Story of a 33-year-old...

Time to devote a few blog postings to a topic that is near to my heart - or better yet, brain: Strokes don't just happen to elderly people.

My age when it happened: 39. There are plenty of stories about people who have had strokes even younger.

Is this intending to scare people? Certainly not. Instead, it's important for people of all ages to be aware of stroke symptoms and know that it is important to get help quickly.


A recent story talks about how strokes can strike the young:

By age 33, Wichitan Bill Ramsey had suffered his second stroke. He hadn't even realized he'd had one at age 28 until he went to a doctor days after suffering the second one. ...

Both times, Ramsey said, it never would have occurred to him that he had suffered a stroke.
When Ramsey's doctor told him he'd suffered a stroke not once but twice, he had a hard time taking it serious.

"I laughed and said, 'I'm only 33.' " he said. "I thought strokes happen in older people."