Kirk Luke

Kirk

By Kirk

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Hi, I new to this but I felt I needed some help with what we are going through. On 5-8-05 I had a major stroke on my right carotid artery. I've had migraines ever since I was 13 and have not had one since my stroke. I hoping that the part of the brain that died was the part that gave me the migraines. :hahaha: I am now 44 and here is my story. 8 days prior to my stroke I had a bad migraine, the kind that takes you to the hospital for shots. This was the worst I've had ever so I went to my chiropractor friend and he gave me a neck manipulation. It felt great. I've gone to chiropractors all my life and never had a problem. This time was different. Three days later, I had just come home from church and was gathering up items for a road trip to Las Vegas with my company. I was bending over to get some CDs and I fell forward. I then fell back onto the couch but I'm not sure exactly how that happened. My wife asked if I was okay and I said I just tripped. I think she said "old age?" My tongue started to swell and I asked for some milk because I thought I might be having a reaction to my headache medicine. The milk just poured out of my mouth. The left side of my face started to drop and I couldn't stand up. My wife called 911 and then call a fireman friend who lives near us. He came over and asked me several questions and then pinched my left arm. I couldn't feel a thing. The ambulance came and they took me to the hospital. I had 20 minutes left to get the clot buster after they had done the CT scan. I was in the hospital for two weeks. My right carotid artery was 100% blocked. I had a TIA the second week in the hospital. I had the hiccups everyday for two weeks. I figured I had over 100,000 hiccups night and day. I was discharged and was able to slowly walk out of the hospital. I have always been very athletic - basketball, Volleyball - so I told myself that this was not going to slow me down. Little did I know how my life would change. I don't remember a lot of what happened in the hospital. My wife had to fill in the blanks. I was told that I was given three shots of Morphine to stop my headache but it didn't work. I forgot how many kids I had - only one. I forgot words, I mix up my sentences, food tastes terrible, I went from 215 lbs down to 188 lbs. My left arm and hand do not work as well as they use to. I have a limp with my left leg but it is getting better, my back hurts, and I cry a lot which I hate. I notice little things that bother me, which never did before. I am starting to take anti depressants which should help my tastes and hopefully make me happier. I don't like not being in control of my life, not be active and not enjoying food. I know all of this will change but that doesn't help me now.

 

 

It's now been over a year since my stroke and I still am taking anti-depressants, blood thiners as my right coratid artery is still 100% blocked, back hurts all the time, I can't sleep, My balance is still off and my vision seems to be worstening.

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Bios

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swilkinson

Welcome to the site.

Come and post on the message boards so we can reply to your queries, as surviors and caregivers we all have questions we want answers to.

My husband had his first stroke at 48 so I know how frightening it is to be in your prime and yet lose abilities with stroke,hope to see you on the boards soon.Sue.

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Guest

KIRK,

 

I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND HOW YOU FEEL!!!!! NO TIME IS A GOOD TIME FOR A STROKE, BUT WHEN YOU ARE OUR AGE, IT SEEMS A BIT MORE DEVASTATING!!!! MINE WAS ON 12-10-03, AND I CONTINUE TO GET BETTER!!!!! I WISH THE SAME FOR YOU FRIEND!!!!

 

 

 

 

KIM pash.gif

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laree

Hi Kirk read your bio.wondering if your better now? Its been 5 years for me I was 43 at the time,seems like late 30's early 40's is quite common,I always thought 70 and 80's were common.I have read about so many that started with head aches,mine was due to complicated migraine,the arteries clamped down so hard in the left temple area and cut off the blood flow momentarily,that was my stroke.I cried alot too its common and I learned with right brain stroke it effects the part of the brains emotional area,causing crying,impatienceness,therefore you do get irritated much easier,this has been a true test of my marriage,my husband says I'm negative and sometimes down right mean and thats just not my nature.My left hand isn't of much use but I can walk and do some running also dance with my husband again.You take care and I hope you continue to progress in your recovery. Laree Martz

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Tascha

[[font=Comic Sans Ms]font=Microsoft Sans Serif]Dear Kirk,

My name is Cathy and I had a massive stroke on March 23, 2004. I was 50 yrs old. My husband was with me when I collapsed in our kitchen. I couldn't talk, swallow see or stand. I was completely numb on the left side but completely conscious and unable to communicate. I didn't know that and continued to try to speak. Thanks to my husband's quick thinking, I was at a sttroke trauma center within 45" of onset. The emts had called ahead and they took me immediatly to the CAT scanner. The huge stroke was diagnosed and Tpa was offered although my husband was warned it could kill me. He said to go ahead because I was so bad. I was awake and aware most of the time but sort of out of it. I thoight I was being abducted by aliens during the open CAT scan and for the duration of my stay, I thought people were living camped on the roof of the hospital and came in through the window in my room.

 

]My reason for right internal carotid artery probably caused by coughing too hard! In researching on the web about stroke I learnded that chiropractic manipulation can lead to dissection also. I have a new friend who stroked when he was lifting weights.

 

I have three children all grown and out of the house, this is how I decided to celebrate middle age: by stroking and going through a deep clinical depression, working hard to ge better and sleeping. I have been on three antidepressants for almost two years now and once when I forgot to take one of them for a week, I got so depressed and I couldn't understand why. Now I know they are still doing me some good.

 

O also got morphine intraveneously for three days for a headache (not stroke related)

 

I was a teacher and am now on disability. I am able to drive, walk, read a little, cook and I'm really good at sleeping. I still have trouble swallowing, moving fluidly, my balance is off and I move like a little old lady, which I became in a lightening flash,

 

I truly enjoy talking to other survivors, noone else understands that loss of control and loss of confidence.

 

Please e-mail me at tiptoe51@comcast.net any time, i look forward to meeting lots of nice people here. I belong to another on-line stroke group and 2 local hospital bassed groups

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Louise1

Hi Kirk,

My name is Louise; on April 8th my 46 year old husband, Tony, had a massive stroke. His right side is paralyzed and he has severe aphasia (a word that I would have never thought I'd come to do so much research on)! He is still in rehab after 4 months. PT and OT are going well but the speech is practically nothing other than the words "no" and "wow". I read in your bio that you had aphasia. But my question is actually to your wife!! Was she as overwhelmed as I am? I get so depressed after leaving Tony that it's sometimes a chore just to drive home safely because I'm crying so much. The last couple of weeks I've noticed that Tony is extremely cordial to the staff and residents (he's in a nursing home/rehab facility) but after a really short visit with him, he gets angry with me. It's anger not frustration. Although it's not easy I can pretty much figure him out through his facial expressions and gestures-anger is when he makes a fist at me, turns his back on me (actually he turns himself around completely in his wheelchair) and makes yelling sounds. We were told by his neurologist, cardiologist and primary that he may never get his speech back. I'm not giving up. I do believe in God and miracles. I hope that you or your family can shed a little light on this issue for me. I thank you for any suggestions.

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