DaveO

October 5th. Marathon Sunday. The Twin Cities Marathon. The most beautiful urban marathon. I trained all summer for this day. I knew I would finish the marathon. I wasn’t prepared for how hard the start would be. I stood waiting with thousands of other runners in Corral 1. The announcer asked for a show of hands if this was your first marathon. I raised my hand and soon found than I was one of the few in this corral running a marathon for the first time. I started to think for a moment that I didn’t belong here. Maybe I should have moved back to Corral 2 or 3 where most everyone else I knew was running. No, I earned my spot here because of my times in previous shorter races and that’s all that matters. There is no way I’m backing down from this challenge. I believe if you train for it, you can do it. The minutes seemed like hours waiting for the start of the race. This gave me too much time to think about where I been over the past three years. I thought back to my time in the hospital after I had my stroke. I thought about my family and friends. I thought about my doctors who approved me to compete today. I thought about the progress I made since last year's Marathon weekend It was time to begin. As I headed for the starting line, all that I’d been thinking about began to fade. I was focused on the race. I thought about all of the good advice I’d received during training. The best advice I received was to have fun. I wasn’t going to be concerned with my finishing time. I was going to have fun! Along the marathon route I high-fived everyone I could reach with their hand out. The spectators were incredible. They were everywhere. They shouted out encouraging words. I heard people saying: “looking strong”, “you can do it”, “nice mustache”, “you look so fast”. Around mile 22, I saw my family. They were all there. I gave them high-fives as I went by. Shortly after I passed my family, the race seemed just a little tougher. Sure, the last six miles are "slightly" up hill, but I trained running on hills. I tried to block the tired feeling with the encouraging words of the spectators. I knew I was slowing down, but I didn’t care. I was here to have fun. The miles passed slowly, 23, 24, 25. As I came over the final hill, the finish line was in sight. I kept my pace steady all the way through the finish line. I did it!

This morning I completed my second consecutive 10 mile running race. It was the Twin Cities 10 mile race. We had perfect conditions for running. Temperatures in the mid-40’s and clear. I finished the race on 1 hour and 13 minutes. I averaged 7:24 minute miles. Compared to last year, I finished 11 minutes quicker! Next year, if I get my doctors approval, I plan to try to compete in the Twin Cities marathon. I know going form 10 miles to 26.2 is quite a jump. I also know that if I train for it there is nothing I can’t do . This year I ran on the Minnesota Stroke Association’s Act FAST run team. We had about 30 runners in the races this weekend. As a team, we raised almost $9,000. I know that this money will help my fellow survivors. Here is an article featuring me that was on the local news : http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/story/23606413/stroke-survivor-to-compete-in-tc-marathons-1st-awareness-team

I’m going on the run again. I gained entry into the Medtronic Twin Cities 10 mile race again this. I was one of the 1000 lucky finishers of the one mile race in May who was randomly selected for guaranteed entry into the 10 mile race later this year. I finished the one mile race in 6 minutes and 3 seconds. My goal was to get under 6 minutes. I could have made it in less than 6 minutes but I promised my neurologist that I wouldn’t push it while running this year. Race day is October 6th, 2013. In this year’s 10 mile race I’m running with the Act FAST run team sponsored by the Minnesota Stroke Association. My wife will run too if she gains entry to the race. We have a running coach who is working with us on weekends until the race. I’ve never had a running coach. Yesterday I ran 6 miles. Last year it took me until September to get to 6 miles. If I make it through this year with no injuries, my goal is to run the full Marathon next year. It’s a big jump from 10 miles to 26.2 but I know I can do it.

Congrats Fred. Good luck on the next 9. God Bless!

Spring is almost here! Soon it will be warm enough to begin another outdoor running season. This week Twin Cities in Motion posted a blog about my running season last year. https://www.tcmevents.org/blog/2013/03/05/184/feeling_like_an_athlete_again I did this story hoping to inspire others to get more active, running, walking, or wheeling. My first race of the year is the TC One Mile race in May. It all starts with the first mile. I’ve been in contact with the Minnesota Stroke Association about their ACT FAST Running Team. They plan to run participate in races around the Twin Cities throughout 2013. Keep moving!

Welcome jslivon, You will find many friends on this site who are very helpful. Coming here has been a big part in my recovery. I hope your headache begins to fade and your memory gets better. My headaches lasted for what seemed like months after I stroked. My memory has stabilized, I lost many memories, but I'm making new ones every day. Give it some time. Dave.

Welcome back Sue. Take it slow. Dave.

