Shared story
Dan
What is your story?
I had a stroke in August 2026 which was confirmed as cardio-embolic, due to a dodgy PFO valve, which I’ve come to understand that others have also confirmed as the primary cause of their stroke. I am in my early 40s and it was an unexpected/uninvited reminder that I am firmly in middle age hood. My son helped me get up from the floor after I felt bad and need to get to the counter from some advil. I ended up being rushed to a local hospital where they thought I was having a migraine. The CT scan came back as sinusitis and it was only a month after that an MRI confirm the stroke.
What would you tell the medical team, if you could now?
It was frustrating that you did not really listen to the severity and was ruling it as a migraine. When we asked for a CT the medical team hesitated and almost talked us out of it. My neuroligist has been helpful and supportive through out my treatment.
What would you like those around you to know?
It has rocked my world and is really taken a lot out of how I perceive life. I'm getting better but I now realize that the most important thing is my kids. So that is my main aim - to get better so that my kids can have a dad they can be proud of.