It’s Wednesday already, and I hope all of you have a wonderful week so far!
Tonight is going to be a fun night because I was invited to a new show of Cirque du Soleil – Kurios. I’ve been to one of their shows before, and I know that I won’t be disappointed!
At the beginning of this week, I touched a little bit on the subject of how emotional my trip to Ukraine was. I am sure that the majority of you have heard about what’s been happening there. To be completely honest with you, it breaks my heart. Not only because a lot of my friends and family still live there, but you’d never expect anything like this to happen in the country you were born. The entire situation is absurd and doesn’t make any sense to me. However, enough on this subject…
I doubt I mentioned this previously, but the biggest reason for my trip there was my grandmother. Sadly, she had a stroke last December.
When I saw her upon my arrival to Ukraine, my entire world turned upside down. I tried to be strong and not to show hurt, sadness and devastation that was running through me. I didn’t dare to be weak. My mom, who stayed with my grandma for a month, needed emotional support and I didn’t want to become additional baggage for her.
I can’t explain you how hard it is to see the person that you love so much, who has always been so strong and independent, in this much pain, partially paralyzed, unable to talk. It’s excruciatingly painful to see my grandma suffer to this extent. That being said, there has been some progress and I am grateful for that. However, as my brother and I were leaving and saying our goodbye’s to our grandma and mom, I noticed that my mom got a few gray hairs; everything within me crumbled to pieces…
I’ve heard about stroke before, but I’ve got to admit that I knew very little about it. However, after living this experience with my family, I’d love to raise awareness. And if the following information can be helpful for you to save someone you love, my mission will be complete.
It is important to understand that every single second is crucial when somebody is having a stroke. A few minutes of time can make a big difference in whether the person will be able to walk or talk in the future. Please, remember that, most importantly, someone’s life can depend on how fast you react…
According to National Stroke Association, there are risk factors we can actually control when it comes to reducing chances of having a stroke in the future. They are the following: tobacco use/smoking, alcohol use, and obesity. Make sure to read up more on this subject.
Do you know anyone who had a stroke? How did their recovery go?
xoxo
Olena
candies & crunches 