Stroke Recovery: The Beginning of Our Journey

The Truth is, It’s Not About Us

This is a tale I have contemplated writing too many times to count. What I want to say has rolled around in my mind time after time after time. Finally, I have decided that the three year anniversary of the toughest battle of our marriage is the time to share. Some of the information I will share may be difficult to read. Some of the photos may be hard to view. A lot of our stroke and stroke recovery story will take time to process. So, I want you to know upfront that our story is not of sadness and strife. Our story is our personal journey through Covid-19 which resulted in Ron’s stroke and a difficult aftermath. But, the truth is that it is not so much about us as it is the story of the goodness of the one true God.

Let’s Go Back to the Beginning of Us

Ron and I met on a blind date set up by our high school best friends. His best friend was dating my best friend. They decided to play matchmaker for their incredibly shy friend. So, they schedule several double dates for Ron with girls they knew. The last date he was supposed to go on had to cancel at the last minute. Her loss was certainly my gain, as I was substituted in as his final blind date. Some might say it was a stroke of good luck, but I believe in providence, not luck.

That was just over 39 years ago. And they said we would never make it. What they didn’t know is that a mistreated and lost young girl who turned to Christ, I had prayed for God to send me the man I would spend my life with, who would love me the way I was supposed to be loved. What an answer to that pray the good Lord provided. Two daughters and six grandchildren later, we are still making it work. Through thick and thin, sickness and health, for better or for worse, we are more in love today than we could have imagined all those years ago when we first uttered those three sweet words. All those years ago, stroke recovery would never have entered our minds.

The History of Us

We went on that blind date in 1985. We were still in high school and I had a few years to go. Despite that, we got engaged in1986 and married three years later. We purchased our first home and entered the “Real” world together. A couple of years later, we had our first child, began working together at his family’s business and set up a happy life together. Down the road a few years, we experienced the loss of our second child after a full term pregnancy, emergency birth and 2 days in Neonatal Intensive Care. Our faith in God deepened and carried us through that time and made us stronger and more in love.

The Business of the Family Business

Before long, his parents retired and we were able to purchased that family business. We worked hard at raising our daughter and growing the business. We played equally hard and were fortunate to enjoy many family vacations and gatherings. Several years into the ownership, our third daughter entered the world. We were young and thriving in our marriage, family and business. During our 24th year of business, we decided we had been there long enough, so we decided to retire.

Family Trips and Vacations

Over the years or running our family business, we were also growing up ourselves and raising our little family. The girls were growing and we wanted to give them great childhoods and enjoy our time with them. We were fortunate to travel the southeast a good bit vacationing on the waters of Myrtle Beach and Saint George Island. Also, our family loved Disney World and made many trips to Orlando. Trips to the mountains were another family favorite, so we spent time in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg on a regular basis. There were also opportunities to turn business trips to Kentucky and Louisiana into a few quick days away. But, I would almost guarantee that if you asked Ron or the girls which of our vacations was their favorite, they would unanimously answer Wyoming. Or Wynomi as one of the girls would say. That was an awesome trip!

Marriage Travel

Ron and I loved spending time with our girls. Therefore, we weren’t the type of parents that enjoyed leaving the kids with the grandparents and taking off on our own. Occasionally, we did take a few quick weekend trips to celebrate anniversaries or join some friends for a birthday celebration. Those trips took us to places like Las Vegas (where one of my brothers and sister-in-laws live), Laughlin NV, Cherokee NC, Coastal and North Georgia. Short business trips took us to Baltimore, Tampa, Vegas and Dallas TX. Then, our 30th anniversary was on the horizon and we decide to take a cruise to Alaska. It was a trip of a lifetime on Norwegian Cruise Line’s Bliss, the year she launched. The year was 2019 and looking back now, we are both so glad we decided to go.

We are glad we took that trip for a multiple reasons. Firstly, we had promised for years that we would go to Alaska and ride the rail through Canada when we retired. We retired in 2015, so we fulfilled that promise. Secondly, we were able to celebrate our anniversary twins too. My brother and his wife got married in California on the same day as us, at the same time as us. We couldn’t be at their wedding and they couldn’t be at ours. So, we formed quite a bond by sharing that special day and time in a special way. Finally, now that Ron has had the stroke, travel has become very difficult. Had we waited much longer, we may have never been able to go to Alaska at all.

