I
Mary Jane Hall
never considered myself a high risk for heart disease or stroke. I was an avid runner with minimal family history of cardiovascular disease when I began experiencing classic stroke symptoms on New Year’s Eve of 2014. I was busy preparing for a holiday gathering at my home in Danville and my husband, Daniel, who had been out running errands, stopped back at home. When he walked into the house, he noticed the vacuum cleaner was left running in the hall and he found me in the bathroom. When he yelled to me, I responded with slurred speech, so he grabbed me, turned me toward him, and then realized what was happening. Daniel called for our son to dial 911 and EMS arrived within ten minutes. After an initial consult with an ER physician, the team decided they would fly me directly to a hospital in Lexington, which saved precious minutes.
Within one hour of the onset of symptoms, I was receiving TPA, the clot busting drug that stops and often reverses damage caused by stroke. I was diagnosed with a 100% occluded right internal carotid artery on that day and, after extensive testing over the next year or so, the cause of my stroke is still unknown. I was in the hospital for a few days and then was released to recover for several weeks at home. I was able to resume my normal work and exercise routine, thanks to the quick response of my family, EMS personnel and physicians who knew what to do. I am grateful for every single day now, and have learned to relax. I feel that through divine intervention my life was spared. I am extremely blessed and challenged every day to try to live my life a little better to bring good into this world.
NOVEMBER 2016 | TOPS MAGAZINE
105