On March 30, 2007, my husband John suffered a major stroke. It was a Friday and he was getting ready to travel to visit our oldest daughter in college for Dad's Weekend. He was alone at the time when it happened - I was at work and our youngest daughter was at school.
I began to feel that something was wrong when he didn't call as he usually does when he travels. So I called him and he did not answer. I called again, and still no answer. When I called my daughter to see if she had heard from him, I became very worried when she told me that she had not. Shortly after, I left school (I am a teacher) and drove home, fearing something was wrong.
When I arrived home, I saw John's car in the garage. I ran inside and found him on the floor. He was conscious, but unable to move or to speak. He was life-flighted to the Cleveland Clinic where he spent five days, three of them in the Neuro Intensive Care Unit. John suffered a major stroke as a result of a dissection of his left carotid artery and is very lucky to be with us now. He was only 45!
After he stabilized, the neurologist gave the OK to begin his stroke rehabilitation. MetroHealth was very highly recommended, so John's parents and I came to check it out. We were very impressed with the caring, knowledgeable staff and wonderful facilities at MetroHealth, so we chose it for his rehabilitation.
The very next week after his stroke, John began to move again with the help of the wonderful therapists. After two weeks, he began to speak again! Three months after his stroke, our whole family - John's parents, brothers and their families, and us - went to Disney World for a week-long vacation. It was wonderful! John walked around the parks - no wheelchair - and we had to keep up with him!
John has had a long road back. He is still working on recovering, but has made such remarkable progress! He even addressed the Stroke Convention at MetroHealth in September of 2008, speaking to a group of stroke survivors and their families with a speech he both wrote and delivered - quite remarkable, given that he could not speak at all after his stroke! John has even recently passed his driver-test and is driving again on his own. This is the result of the driver rehabilitation program at MetroHealth. We are so grateful to the wonderful therapists, doctors and nurses who have all contributed to John's recovery.
Mary Pumper