Two Weeks Leading Up to Desperation

Our Bird is Born

Before sickness entered our home, Bird made her entrance. The first child of our youngest daughter made her entrance in mid July. We could not have been more excited to have a baby in the house again. She brought so much joy and happiness even through the 3 a.m. feedings, inconsolable crying and dirty diapers. Ron and I were over the moon. Leah was thrilled to be a mommy and what a good mommy she was becoming.

Bird’s Out of Town Visitors

Of course, everyone wanted to get their hands on the new baby. Our out of town framily was no exception. So, they headed up from Florida for a quick visit when the baby was just a week old. We loved having them visit. They were able to get plenty of newborn snuggles and we had quite a delicious meal together. Though the visit was short, it was such an enjoying sweet time. Upon their arrival home, their household began to experience Covid.

A Quick Trip for some R&R

The very next weekend, Ron and I headed down to Florida for a quick weekend of R&R that had been planned for a few weeks. I wasn’t feeling 100%. Since we go down just to hang around our rental on Saint George Island, we didn’t think twice about traveling. So, I rested and enjoyed the sunshine and salt air. I believe it helped me feel better and recover quickly. After our usual 3 days, we headed home and Ron began to have symptoms. By the time we got home, he was feeling full effects of Delta and I was on the mend. We both dosed micro Vitamin C, D3, K2, Zinc and other supplements to help our bodies fight. After a few days, I was feeling so much better and felt like I was over the sickness. Ron’s bout was just ramping up. Over the next week, he fought to get better but just wasn’t making much progress.

Three Years Ago Today

Ron had his stroke in August 2021. The newest Delta strain of Covid-19 was rampant. I contracted it in July sometime between the day Bird was born and the end of the month. I did all of the things that the media swore wouldn’t help and I got well. Ron’s started getting sick towards the end of July and his case was worse than mine. Two weeks into the illness, he wasn’t getting any better. On the evening of August 11, we were getting ready for bed and he said he just couldn’t breathe. I asked him if he needed to go to the ER and he said “I may need to.” That got my attention because he avoids the ER at all costs. We discussed all of the pitfalls of going to the hospital. Having a stroke was not one of the pitfalls we considered.

Seeking Help for Covid at the Emergency Room

We headed to the ER around 10pm. When we got there, waiting room was unexpectedly empty. Triage took him back right away. I was immediately told to leave because no family was allowed to be with patients. With the hospital on shut-down, I had no choice but to go home. Ron had his phone, a charge and detailed instructions from me to decline any shots and being put on a ventilator. Leaving him there and driving home alone was a sickening feeling. We haven’t spent very much time apart and this just did not feel right. I cried all the way home. When I crawled into our bed by myself, I was broken. All I could do was pray, so pray I did. There was no way for us to know that the coming months find us learning to traverse stroke recovery.

Making Improvements while being Treated in the ER

August 12, 2021 in the early hours of the day, I received a call from the ER doctor who wanted to update me on Ron’s condition. He had bilateral Covid Pneumonia and was very sick. They started him on a protocol of medications and oxygen. I was told he would likely need to be in the hospital for 3-4 days.

The hospital was over capacity, so Ron was placed in the only place they had for him, a small windowless room at the back of the ER. We were able to facetime, text and check-in with each other throughout the day. He was feeling better already and his oxygen level was increasing hour-by-hour. But, he was still in serious condition and he had a long way to go to get well. So, we accepted that we would be a part for a few days so he could heal. We prayed together. I cried. The dog and the cat wandered around the house whining in confusion as they looked for him. They both slept on his side of the bed.

The Coming Days Were Uncharted

Over the next few day, Ron and I chatted multiple times a day. The dangers of having a stroke didn’t even cross our minds. I nagged him about eating the food they brought him and making sure he was asking all the right questions. I depended on him updating me with the information I so desperately needed about his care. The doctor called twice a day to report on his labs, medications, condition and outlook. Things had begun to look up.

In the next few blog posts, the journey we were on will unfold through writings and photos. It started off with improvement and a lot of hope. Where it went is not anything we ever expected and something of nightmares. Some of it is hard to share and difficult to hear. A lot of it is maddening and heartbreaking. Both of us hope that you will stick with us and see how God provided in our desperation and answered so many prayers. He has been so good to us and we do not deserve his great and mighty blessings. But, we sure have a lot of them to share.