Reader's Digest

112 | July• 2018

I SURVIVED A STROKE

stroke:suddennumbnessorconfu-

sion trouble seeing or walking dizzi-

ness or severe headache. I also found

severaltests.Canyouraiseyour

arms?Canyousmile?Canyoumake

upandrepeatacompletesentence?

Iliftedmyarmsabovemyhead.I

smiled.

So I told myself you’re not having

astroke.

IfiguredIhaddonemyresearch

andstillfeelingtiredwentback

tobed.Ihadtheluthatwasital-

though the image of my uncoopera-

tivehandstillnaggedatthebackof

my mind. And I still felt odd ... per-

hapsalittlelight-headedordizzy.

About 4pm Pat came home. “You’re

still in bed!” she remarked.

“Yes”Iadmitted.

“Areyoustillfeelingpoorly?”

“Yes.”

“Doyouthinkweshouldheadinto

emergency?”

“No” I insisted. “I’ve probably got

thelu.I’dbewastingtheirtime.”

AnotherhourpassedandIstillfelt

‘odd’andabitnervousthatmysymp-

toms persisted. Finally Pat insisted

weheadforthehospital.Shedropped

meofwhileshewenttoparkthecar.

I weaved my way into reception my

Istoodinthedoorwayofthebath-

roomofourhomeinVancouver

Island Canada watching my wife

Patpreparetogoouttolunchwith

friends.AsIleanedagainstthedoor

jamb and took in an eyeful of the

woman I have loved for close to half

acenturysayinggoodbyeandtelling

hertohavefunIfeltabitodd.Not

nauseatedorfaintsimplyoddinside

myself.Perhapsabitweak.Nothing

outoftheordinarythatabrieflie

down wouldn’t cure.

So I bid my wifeau revoirand

sprawledoutonthebed.Idriftedto

sleep.WhenIawoketwohourshad

passed. I staggered to my feet and

thoughtI’vegottogetsomework

done.Imademywaytomystudysat

down at my computer and noticed

myrighthandwassluggish.Myin-

gers were moving in slow motion.

Ipaused.Thiswasdefinitely

strange. I had developed the habit of

searchingtheWebforthepeculiar

thingshappeningtomybodyasI

gotolder.Sowithoutthinking–and

I’mnotsurewhyIdidthis–Ityped

“stroke”intoGoogle.Ican’tsaywhyI

typed“stroke”andnot“lu”or“Lyme

disease” or “heart attack”.

I found the common symptoms for

N

OONEWANTSTOBELIEVETHATINAMATTEROF

hourstheycouldbelaidlowbyastrokelyinginbed

barely able to move or talk. But it happened to Ron

Smith. Here he describes the devastating attack and

his long and unpredictable road to recovery.