Understanding Stroke

I spent so many hours lying in that bed. My whole body aching. The days continued to drift by and the recovery was slow. The coma had left me in such a weakened state that I was not even allowed to eat solid food. I do not remember ever thought that passed through my ind as I lay there staring at the ceiling, but the big question I remember at the time was why? Why did something like this happen to someone like me? Every know and then this question still comes up. Especially when the inevitable question of why do you walk like that comes up. My practiced response - I had a stroke at the age of thirteen.

The conversation usually goes the same from there, wow, really? Do they know why it happened? Again I give a practiced reply of no. Because even with all the years of research and time spent in school, the best answer the doctor's had for myself and my parents to this day was and has been, "The brain is a mystery." Meaning, they have no clue why a healthy thirteen year old boy with no family history of stroke. A state-track-record-holder, and year-round athlete would ever have a stroke.

What happened on May 15th 2003 is the defining moment in my life, and it has been a long journey of recovery, a journey of understanding, of perseverance of finding a deeper appreciation of life and the time that we are given on this planet. Of understanding at any moment anyone of us could be wisped away in a matter of hours.

I have had fourteen years of time to question the events of that day, and I hope my story will help shine light on struggles in peoples' lives and help us all to understand life a little better.