On December 30th, 2021, on the evening of my 35th birthday, I experienced a massive hemorrhagic stroke (ruptured brain aneurysm) that turned my life upside down. I would spend the next 105 days in multiple hospitals undergoing brain surgeries, assessments, and intensive inpatient neuro rehabilitation. I have no memories of the first several weeks, so I have a big empty space that goes from laying in the back of an ambulance, to waking up in a hospital bed with a shaved head, and being unable to feel or move the left side of my body. I have spent the past three years relearning how to walk, use my left arm, and how to use both of my eyes together (my stroke caused a third nerve palsy in my left eye, which is essentially the loss of all muscle strength and control for my eye. Thankfully, much like the muscles in the arms and legs, the eye muscles can also be rehabilitated.) 2022-2024 were about surviving, and I have decided to make the conscious effort to make 2025-2026 (and beyond) about thriving. Hence the name! This blog will follow my journey from living in survival mode, to getting back to life, and everything new that that entails.
And because I’m a dork, I made an acronym:
T
Learn to trust myself and my abilities
H
Ask for help
R
Prioritize rest
I
Regain independence
V
Establish a vision for my life and mu future
E
Learn to enjoy life
Sloane Square | Being Alive 