A Stroke Survivor’s Story

When Dennis Nakano was 53 years old, he had a stroke. “I was in my bedroom lying down relaxing when I was jolted by a severe pain in my head,” said Nakano. “It felt like an ice pick was stuck through my temples… It was like nothing I had ever felt before!”

Dennis immediately sat up only to see an unmistakable mysterious brown dot crossing his field of vision. At the same time, he had a wrenching urge to throw up. “I thought this was the result of eating a huge cheese-laden burrito for lunch.” Swinging his feet off the bed, Dennis was planning on making a beeline for the bathroom. Instead, he crumpled to the floor.

Throughout his stroke, he was completely conscious… but also completely frightened. While lying there, he heard the phone ring. He tried to get back up on the bed, but because of his lack of strength and coordination, kept slipping off. It turned out the stroke affected the left side of his body. As the nausea and headache began to subside, Dennis was trying to come up with a plan to get off the floor. Luckily, his roommate came home and found Dennis lying on the floor. He called 9-1-1.

Dennis was rushed to the local hospital where he stayed more than a week. The stroke caused Dennis to be fully paralyzed on his left side. Once Dennis was stable and stronger, he was prescribed twice-aday physical therapy sessions and occasional occupational and speech therapy sessions. After a thorough examination and consultation with a neurologist and cardiologist at the hospital, Dennis was admitted into Little Company of Mary’s San Pedro rehabcentre for therapy.   Continue »

Page 1 | Page 2 | Return to Index