All the Gory Details....

If it were me, I’d have to know everything.

It was President’s Day weekend and my BFF, La and her daughter, Caroline were visiting. We were sitting at the table, just finished dinner and laughing when it hit. I felt my face go first, it was numb, then my arm…I was still laughing and couldn’t stop but knew something was very wrong. Jack and La were still laughing, I got up to try to walk it off and stumbled…then they knew too. I went in my first and hopefully last ambulance to the ER in Providence, had a CT that confirmed the diagnosis. My left arm only moved at the shoulder, Left leg could walk with support, left face drooped somewhat and speech was slurred, but that wasn’t concerning me then. I also got a stomach bug with all the nausea, vomiting and other stuff that goes along with it AND my period, when it rains, it pours! All this with one arm! Needless to say, I didn’t get much rest and was delighted to be sent home.

The pinky came back first. It was weird…I could swear the fingers were moving if I didn’t look at them. I would break out in a sweat just trying to lift my wrist. Gradually all the fingers moved one at a time...this typing is good exercise for them! I couldn’t get a bra on, button my pants, tie my shoes, clean my glasses, butter my toast…all the things you need 2 hands for that you take for granted.

OH almost forgot about the eye! About 2 wks after the first incident, I woke with double vision, as if the first one didn’t slow me down enough! I found this more frustrating believe it or not...thank God that’s improving too and the pirate patch is history.

Now that I can see and move, I’m concentrating on looking and sounding more normal. Even though I’ve been told you can barely tell, now that I’ve been scrutinizing my face in the mirror with speech exercises and I can tell…Vanity has returned which I’m taking as a sign that things are looking up.