EPIC NSV

I've mentioned bits and pieces of this before, but decided that I should tell you all my story. Here is the abreviated story:

December 2, 2008 I went into the hospital with a terrible migraine. After a few days of trying different things, I "crashed" from a narcotic overdose. I quickly recovered from that and within a day or 2 they decided to give me DHE, a migraine med they give through an IV. You get this drug every 8 hours until the headache is gone. My first dose caused the worse pain I'd ever felt in my life. After a lot of talking with the dr., he convinced me it was this or nothing, and by this time I'd had the headache for 8 days, so I decided I'd better do it. After 7 or 8 doses, I still wasn't better so I decided to go home, figuring I could be miserable at home with my kids! I'd just spent my birthday in the hospital, I wasn't going to miss out on Christmas activities too!

Within hours of coming home, I was paralyzed on my right side. We went back to the hospital and they put me on the neurology floor, not really knowing what was wrong. Over the next few days, I became entirely paralyzed and, while I was conscious the entire time, I was not lucid. I didn't know what was happening.

I was transferred to the University of Iowa hospital and was put directly into the ICU. When they put me in the ambulance for the ride there, the dr. told my husband and my mom that they weren't sure I would survive the trip. There, they figured out I was having/had a stroke. I had several angiograms and angioplasties over the course of the next few days. A stent was placed in my left vertebral artery. My right vertebral artery was entirely occluded (closed) and they could not get a stent in. I still had one open, so I would live, but I'd probably have to re-learn things.

The first time I saw my kids (then ages 1 & 2) was on Christmas day. We'd told the nurses/staff not to mention that it was, in fact, Christmas day, as they didn't know. I talked the dr. into letting the nurse take out all my iv's and the oxygen while my kids were there. I still had the PIC line, but that was well-hidden by my gown. After about 20 minutes with them sitting with me on the bed, reading them books, and having some Teddy Grahams, I was EXHAUSTED. My husband took them home and I had to get all my iv's back and the oxygen back on. It was worth it though!

I got to go home a few days later. My hair began to fall out a few days after coming home, due to all the radiation from the angios, and was nearly bald within a week and a half. I shaved the little bit that was left. I had to do tons of physical therapy, and within 3 months, I was back to work. I began c25k 6 months after my stroke, and ran my first ever 5k 10 months, TO THE DAY, after my stroke!

I'm thankful to everyone who supported me and my family through all this. Today, I'm doing well, and stronger than I thought possible. I'm working hard on this journey, and am proud of my progress from that hospital in December 2008 to now. Though I am not where I'd like to be as far as weight and size, I am glad to be here and able to work out and eat right!

I hope I can serve as inspiration to someone fighting a hard battle. When I feel down, I just think back to that time and how far I've really come, and it's not about a number on a scale. It's a major victory.