This past Sunday was the day I trained all summer for. I followed a 70 day training schedule leading up to the Medtronic Ten mile race. It was the coldest day of the season. The temperature was about 28 degrees F. I took the train into Minneapolis arriving at 6:40 AM. I was in the 5th and final group to be released onto the course. It was a long wait in the dark cold watching the first 4 groups go. Finally it was time to go around sunrise. The run started slow because of the number of runners on the course. Around the 3 mile mark the runners started to spread out enough for me to pick up my pace. I knew I was running faster than I did anytime during training. It was incredible. There were people lining the streets cheering for the runners. Just after the 5 mile mark I saw my wife, children and parents on the roadside cheering me on. I got stronger as the race went on. As I approached the finish line I started to sprint. I finished the race in 1 hour 24 minutes and 57 seconds. That was good enough for 1831 place out of 7672 runners. That is an 8:30 minute per mile pace. While I was training I found that as the distance of the long run of the week increased, I have some pain in my right leg (my affected side). The pain has decreased in the days since the race. If the pain persists, I’ll get it checked out. I was not going to see a doctor before the race because I was afraid of the doctor telling me that I should not attempt the run. I had a free pain assessment at the time I picked up my race packet. I was told that because of my right side weakness, I was probably hitting the ground just a little differently that I did before my stroke. I definitely will get this checked out before I attempt my next race. I am starting to feel like an athlete again.

That was my time in the Medtronic One Mile Race in May. That is my personal best one mile time. It was also my first one mile race. I ran that race because 1000 finishers of that race are guaranteed entry into the 10 mile race on October 7 later this year. I was not one of the selected 1000 finishers so I had to apply to the lottery that is used to fill the remaining 7500 spots. Last week I received notification that I was selected to run the 10 mile race. My goal is to finish in less than 2 hours. I’ve been training since May. I’ve had some setbacks. I had what felt like a pulled muscle on my affected side. It was not like a usual pulled muscle. It came on gradually. At first I thought it was a cramp so I stopped running and stretched it out. That only made it worse. So I limped home and didn’t run again until it improved a couple of weeks later. I’m following a 70 day training schedule. Seventy days seems like a long way away but I know it will soon be here. I’m hoping for good weather on October 7th.

Anyone in Minnesota attending Strides For Stroke 2012? The 2012 Strides for Stroke 3.0 mile Fitness Walk/Run will take place on Saturday, May 12, 2012 in St. Paul's beautiful Como Park. This event is through the Minnesota Stroke Association. If you are going to attend, please let me know. It would be great to meet some you.

I had a follow-up appointment with my neurologist, Dr. Zoey last week. It was the best appointment so far. She said ‘yes’ when I asked her: May I stop taking Plavix? I was surprised that she said yes. She said my carotid artery is stable enough that she is not worried about my having another stroke. She said I still need to be careful about any sudden jerking of my neck in any direction. She had more ‘yes’ answers for me. I asked if I could increase the weight I lift at the BodyPump class I teach. She said yes, that I could start to slowly increase my weight, and not go above a ‘reasonable’ weight. When I announced the good news to my class the next night, I received a standing ovation (OK, they were already standing, but they all applauded). She said I could play golf this season. I think not turning my neck too much will help me keep an eye on the ball. She said I could play softball as long as I don’t get into a collision on the base path or in the field. I can’t control who might run into me, so I think I’m going into retirement from softball. My next question made her think. I asked if I could train to run in the Minneapolis half marathon on June 2 of this year. She said that she’d rather that I not attempt this. She said I can train for it, but I need to listen to my body and shut it down if I start to feel that I’m working too hard. I’m going to start training. I plan on starting the marathon. I can always stop running and finish by walking, but I plan on being a finisher.

I thought about calling this blog “My New Normal” but I’m convinced there is still a lot of recovery left in me. I still get extremely tired by the end of each day. Most nights I'm able to help my kids with questions on their algebra homework. My vision is not was it was. I got my first eyeglasses. They work well for reading. I don’t like to wear them, so I don’t unless I really need to. My hearing is not perfect. It was starting to go before the stroke anyway. The strength in my right side is sloooooowly coming back. I’ve learned to be patient. I can only get stronger. My artery is 50% blocked from the injury and it will probably never get better. I’m looking forward to getting into a batting cage. I have a score to settle with a baseball. I have an appointment with my neurologist on the 31st. I hope she says I can take a few swings. Even if I get permission to turn my neck I’ll be happy. I’m 99% sure that I will NOT have another stroke. I’m still working on that last percent. I’m not as cold as I was just a few months ago. I am dressing in layers. My handwriting is very sloppy. When I type, I get a mystery space before the letter e. This is strange because my right side was affected by stroke.

Fred, I'm sorry for your loss. I will pray for you and your family. Dave.

Something I never figured out from the morning of my stroke was a post-it (a note) that was stuck to a monitor in my room in the hospital ICU. The note was in my room before I was. My wife noticed the note shortly after they put me in the room and hooked me up to the monitors. She took the note down and read it. The note was from the Pastor at our church. The note said that he stopped by to visit but he missed us, and he would be back sometime later. My wife, kids, and my parents were the only ones who knew of my stroke and they didn't tell him. This was very curious. I didn't think he knew my name. I shook hands with him most Sundays after mass, but I don't remember introducing myself. He stopped back later in the week. The other priest from our chuch also stopped by and performed the Anointing of the Sick sacrement on me. I an convinced this helped my recovery. I was released from the hospital on a Saturday. Sometimes we attend the Saturday night mass so that we can sleep in on Sunday morning. When I stepped into the church with my wife holding me on one side and my son on the other side, our Pastor saw me right away and smiled. He did not seem surpised to see me. I don't feel a need to know how he knew. I've stopped trying to guess how he found out.

