Stu E.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
By: Stu Epstein

Survivor

I’m not quite 65 years old, and I look at least ten years younger. I’m relatively thin, I’m a vegetarian, I never smoked, I enjoy exercising (something I do four or five times a week), I have relatively low blood pressure, AND I’ve already had two strokes.

I have a family history of coronary heart disease. I’ve been on a statin for several years. Nonetheless, after my first stroke at age 59, the cardiologist increased my daily regimen. In addition, I began to take another medicine.

Four years later, I had my second stroke. Interestingly, I was unaware that a stroke was ensuing. I was with my wife when my ability to walk was somewhat compromised. I knew “something” was wrong. We went to a nearby hospital and entered the emergency room. The triage nurse asked me when my symptoms began; it was now noon. I told the nurse that I started feeling a bit wobbly around 8 a.m. When she asked me why it took me so long to get to the hospital, my wife chimed in, “Denial!”

I was in the hospital for about four days, being treated by a neurologist. I had the standard MRI and MRA as well as various other tests. Also, another medicine was now prescribed. I would chuckle, as just about every nurse who came to see me while I was in my bed at the hospital bed would say, “What are you doing here?” I was surrounded by patients who didn’t look well, but I appeared to be a perfect physical specimen.

It’s now one year since my second stroke. I’ve been re-evaluated without any changes being noted.
I consider myself to be lucky. 
I have no dexterity problems. No speech pathology and I’m still alive.