Portrait: Walter
My name is Walter. In November 2018 and at just age 45, I was diagnosed with a vertebral artery dissection and a stroke. Two weeks prior to this, I experienced painful headaches that over-the-counter painkillers couldn't relieve.
Where Walter’s story starts
The day before Thanksgiving, I went to a chiropractor, hoping it would help, but the terrible headaches didn’t go away.
Later that day, I collapsed and lost consciousness, waking up a day later in the ICU.
A CT scan revealed a vertebral artery dissection. Doctors opted for a risky stent placement in my basilar artery to repair the tear. After ten days in the ICU, I was moved to rehabilitation but experienced a minor stroke due to clotting around the stent, leading to my return to the ICU. I then spent an additional ten days in rehab, with a total of five weeks in the hospital.
The realities of life with a brain injury
My main symptoms included an inability to walk independently, loss of balance and coordination, weakness in my left leg, double vision, and dysarthria, which is a motor speech disorder.
The specialist who helped me rebuild my life
In the first weeks and months of my recovery, a friend offered me sessions at her studio, Breathe Pilates in Miami (@breathepilatesmiami), where I lived. These sessions were invaluable for me. I also found a kind and skilled physical therapist at Care360 Physical Therapy (@care360physicaltherapy) in Miami, who went above and beyond to help me regain my physical strength and confidence. My recovery wouldn’t have been the same without the support of these people. Today, I practice yoga two to three times weekly at an incredible yoga studio, Iyengar Yoga Source, in Providence, Rhode Island, where I live now.
My hobbies bring me joy
I love to play golf, though I admit I haven’t played much since my accident. I also enjoy listening to music, taking walks, spending time with family and friends, and traveling.
The people who carried me through recovery
I’ve been fortunate to have had the support of many family members and friends during these years of recovery. When I was in the hospital, my friend Jeremy started a GoFundMe to help with medical expenses, which was a massive help. I’m grateful to everyone who contributed. My parents and in-laws, Marnie and Steve, supported me during the initial days and weeks after my accident and continue to be supportive now.
I especially appreciate my wife, Jessie, and my daughters, Chloe and Mira, who have stood by me through everything.
Celebrating the highs and navigating the lows
As of today, I’m physically fully recovered and may even be healthier than I was before my accident! In addition to practicing yoga, I walk about 15 miles each week. It’s been amazing to witness my body and mind's resilience and the improvements I've experienced while working to regain my physical health.
I’ve also learned to meditate and nurture a more spiritual side of myself that I wasn’t focused on before my accident. This has been a life-changing discovery.
When I was released from the hospital, I was left to navigate my recovery on my own and was sometimes turned away from physical and speech therapy sessions at the hospital due to health insurance. I experienced debilitating PTSD, which the medical community unfortunately didn’t seem to consider. The speech therapist at the hospital acted as though I had trouble with comprehension, though dysarthria is a mechanical problem.
It was frustrating to feel like I wasn’t being seen.
The main struggle I still have is my voice. As a native French speaker, communicating in English with my dysarthria is very challenging. My difficulty with speech has also affected me financially, which makes it harder to seek the additional therapy I need. After my stroke, I had to give up my business, which relied on communication by phone, which I'd now find impossible.
Words of wisdom for fellow brain injury survivors
Recovery is a journey with ups and downs. Be nice to yourself, accept who you are now, and don’t rush the process.