A STROKE, Really!

Mid November of 2010 driving to Columbus, Ohio for a work related training, I felt a little funny while driving, but thought I just needed to eat. I went to training and felt a little funky a few times that day and decided I needed a big dinner, I went to dinner with my co-specialists and was ready for bed, a few of the ladies wanted my to go the local hospital because I was not myself. Did I listen, of course not, I went to bed and then decided to go home early from the training and go to the doctor... I drove 2 and a half hours to go to the doctor. My doctor told me I had a panic attack and my blood pressure elevated, he gave me an anxiety pill and BP medicine, told me to take it easy for the weekend and sent me home. I never listen, so I went to work the next day all loopy, which I thought was the anxiety pill... my co-workers thought I was drinking, I was racing around in office chairs and playing with another co-workers weave. My awesome co-worker, Julie had me cancel my appointments and I called my parents to come and get me ( I work in a tough section is Cleveland and did not want to leave my beautiful car)... did I think I was having a stroke yet... NO... it was the medicine making my loopy! So, my mother takes me shopping on the way home, shopping at Toys R Us with my 4 year old daughter as I was dancing, YES, dancing around the store, then we stopped at a thrift store. When I finally got home, I laid down and felt all funky, my right hand was all numb-like too. So, still, not thinking I was serious ill, I went to bed and when I woke up, I could not move my right hand at all, plus, I could not complete a sentence or figure out how to use my phone to call my doctor... my 17 year old son ended up driving me to the hospital... 30 minutes away... I had no sense of direction, so thank goodness for GPS on cell phones... Once I got to the hospital and they saw my all loopy and "lost", the nurse told me I most likely had a stroke. After a few hours later I found out I did have a major stroke and was transferred to Parma Hospital and was put in ICU Step down. HOW SCARY! I can't have a STROKE I am 38 years old! I work with children, I am a parent of 2 children and and a step parent to 3 more children. I was so scared... needles everywhere, BP cuffs, nurses, doctors... my son, TK was so brave, he called everyone he needed to call, my mother was a mess, my boyfriend was holding down the fort at home. All of this is because my Dad had his first stroke at 38 years old too... I wanted to be the favorite child, but not this way!