The Perfect Storm: The importance of being Healthy and Hydrated

On February 12, 2018 My parents were suppose to be returning from their trip to visit my little sister and her family in North Carolina. However, both had fallen ill a few days prior and were not feeling up to the trip. On the 13th of February they were feeling well enough to begin the drive home. Unbeknownst to either of my parents my father was still a bit dehydrated from having had what they think was a "24 hour Flu". They safely made the trip through the Mountains and back home here to Ohio. On arriving home they began to unpack but called it a night. The next morning the routine began again, Mom left to run errands and help my brother while dad stayed home to get things done before he was to return to work the following Monday. Dad wasn't feeling quite himself and decided he needed a shower. While in the shower dad felt dizzy and fell against the shower door almost falling out of the shower. My youngest sister was there at the house and heard the noise but thought he had just bumped something, the shower is tiny and it's easy to do. After his shower dad was still not feeling the best and sat down to google his symptoms, that is when my sister found him. Slumped over the computer and still trying to google his symptoms. She asked him is he was ok and Dad replied that he was but he couldn't move his left side and his speech was a little slow and impaired. Immediately my sister called for help. The Ambulance arrived and they started the IV and all monitoring, they believed that Dad was having a stroke. Thankfully nothing had gone right that morning, see my sister was getting ready to leave but everything had gone wrong for her that morning and she was several hours late leaving the house. Had she not been there Our father would likely Not be alive right now.

After Hours of testing and treatments they determined that my father had had not one stroke but two and it was an anomaly because he had both an Ischemic and a Hemorrhagic stroke back to back. This just does not happen and if it does it results in Death. My Father is by far the Healthiest most health Conscious person I know, he believes fully in a whole food Plant based diet and we are being told that the doctors say is likely why he is recovering so quickly. My healthy 66 year old father had two strokes 9 days ago and is about to be released to inpatient rehab in a day or so he is expected to make a miraculous full recovery. You Might ask how a Healthy man has a stroke especially if his diet is so good the doctors are even amazed? Well he had The Perfect Storm= Dehydration+extended car ride+altitude and pressure Changes = blood clots and stroke.

I cannot express enough the importance of being hydrated and staying vigilant with your diet concerns, yes fast acting on the part of my sister and the EMS and the Doctors and the use of modern Medicine saved his life but the hydration is key to the prevention and the healthy life style is key to the recovery. I am so so very grateful that his journey has not yet ended and that I get to spend just a little more time with him. He is an amazing person and has so much more to offer this life than everything that he has already accomplished. I ask that everyone reading this take extra time with your family, express the need for a healthy and hydrated life and take great care in this life make it the best that you can.