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Edna B.  Survivor "I guess a headache can't kill you, but this one sure feels like it could...." Little did I know that a few days later, on the morning I was supposed to return to my home in Maryland after attending a professional conference, I'd collapse in the lobby of my hotel and be rushed to a hospital where I was diagnosed with a hemorrhagic stroke. I was 47, with a husband, two teens, a dog, a mortgage, and a successful career, having represented the United States at the WTO. I wasn't a smoker nor obese. As an adoptee, my family history is a question mark. I've been incredibly lucky in my recovery. My vision was impaired, so I can't work or drive, and I'm easily fatigued. Otherwise, I lead a normal life. Having been spared aphasia, I have a unique ability to explain eloquently what it's like to survive a stroke. And every chance I get, I tell others that a headache actually COULD kill you. In particular, I hope that we can revise the "FAST" acronym to one that includes an "H" for a severe headache with no known cause. |
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