I Survived a Stroke at 30

Hearing you might die at 30 years old just floors you. I underwent a three-hour surgery to get the clots removed from my brain. I underwent four more surgeries to repair my brain and spent four weeks recovering in the ICU. I was thankful to recover from my surgeries, but I had to regain everything I'd lost. At first, I could only move my eyes, and then I started to move my fingertips. I regained use of the right side of my body and had to relearn how to eat. Eventually, I began to move the left side of my body and then started practicing walking. It was a little over a month before I could finally speak.

Experts say the new baseline for stroke survivors appears about a year later. With my "new normal," people might see me now and think what I experienced wasn't too bad, but they weren't there during the daily occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech therapy appointments I attended. They didn't see the preschool and kindergarten workbooks and flashcards I had to use to learn how to read again.

I now have sensory processing disorders I didn't have before. I have to wear earbuds to drown out ambient noise in places where a lot of people are talking because I've become very sensitive to noise. My depth perception is often off, and once I bit the side of my mouth trying to eat. I also have aphasia, which affects my speech, and a memory processing disorder that causes me not to remember things as well as I used to.

After my stroke, I vowed that if I could learn to speak again, I'd be relentless in making sure others don't have to experience what I did. Women have a higher risk of stroke than men, and there are some actions people can take to reduce their risk. I talk to everyone I can about steps you can take to increase your chances of survival if you're having a stroke.

The acronym B.E. F.A.S.T. can help identify signs of a stroke:

B: Balance — Is someone struggling with balance or coordination?

E: Eyes — Is there evidence of vision loss or double vision?

F: Facial — Is one side of the face numb or drooping? Can the person smile?

A: Arm weakness — Can the person feel or raise their arms? Can the arms stay raised?

S: Speech — Is their speech slurred or are they having trouble speaking?

T: Time to call 911 — If any of these symptoms are present, get medical attention immediately.

Although I love what I do, my job can be pretty stressful and demanding. I was a self-proclaimed workaholic, always suffering from chronic headaches, stress and fatigue, but I just accepted it as part of my life. As women, we're often the caregivers for everyone around us. We can be focused on making sure everyone has what they need to the detriment of ourselves and our own needs. It's a dangerous mindset, and I know I often put my own needs on the backburner.

This year, I was named Mrs. Ohio International, and I'm using my platform to get this message out to the world. I have a new voice and people might have a more difficult time understanding me now, but I'm grateful I have the ability to speak. If I can save one life by sharing my story — even if my speech is a little funny when I share it — it's worth it for me to speak up.