It's been less than two months since this happened, but looking back, that week feels like a lifetime ago.
Back in early August 2026, I was eating out with my wife, and while driving back home, I suddenly felt numbness and significant weakness on the left side of my face and body.
But me being me, i still joked about it and told my wife that i'm ok, probably just pulled a muscle or something pressed on my nerves. Shrugged it off like it was nothing.
4 days later, my sister brought me to the A&E after hearing about it. Was told to be hospitalized for further checks, specifically MRI - all i asked the doctor was "Can i get it done today so i dont get hospitalized". Answer was a straight up "No" since it was a suspected stroke. She told me that i should put my health first and not reject the idea of getting hospitalized. But again, me being me, i just told the doctor i didnt want to stay. She didnt have a choice but to make me sign the release form which was a SOP on the hospital's end. All she could do for me was to arrange a separate appointment for the MRI and told me that i really should go for the appointment just to give myself a peace of mind after.
I gave my wife and my sister the intended date of my appointment of course. Days later, the hospital called me to slot me into a rather prioritised date, literally with one day's notice. I didnt tell anyone about the rescheduled date because i know either of them would want to follow me for the appointment, but at the same time i want to hear it alone first and i could have enough time to find ways to break the news to them as "softly" as i could.
The MRI and results were done and given to me on the same day. And yes, i suffered a full blown stroke. I lost approximately 50% strength on my left arm, and this was definitely a problem for me since im a lefthander. But neuro doctor said i was considered lucky as i looked fine from the outside and things could've been worst for me (think towards full loss of motor skills).
Breaking news to my wife was the worst thing i had to do. I knew i couldnt break it to her at home, so i did something i felt was both the right choice and at the same time, a bad choice. I picked her up, went for dinner, and halfway through dinner i just told her about what i was officially diagnosed with. She was pissed that i broke the news to her during dinner (such irony) and in public. But it was what i felt was the best choice i had at that point of time.
Truth to be told, I honestly never thought a stroke could happen to me. Things was going smoothly (or as i assumed it was), but shit was definitely off the roof for me that week.
I took a whole month off to rest. I also appeared much less on Discord because I needed time to adjust, recover and figure things out for myself.
Also, over the past few days, I've been seeing so many tweets about people suddenly losing someone they know. And here I am, still here, still surviving and still able to tell my story. That alone has made me look at things a little differently.
Right now, I have to prioritise my health over everything else and if you've taken the time to read this far, I hope you do the same.
Don't wait until something happens before you start taking your health seriously.
Take care of yourself. Get yourself checked when something doesn't feel right. And don't shrug things off just because you think you're probably fine.
I thought I was fine. I was lucky I still had the chance to find out I wasn’t.