My stroke was in January of 2010 when I was 48 years old. I feel 97 percent recovered. At the time of my stroke, I had no risk factors other than the birth control pill. I had no high blood pressure and was of normal weight. I am a marathon and ultra-marathon runner who has completed 15 marathons and 11 ultras (31 miles to 62 miles). Following a 20-mile training run, I showered, did chores around the house and was preparing to go shopping with my family. I had been ill with a little cold and had been taking cold medicine. Suddenly, I felt a bit woozy and thought I might have low blood sugar, so I ate a small tangerine. After a few minutes, I began to struggle to finish sentences as I kept loosing the words. The reason my husband took me to the hospital was because I could not read. I could not understand the words on my Blackberry screen. I was in the hospital for five days and went back to work full-time after just two weeks. I mostly struggled with reading comprehension and speech. I regained my ability to write sooner than the reading comprehension. I had trouble following directions and got mixed up easily. Within five weeks after the stroke, I finished a marathon (26.2 miles) and six weeks following the stroke, I completed a 54-mile timed race. I'm convinced that running speeded my recovery. I am now training for a 100-mile endurance race. I now am able to read an entire novel. I work full-time and no one can tell I've had a stroke. I am on only two medicines: Losartan and Plavix. I take CoQ10 and fish oil daily, and I think they help with the cognition. I really noticed the difference when I began taking them.

I had a small stroke. I was visiting my wife at a nursing home and my right side of my face and tongue went numb. I could not speak and my right hand and arm went very weak. 911 was called and off to the hospital I went. The CT scan saw something. MRI the next day confirmed a parietal lobe stroke. I was in the hospital for three day. My speech is fine and the weakness in my hand is gone.

I had a stroke in August of 2010 while on vacation that affected my left side. Fortunately it was only motor involvement. I had atrial fibrillation prior to leaving for vacation but my CHAD score was 0 so my physician told me I could start anti-coagulating when I came home. On day 5 I flew home and was admitted to an acute rehab facility to begin therapy. I was told that wherever I was at one year I would probably stay. Fortunately, my therapists do not believe that, as I am still improving 14 months later. My left arm was unresponsive for the first six months but the strength is slowly coming back. I have been able to walk with some sort of device from the time I went home (one month post-stroke). I returned to work full-time after seven months, able to drive. I was extremely naive in thinking I would recover much more quickly than I have, but thanks to my supportive therapists, I refuse to give up and believe that one day I will be able to use my left side almost normally. I figured I'd post this because we get tired of reading all the miracle stories and there are a lot of us out there who are frustrated with our progress and have to keep plugging along and fighting the fight.