I had a lacunar stroke in the pons area of the brain stem. It affected my balance plus many other things. When I had the stroke on Feb. 8, 2007, it felt like a couple of small firecrackers had gone off in my head. I noticed that my balance was affected immediately. I could still walk and function, but it was like I was drunk. I drove myself to the ER (not recommended) where they did a CT scan. Nothing showed up. After a while, they sent me home. Five days later, I went to my regular physician who ordered an MRI. The stroke showed up on the MRI. Thankfully, it was small. I still suffer from symptoms even though I have had four months of physical therapy (PT). I have some numbness in my left arm and a little drooping on the left side of my mouth. Occasionally, I have what my husband and I call “spells.” I have a tingling around my scalp. The doctor said it was caused by high blood pressure even though I was on medication. I was put on Plavix and Zocor. Since the stroke, I've had another TIA where my blood pressure spiked to 223/122. I had to go to the ER for an IV to bring it down. I had some of the same symptoms as with the stroke, but they did go away. My dad had several strokes, one of which was severe. I must have inherited some of his tendency for strokes. Published: December 30 ::

I was 25 weeks pregnant with my son. I woke up with numbness and weakness on my left side. I had a droopy mouth and eye. I went to the emergency room. They needed to make sure I could have an MRI because of the pregnancy, so they sent me home in the meantime. After me calling for two days, they said to come in for an MRI. I had the MRI, and they found the clot. I spent the next eight weeks in the hospital. I went home on Heparin until my son was born and then switched to warfarin. I was taken off the thinners since it was thought I had the stroke from getting CMV while pregnant. Eight months later, I was at work when I started dropping everything. My numbness had also been extreme that day, so I went to the emergency room where I was given a baby asprin and sent to the city with a driver. Upon arrival, I had an MRI and discovered a second clot. Through testing, they figured out I'm protein C deficient. I’m on warfarin for life now. Here's the kicker: I was 26 and 28 respectively when I had my strokes. My memory and speech are warped. I'm so tired of the tingles. Published: December 30 ::

I was at work when I felt very dizzy and felt that I couldn't stand up for more than a second. So I asked my boss if I could go to the emergency yet I couldn't drive so I waited for my husband. The doctors asked me what I had so I told them my dizziness and numbness on my right side, by then I had a headache that wasn't too bad. After four hours, they didn't find a reason why I should stay. They thought it was a migraine, so I went home. The next day, I woke up with my right side of my body immobile and my speech slurred, so I had another visit to the emergency room. They said it was just stress. Again I was sent home, and five days later, I went to my general doctor and he told me to go again. So I did, and I was diagnosed with a stroke. But because I am 29-year-old female, they didn't think I was having a stroke. Published: July 08 ::

Just before I turned 25, I had a stroke. I was working at a fast-food place and my shift was two hours from ending when I started feeling dizzy. I didn't think anything of it then. It went away, but I couldn't see from my left eye. I could not read the left side of the tickets. I let my manager know that I couldn't see, and I thought maybe in a couple of seconds I would regain my sight. My sight returned after a couple of minutes, but then I lost feeling in my arm and then all of my face. Published: December 30 ::

I was at work the moment of my stroke. I was booking a flight for a customer and I asked her kindly "may I place your call on hold for a brief moment?" I put her on hold then sat still not moving nothing. I couldn’t remember where I was or what I was doing almost as if I was losing consciousness, but someone called 911 and they took me to the hospital and they said I had a stroke from a clot. I had slurred speech loss of memory sleep apnea couldn’t see properly couldn’t walk or stand for long periods of time. I was in rehabilitation for about 1yr. I got out of rehab and went back to my job and then left for Texas. God has been good to me and the people around me that help me to be where I am today is all because of God. I don’t sleep very well today one side of my body gets numb and tingly to this day. I don’t know why. Published: October 16 ::

I awoke with really violent pains over the top of my head. I tripped at every step with my left foot. Voices sounded far away and hollow. The next day I became very confused and lost half my sight, so I was bumping into everything and everyone. I couldn't see anything to the left. I apologized for bumping into a wheelchair and then bumped into the pusher. I could only read the last few letters of long words, I gathered 'ion' must be 'reception.' Following a nurse who turned left I went straight on until she called me to go 'this way'. I couldn't stand up for hours but did not lose consciousness.T he hospital doctor said my BP was 'way out of control' My left side was very weak and I couldn't raise my left leg. With stroke 4 I lost half my hearing in both ears, and I have impaired eyesight. I am left with memory loss and since my last stroke in November I have basal ganglia which affects my balance - and my emotions! I get quite cross now. I was always very placid and quiet. I believe the basal ganglia was brought on by my having had 12 CT brain scans and 1 MRI, as I am told it is caused by radiation. Not to mention my heart, circulation, sleep apnoea effects... ask me another! Published: May 27 ::