Rally for a Mom's Recovery from Stroke

On March 7th, I woke up with partial vision loss in my left eye. It was dark in my room, and I thought maybe my phone was too bright and it temporarily blinded me, but my eye was not getting better after a few seconds.

After some googling, I realized this was possibly a medical emergency, so my husband took me to the closest emergency room. There, they ran blood work and a CAT scan with contrast, all of which came back normal. They discharged me and sent me to an optometrist for an emergency appointment, and that’s where my life changed forever.

There, they discovered that in my sleep, I had suffered a small stroke known as branch retinal artery occlusion, and I was immediately sent to Hartford Hospital’s emergency room where they rushed me back and started running every test known to man. I spent two days in the ER’s stroke unit while they ran over 30 tests, from blood work to EKGs, an echocardiogram, an MRI, and mobility tests. We still don’t have any answers as to why it happened or what caused it.

For now, I’ve been put on cholesterol meds and aspirin to keep my blood thin to help prevent any more strokes. In a week, I will be getting a heart monitor that I have to wear for 30 days. Over the next six months, I will be having appointments with the Stroke Center, Cardiology, and eye specialists. Unfortunately, the retina specialist said it is highly unlikely my vision will come back.

Physically, I’m doing okay minus the vision issues. Emotionally, I’ve been struggling with the thought that had the blockage gone to my brain rather than my eye, I might not be here today. As a 39-year-old with two sons and a husband I love more than life, it’s traumatizing to think of, and I’ve been breaking down a few times a day thinking about it.

All money raised here will be used to pay off the emergency medical bills, help pay for specialist appointments and treatments, make minor adjustments to our home for easier mobility, and some therapy to help me deal emotionally.

This is the beginning of a long road to healing. We appreciate everyone’s love and support.