Andy Bebow

I am a young stoke survivor and am looking for other people who have gone through similar experiences.

I am 30 years old and had my stroke 2 weeks before my 29th birthday.

I will start by telling my stroke story.

I had worked a full day and was feeling fine when I arrived home. I was playing with my infant son when suddenly I felt light headed. I told my wife I wasn't feeling well and needed something to drink. When I stood up my left leg failed to respond, I didn't have any idea what could be wrong. I laid down and started convulsing on my left side. My wife looked at me and said my face didn't look right. She decided to call 911 and by time the paramedics arrived I was completely numb on my left side...

I was taken to the ER where they did a Catscan which was inconclusive, but I had all the signs of having a stroke, so the doctor contacted a Neurologist who recommended TPA. They explained the risks and I decided to go ahead and get the TPA. I was then taken to a larger hospital in Asheville, NC.

I remember being so scared that night.

By the following day the doctors were able to see my stroke on a MRI. They indicated it was a small infarct on the frontal right lobe of my brain. They explained although it was small it was in a bad location in regards to left side mobility. I was in ICU for 5 days where they ran all sorts of tests. I felt like a lab rat. I had ultra-sounds of my heart and corroded arteries, multiple MRIs, brain scans with and without dyes, a spinal tap and many others. Nothing was conclusive as to why I had a stroke. They said it could have just been a week blood vessel but they continued testing...

I spent the next week in the hospital, I had terrible head aches so they kept me on Morphine. The only test that came back positive was for Anti Cardio Lipid Antibody Syndrome. They explained it could be Vasculitis but were still not sure as to the exact cause.

I started rehab in the hospital. In the beginning I was completely paralyzed on my left side. I needed help to go to the bathroom, to take a shower, really to do anything other than staying in the bed. After being in the hospital for nearly 2 weeks I was admitted into an in patient rehab called Thoms.

I spent the next month doing intense physical and occupational therapies. Slowly I was able to walk using a walker, then a cane. My left leg responded much better than my left arm and hand. While at Thoms I was involved in a support group with other stroke survivors - I was by far the youngest and felt so out of place...

Now it has been nearly 17 months since my stroke and I am still struggling with PT and OT. I am walking better and my left arm and hand has improved somewhat. I feel like I still have so far to go to feel 'normal' again.

I am dealing with depression and lack of motivation. Sometimes it seems like such a long uphill battle. I take one step forward and two steps back. I know how important it is to keep a positive attitude, but that is often easier said than done. It scares me that they never figured out what caused the stroke so I don't know how to prevent another. I am on Plavix and Aspirin and they say that is the best I can do.

My son is 2 now and I am doing my best to be a good dad and husband, but often feel so disabled...

I am looking for other people who have dealt with the slow rehabilitation process, and generally how to live after suffering a stroke...

God Bless,
Andy

Thanks to Andy for sending in his profile. Anyone else who would like to share their story can send it along with a photograph (if you're not shy!)

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