What having a stroke *actually* felt like

It's so scary to me that no one called an ambulance for you after the initial incident. Obviously, you were disoriented and have a distorted frame of reference for emergency visits due to your disability (same here, so I get it). However, if you ever notice a substantial shift in cognition, ALWAYS call an ambulance. I wish more people knew that. I'm glad you've been able to recover well.

The idea that someone could be on the floor, unable to sit up or form words FOR AN HOUR and no-one called an ambulance or took you to the hospital is horrifying. Where is the duty of care of the dojo teachers? Shouldn’t they have even the most basic of first aid qualifications so that they can recognise when something is not just a walk-it-off injury? They need to take a good hard look at themselves and do some serious retraining, as well as putting proper health and safety procedures in place at the dojo so that if something does go wrong, they have a clear protocol to follow. I’m so glad you’re doing better, Jo!

I cant imagine watching someone collapse, full body shaking, unable to sit up or speak, completely unable to process whats going on arlund them for A WHOLE HOUR and no one calls an ambulance. Thats scarily negligent. I hope i am never in a situation like that. I am so sorry that everyone at that dojo failed you so terribly. Minutes matter when it comes to a stroke, and you would be in a much different place right now if someone had just called 911 at the very beginning.

Imagine running a combat sports school and not having even the most basic protocols in place for medical emergencies. Absolutely shocking

Getting hit by a baseball bat is exactly how my dad described his stroke as well. He also did not get help right away and did not know he'd had a stroke. He only realized many hours later that he was having trouble swallowing and couldn't speak. So, lesson is--if you suddenly feel like a baseball bat has hit you in the head, please go to the hospital.

As a civilian first responder, if I had witnessed that incident on the mat, I would have called an ambulance immediately. I mean I don't want to criticize this dojo that you obviously love to bits, but them not calling you an ambulance at that moment strikes me as gross negligence. Anyway, it's great to see that you're on the mend and I hope you will recover your fine motor skills so you can relax by making some art again soon!

The way you waited… my boyfriend did the same thing for FOUR DAYS before he finally gave in and went in. Huge stroke in cerebellum. He is so lucky to be here.

Slightly over 4 mins in, and it hit me. The similarities of what happened to a friend a bit under 4 years ago. So she fell, there was apparently a sort of whiplash effect. When she later went to the hospital, it was written off as just migraine - which was a common problem for her. A couple of weeks later she collapsed at home and was taken to the hospital. She did not come back. It's such a precious and fragile thing, this one life we have. I'm glad you're still with us, Jo.

Honestly, your opinion of hospital visits nothwithstanding, this was a failure of everyone involved around the incident. You should have been taken to ER, by force if necessary, within minutes of that happening. Promptness of treatment is a huge factor in stroke recovery and more people should be taught to recognize the signs.

Hi Jo. I was a firefighter for 23 years. It wasn’t just a job, it was a calling, it was part of my identity. I experienced an injury to my knee, and shortly after a surgery to repair that, I was in a traffic accident where my back was broken. Basically, if the affected vertebrae moves another millimeter I probably end up on a ventilator, or dead. From the knee injury, I can no longer run. From the back injury, I can no longer lift weights greater than 25 pounds. Like your loss of jiu jitsu, I lost a part of “who I am”. Based upon the loss of use of your foot, and then the physical loss of your foot, I’m pretty sure you know this, but you will need to mourn this new loss. That said, there IS still life on the other side of this. I wish you well, and hope for your steady recovery toward a new normal. ❤

For those who haven't had terrible experiences with doctors, it's very difficult to convey just how much I relates to her putting off the ER visit. Something needs to be done to make the hospital a safe space, a place of healing, and not somewhere a huge chunk of people fear going.

BEFAST!!! I grew up with my grandparents they were older and taught me from a very young age how to call 911, knew our address and phone number. I could never be more thankful for them for teaching me the warning signs and Ill never forget them! I’m glad ur ok Jo and still here with us. My biggest hope with this story is that all gyms will start having a sign with the acronym on the wall and all trainers working in gyms getting basic training in stroke, cardiac arrest, and seizures! B - Balance E - Eyes F - Face dropping A - Arm weakness S - Speech difficulty T - Time to Call 911

The dojo absolutely should have called an ambulance for you as soon as they saw you couldn't move properly or speak coherently. I'm stunned that they just drove you home (and that they waited so long before taking any kind of action at all). I'm glad you're recovering well and hope it continues until you are all better. Luckily, brains are remarkably resilient and can often "reroute" around damaged areas to replace lost abilities. I'm happy to see you back, posting a video, and to get your update.

I don't know how people watched what happened to you and didn't call 911. Maybe because I'm fresh off a cpr/first aid class, or because I've had people step in when I said I was fine.... I'm so glad you're healing, and have found a new outlet.

the fact that you are able to speak let alone use your body is a God damn miracle since you werent rushed to the hospital. from what i know about strokes is the longer youre away from medical care the worse the prognosis is so the fact youre still (for lack of a better word) standing is a miracle. glad youre doing better

I had a stroke at 37. Thankfully (as much as that can be true when having a stroke) I had first responders within a few miles of my house and my stroke presented with all of the classic symptoms. I was at the hospital and treated quickly so my side effects are relatively minimal. I have known several people who didn't make it through a stroke, so even though you've had some damage done, it's still a miracle you are here. I'm so glad you're doing as well as you are and I pray for continued and quick healing. (please forgive me if i said anything stupid. I'm terrible with words.)

The fact that no one at the gym called 911 blows my mind.

You say you’re in denial, but I suspect you’re also grieving the state of “ normalcy” you had prior to the stroke. Whenever there are catastrophic changes in our lives, financial loss, emotional turmoil, loss of a loved one, birth of a child or a divorce, our life becomes different. We have to grieve the loss of life as we knew it and gradually acceptance and moving forward follows. But we all grieve differently and in our own time. Prayers for you Jo, that you continue to improve on all levels of your life. In your time. And we will wait for and support you. ❤️

I'm sickened that you were that bad for over an hour and it wasn't someone else's priority to take over for you when you were struggling so obviously! I hope that others that were there now know the seriousness of such a situation and in the future make better decisions! I'm so sorry this happened to you! Ps. I can hear you now replying to me saying, "but I didn't want to go, I don't like hospitals and doctors, I was telling them I was fine, etc"... and to that I still stand behind my saying someone else should have recognized and taken over the situation for you! Maybe you could do a safety training on stroke symptoms for the dojo?! It sounds like they might need something like this! I'm so glad you're doing better than you were and I hope you can make a full recovery! I say all if this with respect, but it's just common courtesy to look out for others in their most dire times of need! Edit: after I became disabled I too couldn't do the things I lived for and couldn't even teach anymore which was my livelihood... I am still, 10 yrs later, struggling to find my identity now and where I fit in the world so I am SO GLAD to hear you've taken up dancing and you're working toward improving more and more! You're such a role model Jo and such an inspiration!

From one b/k amputee to another, I am a stroke survivor with a strong desire to stay alive and thrive. I follow you for inspiration and motivation, thank you for sharing your journey with everyone. I wish and pray for you a full recovery, I believe you will fully recover and find your purpose for life will be even more meaningful. You are beautiful and strong, you inspire me. Thanks again. ❤