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Partner of the Month-May
-July 2006 Mary Jean Johnson  East
Point, GAMary Jean has found a strong anchor that keeps her love for her husband alive. She sees the hope in Joe's fight to control his health and is learning a deeper level of love and support. Life is clearer now than before her husband's stroke. Her faith has been tested but she remains faithful. Mary Jean says: "They say hind-sight is 20-20 but if I had seen it coming, I wonder what we would have done differently? Would it lessen the effect this stroke has had on all of our lives? Why did it happen in the first place? Our twins had just graduated from high school. It was May 2004. He looked tired and worn out at the graduation party but I thought he was overworked, as usual. He has never taken vacation time. Always working...late nights, weekends, long days. He was finally home after three years in Florida. We were living as a family again. With 3 going to college, I thought we were on the track to some long overdue happiness. We could devote time to us for a change... He had a long conversation on the phone that night. I walked into the bedroom and he was beginning to explain what it entailed. He began talking jibber-jabber and his face fell before my eyes. He became weak, slurring his words, one side of his face drooping. I immediately knew....Joe was having a stroke. I told him to put his dress pants on but he was somewhat incoherent. He had trouble understanding and difficulty in his attempt to react. It was as if time was in slow motion. Together, we somehow managed to pull him together enough to stumble to the car and rush him to the emergency room within 15 minutes from the time I realized what was happening. Hind-sight? I should have called an ambulance because I did not know the seriousness of what had occurred. I was just trying to get the man I love to the hospital as quickly as possible. I was trying to save his life. At the hospital, I told them I suspected a stroke. There was no neurologist on staff and the emergency room doctor wanted to give him an injection to prevent any further damage once it was determined it was, indeed, a stroke. It was a life or death decision for us because we didn't know if the injection could potentially create more havoc. Ultimately, Joe decided against it. He was transported by ambulance to a hospital an hour away to see a Dr.Cohen (who, coincidentally, was my neurologist).
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