Sharon Zuccolotto

SharonZ

By SharonZ

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I was 37 when I had a brain stem stroke that affected my left side (08/05/2007). I was just sitting on the couch watching TV after a long day of "mom chores" (grocery shopping, cleaning the frig, laundry). I got up to get something and my left side was extremely weak and uncoordinated. I chalked it up to maybe getting the flu or from fighting the cart at Wal-Mart that drifted to one side. Did not sleep well that night because of the "weird" feeling in my left side. Got up the next day (did not have the flu) and my left side was still not cooperating. At the time, I was working from home and tried typing - it was all I could do to get my left hand fingers to try to type. Then I called the girl I worked with and told her what was going on. She didn't think it sounded good. I still gave it until noon that day and then called the doctor. He sent me straight to the ER. I still didn't think it was anything serious. Why would I think I had a stroke at 37 years old? I drove myself to the ER, but I did call my husband at work to tell him to meet me there just in case. They admitted me and did a whole bunch of tests, found the stroke, but had no idea what caused it. I'm not not a smoker, not a drinker, don't do drugs, no birth control for 6 years, no high blood pressure, and no family history. I had all kinds of tests done for physical things that could have caused it - nothing.

 

So, I did some PT and got most everything I lost back. I still have some deficits in my left leg and foot, but nothing anyone else but me notices. I suffer from frequent bouts of vertigo now and my balance in the dark is always bad even when I don't have vertigo going on. I have some memory issues, but thank goodness for post-it notes!

 

I am now 38 years old and very glad that things have went so well for me. It's nice to know that I am not alone.

From the category:

Bios

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Little Jo

Hello Sharon MY NAME IS JO i go by Little Jo here . I had my first mini stroke at the age

35 i thought i was to young to have a stroke . BUT i don't think i was .IV had two more sences then . I was told when i had my first one i had a bad heart . DIDN'T KNOW I WAS BORN WITH MY HEART SIDE WAYS sted of it beeing like every one elses .An i have a bad lial in the heart to . I had my last one FEBUARY28 OF 2008 . SO it is comming up soon an it will be a year . Hope you are doing ok now . I was paralized on this one on my right side an got a drop foot so i have to wear a brace on my righr foot . GOT Good news today i don't haft to have a wheelcheir eny more got reed of it . SO you see every thing happens for a reason . GOD don't give us more than we can take he is always their to help us through every thing .

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dtheriault

 

Hi, Sharon.

 

I'm Deb Theriault, the Coordinator for the Member Stories feature in StrokeNet (the Stroke Network's on-line newsletter). Lin Wisman, StrokeNet editor, suggested that I contact you to see if you'd like to be featured, sometime this Spring.

 

Since you've already written a summary of your stroke experience (here in the gallery), being a featured member would only require you to "flesh out" your story a bit, by providing a few more details about your rehabilitation, your personal life (kids, pets, hobbies, special interests) and any other info that may be of interest to our readers.

 

Also, based on what I can see of your story here in the gallery (you're a good writer), you wouldn't require much help in finishing it up for publication, but.....I can help you out, if you wish.

 

 

Please let me know either way if you'd like to be featured. I can be reached at: dtheriault@windstream.net

 

Thanks for your time. Looking forward to hearing back from you. :-)

 

Deb Theriault

Coordinator, Member Stories feature

StrokeNet newsletter

 

 

 

 

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