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Stroke
Survivor of the Month
Editor's Note: Joseph's story is a powerful and moving testimony to overcoming adversity. However, his account is brief and to the point. There has purposely been very little editing done to retain the honesty of his experience. Joseph says: "What I can remember about my ischemic stroke is that it happened on a Saturday, Memorial Day weekend, 1996. During lunch I lost my hearing for about five minutes but didn't think anything about it. Later my legs got numb and I needed help to walk. Lillian helped me into the house where I sat down but felt nauseous and I had to throw up. I called 911 and the Fire Department took me right to the emergency room at our hospital. . I was asked what doctor I wanted. I said to the intern, "Whoever is on duty," (thinking that it would be faster) but that was my mistake as the doctor took 4 plus hours to show up. I guess it had to do with the holiday. TPA was not approved at that time. I missed it by one month. Everything was OK except my legs. I was given a bed and I feel asleep but woke up later, choking, and the nurse called a doctor. I was put in ICU because there was paralysis on the left side and then it went to my right side, leaving my left side weak. I could not speak, talk, eat, drink, and the right leg and arm were not working at all. I couldn't sit up. I was weaker than a baby. They said that I had three strokes in the hospital. At that time I didn't think that stroke was recoverable. I actually asked to be killed.
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