Stroke Survival: Emma's Story
Stroke Survival: Emma's Story
Emma is a two-time stroke survivor who volunteers at University of Iowa Comprehensive Stroke Center. As Stroke Peer Visitor, she visits with every stroke patient and his or her family.
Please note: We made this video before the COVID-19 pandemic. UI Health Care staff follow our most current guidance to wear the appropriate personal protective equipment when seeing patients. For more information about our safety efforts, please visit uihc.org/covid-19-health-and-safety-information-our-patients.
Content
0.459 -> Good morning. My name is Emma. I'm a
volunteer here.
3.81 -> And I'm a two-time stroke survivor. And they usually go, what?
8.37 -> You? Yes me. You're kidding.
12.799 -> You're a stroke survivor?
15.17 -> How long did it take you to get better? I said i'm a work in progress.
20.13 -> I was 48 when I had my first stroke. It was a day like any other day until I
24.61 -> tried to get out of bed.
26.13 -> Then I was dizzy. So dizzy I couldn't
reach the phone.
30.919 -> For about four months I really
didn't know who I was or where I was.
36.36 -> I had constant help from friends and
family.
40.36 -> Physical therapy, occupational
therapy.
44.8 -> And that I had to take those
48.62 -> doggone on anti-depressants because having
a stroke is depressing.
54.449 -> They were 10 years apart.
55.21 -> The symptoms were exactly the same.
58.589 -> I was just busy.
61.739 -> So I went to the hospital and I had my
64.909 -> primary care physician come in and he said, you know, i'm just going to admit you
68.96 -> for awhile here.
73.95 -> But we can't do
76.19 -> an MRI our cat scan because I don't have
the paper
80.07 -> which says that your the aneurysm clips
83.56 -> are MRI compatible, which
86.68 -> I understood. But he wasn't going
to do
91.02 -> anything. My now husband
94.96 -> and my best friend were there and they
said we're going to do
99.54 -> University of Iowa hospital. They found an
aneurysm here.
104.18 -> They decided that they would go through
the femoral artery
107.2 -> and put a stint and a coil in. And it's a much easier procedure than having
114.01 -> a craniotomy I previously had.
116.39 -> And I was at home five days later. In my
opinion, I was great.
122.32 -> I mean, I was seriously out painting my
deck five days later.
127.02 -> I've learned to be grateful. I've learned to be grateful for having
131.13 -> strokes.
132 -> A lot of us don't survive.
135.26 -> A lot of that many physical problems,
138.59 -> mental problems. I don't have any of those.
142.11 -> I think I'm a much more compassionate
person. I think that I
147.61 -> was left here on this Earth for a reason.
That's why volunteer at University of Iowa
153 -> Hospitals.
153.85 -> I see every patient whose
158.58 -> listed as having a stroke or a possible
stroke.
162.12 -> And their families. I don't want to leave
their families out.
165.67 -> We may not be the person we were previously but I think we're better.
170.28 -> In some ways we're better.
174 -> Don't give up hope when you've had a stroke.
178.04 -> It's not the end of the world. We get
better.
190.86 ->
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ew9EkDAEt-s