I'm sure you have heard or even said both when you survived the deadly stroke in your life. Should it become the case of a non-survivor then you are a victim in my opinion! Well, I survived a Brain Bleed stroke on 15 January 2004 while home alone on the second floor sitting at my computer. Mind you I just had my annual physical the month prior and declared in great shape! I did know it wasn't my heart and never thought about a stroke at my age1 NO ONE IN MY FAMILY EVER HAD A STROKE!

My fingers on my left hand stopped typing correctly it was 11am then I felt numbness traveling to my elbow! Now I'm really puzzled about what is happening to me so I stood up to go downstairs and fell. I got up but fell again so I'm thinking "I got Mad Cow Disease"? It was being reported daily on TV at that time. I'm too far from the phone on the computer desk to call 911 and about that time I guess I passed out! I wanted to get downstairs to open the door and call 911 but that didn't happen! I was due to open my shop in the bowling center in one hour.

My wife came home from her dental appointment around 3pm and called 911! I get to the military hospital and they told the paramedics I needed to go to the big hospital 25 miles away because of my condition being near death! They got life flight to get me there as they were waiting and ready to remove my skull to drain the blood! A decision was made to not have that operation so I stayed in ICU with tubes everywhere for 5 days! Then moved to the rehab floor where I remained for 5 months in a wheelchair and taking therapy twice a day! I was told it would take years for me to recover enough to walk again but just after I got out and into outpatient therapy I was walking and climbing stairs!

My wife was my everything visiting me daily in the hospital then quit her job to care for me at home! She pushed the WC, loaded/unloaded it for my appointments! By now the VA gave me a scooter I started back driving and to me life was good! I knew God was looking over me and I felt things would work out so my wife went back to work and got a higher position right away! God is good all the time! I slept in a hospital bed downstairs until I learned to walk then went upstairs with my lovely wife again! As survivors we probably won't get back all we lost in as matter of seconds but enough to survive with more time to get better every day!

I'm at the point that should I never walk without a cane again it's OK, if my arm and hand doesn't work like it did I'm OK, so just being with my family and the few friends I have is enough for me.Therapy and exercise helps to recover body functions so I'll stay with that as long as possible! I got a long, long way to go but I don't mind the journey so long as I have my wife! We can and will survive a stroke if we just understand that getting back like we were prior to the stroke may not happen so we must adjust to being somewhat disabled! I'm not throwing the towel because of how I am because I feel the battle has been won already with me being alive!

All cases of survival are not the same for each person some have to get well enough to return to work to pay the bills if possible to make ends meet! I worked at walmart for 3 years on my scooter and volunteered here for a couple years too! Some members have a very hard time coping with the stroke but we must realize this has been a terrible BRAIN injury and only God and time can heal us! There are many chores and things I want to do around my home but I can't with one hand!

I look at the soldiers who returned from war with missing limbs and they are smiling daily for being alive where some of the soldiers in their unit didn't make it back! They help me to hold my head high, praise God and keep moving forward! I feel so blessed I don't allow myself to get down because of how I am physically!

Fred!