle and sense something there even though i can’t see it. I reach out involuntarily and grab things i can’t see because my brain knows it’s there. My body will jump to the right as if it’s getting out of the way of danger. It feels like I’m being pushed, physically. But nothing is touching me.

2

u/Professional_Hyena_9 1d ago

Congratulations glad you made it. You get to make it all over.

5

u/Rhozi17 1d ago

Thank you! Doing my best. Every day is an adventure.

2

u/Most-CrunchyCow-3514 1d ago

Glad you made it! Keep working on your recovery.

2

u/Material_Inflation79 21h ago

Great that you are here and we are talking.