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Middle Aged and strokes

What is the age when you realize you are “middle aged?” According to “Dictionary.com,” the definition is  “being of the age intermediate between youth and old age, roughly between 45 and 65.” I am 55 years old so I am in the middle of middle age.

The other night, my son and I had dinner at a national chair restaurant. This was my first experience using my “Over 55+ Menu.” I laughed when I ordered. My son laughed too much I thought!

“Dude,” I said, “You can walk home after you pay the bill yourself using my senior citizen's discount.”

I really never thought about my age until my strokes happened. Sure, I was 50 years old, but my mortality was a distant concept. My strokes instantly made me feel old and vulnerable.

When I got home from the hospital, though I could not “do math,” I tried to calculate milestones. What age will I be when my son graduates high school?  When will my 20 year life insurance policy end? When does my disability and social security income decrease? With my strokes, will I even see my son grow up? How much time is left for me?

I do not think about that often anymore because I am so busy living. That is a good thing.

Nevertheless, the clarity of my medical issues is a palpable when you do any test.  Last January, I was rear-ended. Despite physical therapy, I still have neck pain.

Yesterday, my doctor ordered another MRI and a MRA for me.

MRI lets doctors see very detailed images of the inside of your body. MRI passes through bone and takes pictures of soft tissue, such as tendons, blood vessels, and the brain.

“MRA” stands for magnetic resonance angiography. An MRA scan gives a view of specific blood vessels (arteries and veins).

I do not know the results yet, but it will be interesting to see if my brain has other different since my last MRI.  I hope everything is the same. That would be great news.

On January 6, 2012, I had an MRI because of severe headaches. The MRI showed nothing.  Three days later, I had my first stroke followed by the massive one January 13, 2012. If I had an MRA rather than an MRI, my life would have been so much different.

 I am glad I am getting both procedures just for the peace of mind – well, what is left of my mind!  
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Rebecca Dutton said…
Your reaction to your son's comment made me laugh. Being busy may not sound good to able-bodied people, but it is rewarding after a stroke.
June 5, 2016 at 6:52 AM
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