Yvonne
Friday, February 24, 2012
By: Karen Garber

Survivor

My Life Changed Forever

My name is Yvonne. I'm a 39 year old single woman with two boys. When I had my stroke, I was 37 and my boys were 9 and 14 years old.

Not knowing what was happening to me, my symptoms were headache and always tired. As weeks went on my symptoms worsened.

I worked as an accountant, but as my symptoms were getting worse, not knowing what was happening to me. My eyes were fluttering. I went to the doctor and was given eye drops. The next few weeks I came home from work and my right arm was in a lot of pain, and I thought it was from working. All that night I was not feeling well. Waking up to a nightmare, my head was hurting and I was crying. I couldn't take my youngest to school. I couldn't go to work. My son called my mother and her and my sister showed up at the house and my mother said my mouth was dropping and my speech was blurry. So I heard her say lets go hurry to the hospital. And that is when my life changed forever.

Easter Seals Stroke Day program has given me hope and a purpose in life.