What it's like to have a stroke

Neuroanatomist Jill Bolte Taylor had an opportunity few brain scientists would wish for: One morning, she realized she was having a massive stroke.

As it happened -- as she felt her brain functions slip away one by one, speech, movement, understanding -- she studied and remembered every moment. This is a powerful story about how our brains define us and connect us to the world and to one another.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyyjU8fzEYU

20 minutes

very interesting analogy (but it is a commercial)

Been a few moons since PT did any noteworthy strokin'.

Actually,

I think I entitled this incorrectly. This is a brain surgeon who woke up one day with a blood clot in her left brain area the size of a golf ball and explains moment by moment what she was experiencing from the view point of the left brain vs right brain functions. She subsequently died.

That's right, she said she died.

Then, after an undetermined number of minutes, she returned to her body and began her recovery. She explains in graphic detail her out of body experience, her return to her body, and how she felt immediately thereafter.

I found this to be one of the most informative videos I've ever seen. The last seconds of life as described by a brain surgeon. Her death, and rebirth.

Mine hurt like all hell when it happened.

Tutu (If I may be so bold),

How did yours compare to hers?

What I found very fascinating was her vivid description of events when she awoke. For me, the scary part is the fact that she did not say anything like, "I was sick as a dog for a week before," or anything like that. Just, "Went to bed and awoke with a severe headache."

Yikes!!!

I'm not that far behind, if at all.

What was yours like??

I was talking on the phone. And all of a sudden I had a excruciating pain shooting, I think, up my arm through my neck and into my head. It manifested as a bright white light in my mind and I opened my mouth to scream but nothing came out except for pain. It slowly subsided and my left arm went numb the left side of my mouth dropped and I was drooling. My head hurt incredibly with pain and I was exhausted. The severe effects lasted 3 or 4 days.
I still have problems but not as severe.
It should not happen to anyone.

Tutu,

I'm sorry to hear that. I'm glad it wasn't more severe. Hopefully, you've fully recovered and are back to normal.

Did you notice any warning signs beforehand? Had you just completed some strenuous exercise, felt any odd symptoms, or any indications at all that you might be about to experience something really, really unplaisant??

Thank You, however, you do not fully recover from something like that. All you can do is take precautions and hope it does not happen again. It usually does though. It has to do with blood clots moving as near as I have found out from professionals in the area.
A matter of luck. Everyone has luck. Some have good and some have bad. Go figure!!!!

Indeed.

If it wasn't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all.

Did you experience anything similar to the story described in the video? It was quite fascinating hearing her describe in detail how her motor skills and the cognitive skills slowly dissipated.

I have a few older aunts and uncles who have gone through similar events, but none have ever described it quite like she did.

Sorry to learn about your having a stroke, TUT, but happy that you have recovered as much as you have. My mother suffered a stroke about two weeks after she had heart surgery. Even though she did recuperate a great deal, she had to use a walker or a wheelchair to move about.

She said she remembered carrying on a conversation with my father and suddenly finding herself in a kind of fog. She said it was as though she was floating in foggy soup! Mom could hear Dad, asking her what was wrong. She could see him calling 911 and she said she remembered the ambulance ride to the hospital and trying her best to speak, but she couldn't get her mouth to form the words she wanted to say. She didn't remember any pain, just the numbing effect of having no control over anything she wanted to do or say.

Mom spent a week in a hospital, during which we were sure she would die. She wouldn't eat and was often agitated. After that week, we arranged for her to be taken to a rehab clinic. When Mom was brought into her room at the clinic, a nurse was talking to her, expecting no response. The nurse asked Mom why she hadn't been talking, more as a funny than anything else, and Mom suddenly said, "Because I've not had anything to say." You can imagine our response.

We all rejoiced when Mom spoke those words. She told us later that the fog suddenly lifted and she could form words again. I was fortunate to have my mother for five more years...albeit in a wheelchair but with all of her other abilities recovered. Diabetes was the ultimate cause of her death.

I am sorry Kat. The end is often not that easy or nice. However you are a very tough woman. My condolence is extended.

Love,

TuT

Catherine,

My condolences as well. I have an aunt currently going through those very same phases. My mother died from A-plastic Anoemia when I was 16, so I wasn't able to be with her later in life. My kids never knew her.

Have either of you actually watched the video I presented. The story is quite amazing and parallels what Catherine was saying. I thought it was incredible, myself.

TED is a pretty fantastic site. They recently hosted the very first Pangea Day. I'm sure you know about Pangea, and they went all out to celebrate it. Quite an amazing event.