Bryan | 30 | CA

How old were you when you had your stroke? 30

• Date of your stroke?  11/9/2015
• What general area do you live in?  San Diego, CA
• Type of Stroke? Carotid Artery Dissection
• What were your symptoms? What were you feeling during your stroke? I had a small stroke and a much larger stroke the next day. Symptoms of the first one were inability to speak and inability to move my right side. I was in the hospital for the second stroke. I collapsed and was completely unresponsive.
• Were you administered TPA (Tissue Plasminogen Activator) within the first 3-5 hours of your stroke? Yes
• Where did you go for in-patient rehab? I didn’t do in patient rehab.
• Where did you go for outpatient rehab? Sharp Memorial Hospital Outpatient Rehabilitation, San Diego, CA. I live in San Diego and my stroke team is from UCSD. I was in the Stroke Center when I had my big stroke. They were fantastic and there is no question that I would not be where I am now if not for their skill and expertise.

What keeps you motivated now?Football. Before my stroke, I was a semi pro football player. I lost a lot of strength after my stroke. I knew I wanted to play football again. I first started playing catch with a tennis ball with my dad. Then I started running around cones to try to get my coordination back. I added weights, running, swimming. A few weeks ago, my neurosurgeon took me off blood thinners and gave me his blessing to go back to football. I am the starting punter for the San Diego Thunder. Our first game is in 3 weeks. I’m pretty anxious about how I will do, but football had kept me going and it’s something I need to prove to myself.