Picture: Old wooden one-room church, Philo, Anderson Valley, Mendocino County, California
Sometimes the universe wants to tell you something; sometimes it needs to smack you upside the head to get your attention.
Many people that read my blog will recall my accident from last February, and how lucky I was to escape the potential worse case scenario(s). Following that accident, I mentioned on several occasions how that experience caused me to re-focus my perspective on the important things in life. Now, for the second time in one year, I am grateful beyond words, feeling as I dodged a second bullet that could have possibly had life altering consequences.
On Saturday, my family, including my mom, left for a weekend vacation in Bodega Bay along the Sonoma Coast. Sunday began with my whole family rushing me to an emergency room 25
miles away in Sebastopol.
After breakfast, I was talking to my wife and she noticed that I was only talkng out of one side of my mouth, and the entire left side of my face was drooped. We knew this was a potential warning sign of a stroke. A call to our doctor said “Go to the nearest Emergency Room”. Adding fuel to the anxiety bonfire, worry and adrenaline seem to kick in mutually. Suddenly, you don’t know if all the symptoms you are feeling are legitimate, or if they are a figment of your hyper-sensitive mind playing tricks on you. The ride to the hospital was a real test in anxiety control, and self-induced relaxation.
Thirty seconds after signing the registration form at the Emergency Room, a nurse walks me into the back and says into a microphone, “We have a Code Stroke in Emergency 3.” In less that five minutes I was having a CT brain scan done.
After 20 minutes, the ER doc comes in to tell us, No Stroke, based on a clean CT scan, and lack of other symptoms. Diagnosis = Bells Palsey, an inflammation of the facial neural canal as it leaves the neck. Affects 2 in 10,000. Symptoms 80% likely to self resolve in a month. Fingers crossed…
Five hours later we were back in Bodega Bay, and I was fishing with my son at the entrance to the harbor. I’ve spent the time then and since thanking the universe for letting me off easy; again.
But spending those few hours contemplating that you may be suffering a stroke, and then to have that fear wiped away in favor of something far less severe was such a huge relief. I was shaken into an awareness of how lucky I was; again. A reminder of how precious life, and our seeming ‘normalcy’ really is. This renewed call to how we must use our perspective came like a slap on the face; this time it hit me squarely on the left facial cheek.
Go find someone you love, give them a hug, and tell them how important they are to you.
(Hoping I’m done with these types of ‘adventures’ for awhile.)
PS: I show the church photo, not because I am religious, but because I am spiritual. Whatever your connection to the universe, to that which is greater than us, to that voice inside, if it’s trying to tell you something, listen.
I wish you a speedy recovery. I am glad to see, though, that you are taking this in a positive way.
Geez, Gary!
Glad you are better, but you better take care of yourself! Walking off a cliff, too? I was gonna invite you shark diving or on 1 of my crazy small boat trips on the Gulf of Alaska, but it sounds like we better stick to taking our kids to the park together for awhile.
I wish you a speedy recovery. Your internet friend, Jon.
Wow – you are sure getting the wake up calls aren’t you? How scary that must have been. Amazing how these events change your outlook on life isn’t it?
Man Gary. Times have been tough but I am glad that these symptoms were just temporary and not something more life-threatening.
Gary, next time at the first sign of a stroke/heart attack, immediately take 1 aspirin. Aspirin is usually the first thing EMTs will give a stroke/heart attack victim in the ambulance…
Glad you are feeling better.
Gary – thanks for sharing your story. I’m really glad you are okay and you are using this unfortunate mishap to re-evaluate life once again.
Gary – I am so glad it was not a stroke. Have a speedy recovery and count your blessings.
Wow, Gary, you’ve really been through the ringer. Good luck on recovering, and happy to know it was not a stroke.
Good to hear the you are okay!!
Patrick
Good to hear it’s not all that serious Gary.
Would you mind telling me which hospital you went to?
I recently moved to that area and haven’t had the need for a hospital yet but it’d be nice to know which one treated you in a timely manor for when I do need one.
Holy cow Gary! Glad it was nothing as serious as a stroke. I’ve actually heard of this before. I hope things clear up sooner than later. Live the moment! And don’t let anything happen to you until we have lunch again. After all its your turn to buy. LOL Seriously get better and the next lunch is on me to celebrate life!!!
Since I lived through your wife’s side of this story last year (when my mother-in-law had a stroke), I’m glad to hear that it wasn’t a stroke and hope that you have a speedy recover! And enjoy every minute spent with family and friends.
Hi Gary,
I appreciate your positive attitude towards life & glad to hear that it wasn’t stroke. Move on with faith and wishing always good time in your life. Have a speedy recovery. Alex R.
You write so eloquently. Your words are as beautiful and thoughtful as your photography. You are blessed to have escaped a stroke but as they say “Big dogs have big fleas and little dogs have little fleas”. It is all relative and Bell’s is still something you have to deal with. Coming relatively soon on the heels of your episode in February, is Someone telling you something? Maybe indeed, the world is not yet ready to part with you.
My life has been spared dramatically a time or two and I’ve been scared half out of it a time or two as well.
When my son was but 7 months old and I was 24, it was thought I had a stroke. My vision disappeared from my right eye, the right side of my body was paralyzed, I lost my ability to speak, 6 months of short-term memory was erased and I was terribly disoriented. Fortunately for me as well, it was not a stroke but a massive TIA caused by a migraine. It was frightening! I am blessed that within 24 hours, everything but the short-term memory returned with the memory issue resolving itself in a few weeks.
Your attitude about your recent misfortunes is inspiring and I look forward to more of your sharing through your blog. Glad you are alive. I wish you a speedy and full recovery.