Good morning – I hope this finds you well. I survived my operation and then had a reaction to my medication that had me wondering if I had suffered a stroke. I could not form sentences and was basically talking gibberish for a period approximating an hour. It was a scary, scary time. As I googled stroke symptoms I discovered I was suffering symptoms like several listed for strokes. I was very concerned that I had indeed underwent one. My wife and I agonized over whether to go to an emergency room which is quite a distance away from our home or call an ambulance. I read that taking two aspirin would help and decided to take them and see if I would improve.
Fortunately, I stopped taking all medication from that moment on and began to see a steady improvement on through the next day when I got much better and each day my cognancy has improved back to what I consider normal.
I went to the doctor for my post op checkup yesterday, and she didn’t comment on what had happened aside from agreeing that it may have been a side effect of the medication. She seemed more concerned that I could endure the pain from the operation on my shoulder going forward without taking any medication. The pain is bad but not as bad as thinking I was having a stroke and not speaking coherently.
During this difficult time, I intensely prayed to God not to leave me in that condition. I remembered all of those who said they would pray for me and asked Him to consider their requests. I asked Him no matter what the outcome to please not leave me in this condition and I would rather enter His presence.
He didn’t so another crisis in my life has passed.
The doctor told me I would be in a sling, she calls it a sleigh, for 6 weeks and I should regain my strength to do most things in approximately three months with the caveat it could go as long as 6-8 months. My primary problem right now is sleep. I’ve always been an insomniac but simply put I’m not even getting 3 hours per night. I’m told that will get better.
So, the situation I find myself in is not the best, but it is certainly not as bad as it could be. I have resolved to fight through it the best I can and rely on God to carry me over the finish line. Life is not always easy and one minute you seem to be doing fine, but just remember the situation can change in a nano-second. We must rely on our God 24/7, only He can save us.
Psalm 121:7
The Lord will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.