Stroke Part 1

I thought I might start talking about my whole stroke experience, so that at least I have it "documented" on my blog.

During Carnevale, at the end of February, I got the flu. I ached all over, was very tired, and had a fever for two days. I pretty much stayed in bed and by the fourth day I was felling better, and had that typical lingering cough one gets after having a cold.

One day I coughed, and I got an immediate pain on the back of my neck, on the left side. I thought that I had whiplash or had perhaps pulled a muscle in my neck with the movement of the cough. It was not a particularly strong cough, nor was the pain that bad. I figured that I would wait and see if it went away on its own.

It didn't. It did not get better or worse, although certain times and positions were worse than others. After two weeks I bought myself a neck brace--one of those big soft white ones, thinking that I was putting stress on my neck and this way I could let it rest. I wore it around the house, but it did not help. Again the pain was really not that bad, it just wasn't going away.

After a month I went to see a physician-- a general practice guy-- and told him about my neck pain. He examined me, poking me and asking if certain areas hurt. I was lying on the table, and while examining my neck he told me to relax. I did. Then he cracked my neck.

I had an immediate stroke. I felt panicky (probably also because I was not expecting the neck cracking, and would have absolutely refused it had I known). The room started spinning, I got "pins and needles" in my left hand, I had trouble keeping my left eye open, trouble walking, and I became very very tired. The doctor thought I was just scared after hearing the neck crack, but I insisted he call an ambulance. I knew something was wrong.