My Journey of Overcoming, Part 2

A four year stint. Not long enough of a break from the neurological misfirings my body is so prone to. But my body didn’t ask my opinion.

In April of this year, another transient ischemic attack (TIA) or “mini stroke” disrupted my life.

The Warning Signs

With my previous experience, I knew that morning when I didn’t feel right, I needed to assess my stroke warning signs:

* Face – Does one side of the face droop?

* Arms – Does one arm droop?

* Speech – Is my speech slurred?

* Time – If the above symptoms are noted, get help fast.

I checked my face several times. No drooping. My left arm and leg felt weak, so the second warning sign was definitely a concern. Each time I checked my face in the mirror, I said a few sentences. No slurring. So 1 of 3. Still not ready to go to the ER.

However, I was experiencing two other stroke warning signs that are not part of the FAST acronym: continued dizziness and elevated blood pressure. Time to admit I needed to go to the Emergency Room.

 Your Journey Isn’t Over

My pre-existing condition (2 previous strokes) bumped me to the top of the waiting list at the ER. Technicians quickly attached patches to my chest to check my heart. The hospital vampires swooped in to collect my blood.

An overnight stay was necessary for an MRI the next morning. My husband and two sons kissed me and left with promises to pray for me.

Even though I asked her not to come, she didn’t listen. Holding my hand, hers clammy and shaky and mine the same, my best friend Amy sat on the bed beside me. “I think . . .” She hesitated before going on, “I think your journey isn’t over yet. There’s still more to learn.”

I told her I had come to the same conclusion.

A Means to Listen

I chose not to watch TV or listen to music or even read during my short hospital stay. I desperately needed the quiet as a means to listen. I needed to hear my fears, so I could face them.

The “Why me?” question didn’t race to the front of the line this time. Instead, a calmness filled me. The lessons I’ve learned by interviewing almost two dozen courageous overcomers over the last two years echoed in my mind, displacing the quiet and truly silencing my fears.

I feel a genuine connectedness to each of these amazing women. Each one with unique challenges. Each one with unique insight. Each one with a determination and fight to overcome her struggles.

I decided, I too, could overcome. Again.

 Minimized the Risk Factors

As much as my TIA four years ago took me by surprise, this one angered me.

I honestly believed I had minimized the risk factors, making it nearly impossible for a stroke to occur again. I had improved my diet, even drinking baby poop colored Nutibullet shakes several times a week. Numerous ounces of grape flavored water taken in. Three to four days a week of the insanely challenging workouts called Insanity by Beachbody.

I felt I was in the best shape of my life – even having true muscles on my left arm from all the plank work, push ups, and triceps dips.

No matter how much I had focused on my health, I’d fallen into the 70% statistic. Once a person has a TIA, there is a 70% chance of recurrent TIA’s. Yep. I fell in.

After all the tests were completed, we still didn’t have any more information about why I had another mini stroke. I was relieved to know I had “good” blood flow in my brain, but I desperately wanted to know what changes I needed to make to prevent another TIA. Even if it meant cutting out all Mexican food. 🙂 The addition of a blood thinner will have to do for now.

My Journey of Overcoming

As with anyone who has ongoing health challenges, a decision to fight has to be made. Daily.

I allowed myself several weeks to emotionally process what had happened to my body, feel let down because I instantly lost all the strength I’d built on my left side, and gear up to fight to overcome again.

I decided my journey of overcoming had only hit an unexpected bump. Subsequent TIA’s are generally worse than the previous ones, but because I was in such good physical shape, I’d come out on the lesser side.

Even before this last TIA, I had been thinking about getting a tattoo to tell my body who is boss. And to tell the world I’m an overcomer. A couple of months ago, I built up the courage and did it.

Of course, I had to get the word overcomer. The three flowers represent the three strokes I’ve had. If . . . and I do mean if . . . I have another stroke, I will add another flower. If my arm becomes a garden of flowers, I WILL STILL FIGHT.

Disclaimer: I will always have my tattoo fully covered when I work with students.

My Passion for Writing

My writing has slowed down a bit, because I accepted a full-time teaching position this school year. I work with some amazing kids – overcomers in their own way – so this is truly a great thing. The only down side is not having as much time to interview amazing women overcomers and write their stories to share on my web site. As I work to overcome my daily fatigue, I will get back to writing more and more. I still have many stories to share – about real life overcomers and those imaginary overcomers in my fiction writing.

Thank you for continuing to support my passion of sharing the stories of courageous women who are overcomers. I’d love it if you’d share my web site with your friends or family who need encouraging as they work hard to overcome their struggles. I believe one or more of the stories I’ve shared will encourage and inspire them!

If you know a courageous woman who has overcome life’s tough challenges and would be willing to share her story, please direct her to my contact page.

Share with me: Washington Irving said, “There is in every true woman’s heart, a spark of heavenly fire, which lies dormant in the broad daylight of prosperity, but which kindles up and beams and blazes in the dark hour of adversity.”

I have found this to be true. How about you?

 

 

 

JOURNEY ON!

I posted part 2 of my story on September 11, 2014 – almost five months after my mini stroke. Not fully recovered, but feeling stronger. Working with my students helped me take the focus off my health struggles and on to the joy of seeing them be successful.

A Reminder

Every morning while getting ready, I looked at my new body art and reminded myself of what I have overcome.

A few weeks later, my school family encouraged me to go to the Emergency Room when I shared that my left side was feeling wonky. My 154/100 blood pressure reading convinced me they were right.

The neurologist doc-in-training took me through the normal stroke assessments. When I explained the Babinski effect while my left toes curled, he said, “You’ve done this before.”

“Yeah. A few times,” I said with a smile. His diagnosis: another mini stroke.

Why I Keep Having Mini Strokes

More detailed tests were run in hopes of uncovering why I keep having these mini strokes. While waiting on the results, my ALWAYS supportive parents arrived. A quick hug from Mom and then she asked, “When are you going to get another flower?”

“I don’t know, Mom. I wasn’t really thinking about my tattoo right this minute,” I replied. (Who knew she really liked it?)

The ER neurologist went over my test results with me, going through my risk factors once again. Smoke? No. Overweight? No. High blood pressure: Not usually. Today’s blood pressure was not typical. Exercise? Often.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Brown. We don’t know why you keep having these mini strokes. We have scheduled an appointment with the stroke specialist in December.”

What I KNOW

I KNOW I am not the only person who faces health issues with no real answers as to why. I also KNOW how frustrating this unknowing can be.

Here’s what I’ve learned: I can be defeated by my health issues and not knowing why or how to prevent future mini strokes OR I can fight to overcome my struggles by being as physically, mentally, and emotionally healthy as I can be. I choose to fight.

I KNOW I had to call my mom and invite her to the tattoo shop when I added my next flower.

It meant so much for my mom to be there with me. I really like the new flower and the greenery he added.

On the way out, my tattoo artist Erick said, “No more flowers, ok?” His tender comment surprised both of us. I agree, Erick. I agree!

 

 

I don’t know if I will be adding any more flowers to my flower garden, but I do KNOW those flowers and the word overcomer are powerful daily reminders to me to keep fighting.