Well, after I wrote about trials on Friday, I faced a trial of a different sort over the weekend…well, my husband and I did.
On Friday evening, as noted in my blog, I think he had a TIA – which, according to the National Stroke Organization, is a “transient ischemic attack (TIA) is an event, sometimes called a mini-stroke, with stroke symptoms that last less than 24 hours before disappearing. While TIAs generally do not cause permanent brain damage, they are a serious warning sign of stroke and should not be ignored!”
The symptoms on my husband disappeared within 10 minutes and we thought all was fine with a warning from me that if he had anymore episodes – where he lost his ability to speak intelligently – I would call 9-1-1 even though he does not like going to the hospital.
On Saturday, we woke and he felt fine so we went out and about by stocking up on groceries and other household chores like paying bills.
About an hour after we got home and had lunch, my husband started to feel funny so we sat down to relax and watch television. Soon, he was relaxed and falling asleep. Tired myself and no longer wanting to watch television, I handed him the remote but then he made a grunting noise. Thinking he was just grumbling in his sleep, I walked away; however, he continued to grunt. In the meantime, our cat was trying to get my attention as well so I turned back to him and noticed he was awake and making funny noises.
I went to him and could get him to sit up right or talk and after a bit, he finally managed to say 9-1-1 so I made the call. They arrived and soon he was whisked away to the hospital.
Later that night, we discovered that he had two small strokes that affected his balance and speech. By then, he was talking again but not with his full strength as they told us he would be staying for a few days.
The next couple days were a series of tests after they also discovered a couple of aneurysms as he continued to recover. They did not find any lasting damage yet he will be monitored especially with the aneurysms for a while.
In a way I am grateful for the little storms that I experienced because I was able to remain calm and somewhat focused on God even as fear struck me while waiting for the EMTS and then following the ambulance to the hospital. If I had not gone through these little storms, I would probably have been weak and not able to withstand such a powerful storm.
After all, according to Psalms 18:1-3 (KJV):
“I will love thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised…”
So, remember to stand strong even in the face of storms and let God hold your hand as you walk through the storms of life and guide you.
Finally, do you know how to recognize if someone is having a stroke? Do you know what to do? For more information, please learn the signs and check out the information found at www.stroke.org. Above all, pray with boldness as you face a storm like a stroke or any other storms in life because He is your strength and He will give you refuge during a storm.
Vision 63 