Neuro Note #1

For my first neuro note, I decided to take a look at cerebrovascular accident (CVA). Stroke interests me because my grandfather had a life-altering stroke at the young age of 38, and because I did a lot of stroke therapy observation my senior year of college. For this assignment, I watched a video and read an article on parents.com titled “Having a Stroke as a New Mom Changed Everything, but I’m Treating It Like a Gift”, starring Katherine Wolf. Katherine “suffered a massive brain stem stroke from the rupturing of an arteriovenous malformation (AVM), a rare congenital defect she didn’t even know she had” at age 26, six months after her first child was born. I honestly had never heard of a “brain stem stroke” until I read about Katherine’s story. Knowing that the brain stem regulates breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, and more, I am honestly shocked she was able to have a second child seven years later after her stroke. Katherine was in a coma for two months after her stroke, and even had to have many cranial nerves and part of her cerebellum taken out, which definitely concerned me as a reader. Stunningly, though, Katherine is living as normal a life as possible, being a mother to her boys and now even being able to walk on her two legs. 

Katherine’s article interested me into researching about arteriovenous malformations, since it is apparently “rare.” According to Mayo Clinic, AVMs are tangles of blood vessels “caused by development of abnormal direct connections between arteries and veins, but experts don't understand why this happens.” The last part of that sentence got me. It is crazy that there are so many things that can happen in the human body that even the smartest scientists cannot figure out. However, Katherine’s story reminds us of the beauty of healthcare – after a sixteen-hour long successful brain surgery, Katherine received tons of therapy that has helped her gain strength and gain many skills back that she once had. Katherine’s therapist even had her hold weight balls to symbolize the weight of her baby. It is amazing what health care and therapy can give back to a person. Katherine shared, “My life is not a typical life. It’s not an easy life, but finding joy in the life you DO have, not in the life you wish you had, is probably the beginning of any real wisdom in life.” Katherine’s story is a symbol of hope, and it encourages people across the world to be grateful no matter what life throws at you. Her story reminds us that even though science’s odds may be against you, miracles can happen, and miracles do happen.

Photo from parents.com

Parents article:

Bryant, K. (2019, July 25). Having a Stroke as a New Mom Changed Everything, but I'm Treating 

It Like a Gift. Retrieved July 15, 2020, from 

https://www.parents.com/parenting/dynamics/having-a-stroke-as-a-new-mom-changed-everything-but-im-treating-it-like-a-gift/?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=health_health&utm_content=video_internalcrosspromotion9

Arteriovenous malformations article:

Arteriovenous malformation. (2019, May 17). Retrieved July 15, 2020, from 

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/arteriovenous-malformation/symptoms-causes/syc-20350544

Katherine & Jay Wolf’s nonprofit ministry:

Hope heals. Retrieved July 15, 2020, from https://www.hopeheals.com