How it happened

I had been hydrating for the Vancouver First Half Marathon to be run on Feb 11, 2007. At about 3:00 in the morning on Feb 10th I woke up needing to go to the bathroom, however, when I tried to rollover to get out of bed I discovered I couldn't move anything on the left side of my body. I was unable to sit up and I couldn't move either my left arm or leg. I woke my wife up who called the ambulance. At the time I remember feeling very analytical about it. This paralysis seemed very strange, I wondered if I had eaten something that was off. Initially I didn't have a headache, however, after being awake for a few minutes the headache started and I started having trouble breathing. As it turns out the stroke affected the motor planning area so although I initially had some vision issues and slurring of words, the primary deficits were and continue to be motor function on my left side.

Ultimately I spent three months in the hospital with seven weeks in and out of the critical care unit in neurology and 5 weeks on the rehab floor. It was 2 months in the hospital before I was allowed to transfer from bed to wheelchair by myself. I was discharged using a quad cane and told to get a wheelchair. Well, once I started using a cane going back to a wheelchair seemed to be a step backwards. I haven't used one since.