Fred, I also enjoy Halloween. My wife and I usually take turns walking with the kids. This year I may dress up as the Scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz. Like the Scarecrow, I wish I had a brain! Dave.

Four weeks ago I started a new contract. I'm a web application developer and I work on a contract basis. My last contact ended earlier this summer. The biggest challenge of finding my first post-stroke contact was not getting the interviews; it was making it through the interview with my aphasia. I told the guy who set up the interviews to use his judgment on what to tell the interviewers about my stroke. The first two interviews did not go so well. Then I got a call from aclient a worked for two years ago and they didn’t need to interview me. I got my start date and I’ve been working for four weeks. It was the best of all possible scenarios for me. I was working in the same setting as I was two years ago, with the same people. It was like I never left. It’s like being back home. I’m pretty sure nobody at this job has any idea that I had a stroke five months ago. If anyone asks I won’t deny it. It’s part of who I am now. It is great having a fresh start. The first two weeks were a little scary. But now I know that I’m able to do the job. I’m getting my confidence back. Last week I had trouble getting my phone headset working. The office administrator helped me get a new phone. After we got it work she said “at least we know the problem is not with your head.” I doubt she knows about my stroke. I had to hold back the laughter.

The brain is truly amazing. Before my stroke I had no idea that the brain can repair itself. Now I have a first-hand account of howamazing the brain really is. I amfortunate because I remember most of the day of my stroke. I remember waking up paralyzed and withoutspeech. I remember being carried downthe steps and out my front door and placed into the ambulance. I remember the ride to the hospital andgetting unloaded and being wheeled down the hospital hallway. That is the last thing I remember beforewaking up after my surgery a few hours later. After I woke up I was taken to my room in the ICU. The nurse asked me a series ofquestions. The first question was “whatis your name?” To which I responded:Dave Ohio (no my last name is not Ohio). Then she asked me if I knew where I was. I did not have a clue at the time. She asked me if I knew what happened to me. I did not know what happened to me. Then she asked me if I knew what year itwas. I knew the right answer was 2011 butI said 1996. I broke out inlaughter. I know I have a strange senseof humor but I just couldn’t stop laughing. Why did I say 1996? This went onfor 2 more days. I’d answer a questionwrong and then laugh. By day 3 I wasanswering questions correctly. I’mguessing in those first few days my brain was busy repairing itself. I know that I’m very fortunate to be able to measure myprogress by days rather than years. Please be patient with your brain, it is truly amazing.

I had an ischemic stroke. It was caused by blunt force trauma (I took a baseball to the neck). I agree that everyone's recovery is different. I've always had a positive attitude. Keep working at it and never, never, never give up! Good Luck!

I went to see my neurologist last week. Her name is Dr. Zoey. I had a list of questions for her. Me: Can I stop taking Plavix? Dr. Zoey: Not yet. Me: Can a go snowboarding this winter? Dr. Zoey: No. Me: I’m going on aDisneyworld vacation in a couple of months. Can I go on any rides? Dr. Zoey:As long as the ride does not jerk your head back, you can ride. Me: Can I increase myweight I lift in my BodyPump class? Dr.Zoey: You can increase from 20 lbs. to 30 lbs. During our discussion she told me that she only sees one ortwo cases like mine in a year. Hearingthis, everything started to make sense. When I left the hospital after my stoke four months earlier I was givenorders for my first follow-up appointment, occupational therapy and physicaltherapy. All three of theseappointments were about three weeks post stroke: At the first follow-up, the doctor came in, looked at me,and looked back at her notes. She askedmy name. It was like she was expectingsomeone else. She explained that mostpeople who had a stroke like mine are in a wheel chair at this point. She asked me a few questions and asked me towalk across the floor and back. She calledDr. Zoey and both of them agreed that there was no reason I couldn’t go back towork part time. Next was physical theory. The therapist gave me the same look as the doctor at my follow-up. Then we went through checking my range ofmovement and strength of my muscles. Hewas running out of stuff for me to do. We went for a walk around the hospital. It became apparent that he could not easily keep up with my pace. When we returned, he had me runningsteps. He ran out of stuff for me to tryand we finished early. Next was occupational theory. When I arrived, they told me we’d get thoughtpart of the therapy that day and need to schedule a follow-up appointment tofinish up. They gave me a few tests onpaper. I don’t remember much about thetest other than they seemed easy. Theysaid I finished these so fast that they could give me the tests I’d need topass to be cleared to drive. These wereactually kind of fun. They said I scoredoff the chart. I was cleared to drive! Looking back at these three appointments, I now know thatthe doctors and therapists were not expecting much of me. I worked hard to get to where I amtoday. I have much work still ahead ofme. I look forward to the challengeevery day brings. I’m no longer askingmyself why this happened to me, both the stroke and the amazing recovery. Dr. Zoey scheduled a follow up MRI for January 2012. I’m hopeful that after that MRI I’ll be ableto stop taking Plavix. Dr. Zoey calledmy recovery “remarkable”.