A True Story Lived and Experienced by Dorita deLemos Down

MARCH, 2005

It wasn’t early morning, on the contrary, it was about 9:30 a.m. The day looked balmy for November and I was in the process of drying myself to get dressed after the morning shower.  The radio broadcast my favorite classical music, and all was well with the world. When all of a sudden! My entire left side went limp and numb.  I tried to find my legs, only to have the left one buckle under me, and I was forced to sit before I fell to the floor.  Immediately I discovered the droopiness of the arm, and the entire left side of my body.  I tried to call out, only to discover that I could not speak because my tongue was also numb, and I could not get a single word out. To whom should I call out to since I was all alone!  After a few minutes, I was, through some magic fashion, able to crawl to my phone and tried to phone my son, who responded when he realized I could not talk, :”Call 9-1-1” , after I was able to tell him I was having a Stroke. I did not call “911” due to previous negative experience, however, I gathered what little strength was available to me and was able to phone a friend, who upon hearing the tone I my voice, immediately came and carried me from my second floor to his car and to the nearest hospital’s emergency room, located about 7 minutes from my home.