John Murphy to release new book, final 2 chapters are about his stroke

[Mark80]

On 8/25/2023 at 3:21 PM, Buffalo619 said:

I wonder what caused it? Could it have been prevented or is it hereditary?

 

Considering his size one would assume high blood pressure is a likely culprit.

[Mark80]

On 8/27/2023 at 10:10 AM, Wacka said:

Two main causes of  stroke. A blood clot or aa aneurysm.  Aneurysms are caused bt blood vessel in the brain  weakening  and ballooning out and bursting. Those are generally  fatal. If the clot goes to the heart,  heart attack, to the lungs, a pulmonary embolism.

A stroke can happen with no warnings, but generally there ate signs.  mine was caused by  extremely high  blood pressure., 245/75 the dy before it hit. I hd warning signs, but I was a dumb pollack. Months before my stroke, I had a TIA (transient ischemic attack). A numb region would travel around my body every few minutes. Since it moved, I said "It's not a stroke".   Closer to the stroke,  I was getting weaker, couldn't concentrate, had problems regulating my temp.

Went to a picnic and several people  asked if I was OK.  I said "I have been a little sick but I'm OK."  I find out after I left the picnic that a friend's wife was crying that 

i was sick and someone should  get me to go to the ER to get checked out.   She called a former girlfriend of mine who I hadn't seen in ~2 years and got her to call me and she spent two hours  talking me to go and get checked out.Finally the next day, I went to the ER at about 4 PM, expecting to be home in several hours. 

First thing they take my BP and tell me I am being admitted. At about  10 PM I ask  why i am stil in the ER and they say I am waiting for abed in the ICU. The next morning I am having my brain scanned and I had the stroke and threw up. I wasn't unconscious, but the next clear memory I had was two days later when I had visitors.

Because of the immediate response, the only lasting signs for me are a very, very,very slight weakness on my left side (shows up when lifting something heavy) and  balance problems if I look up in trees, but it stops soon as I look straight ahead.

I regard the time since my  stroke in 2014 as bonus time as I could g\have died then. The high BP also damaged my kidney (as I only have one since i was 4). I have been going to a nephrologist since 201 and in the last year or so, my kidney function has been going down and I am now in stage 4 CKD and will need dialysis/transplant in the future. 

Luckily I recovered my motor skills  but some people aren't as lucky. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HI Wacka.  Wow.  You may be surprised to hear this, but I had a very similar situation but didn't have the stroke.  Was admitted last year (day after Rams game) with swelling in legs and high BP.  Was also in the 240/170 range.  2 nurses there told me that they have been working in nursing over 30 years and have NEVER seen BP that high.  Unfortunately, the swelling was because my Kidneys were shutting down and water was accumulating in my legs and stomach area.  Gained 40, yes 40 lbs of water weight in like 2 weeks and lost it all in 10 days in the hospital.  It did screw up my kidneys permanently as well.  CKD, not quite stage 4 though, but I'm only 43 and it aint going to ever get better.  Best I can hope for is keeping steady.  Lesson learned....don't wait 20 years between doctor check-up.  Don't wait 6 months to see a Doctor when you are feeling sick for that long.  Listen to your loved ones.  I did eventually and it saved my life...for now at least.  Good luck to you, it's a crappy situation to be in.  I can't even have bacon anymore!

Edited September 8, 2023 by Mark80

[Wacka]

I have been having the tests to see if I  qualify for a transplant.since 5he end of June. ECMC is the regional kidney transplant center.  First time there was meeting with the staff. Have to go with a friend or family member. because of all the info. 

Met with director, surgeon, nurse practioner, financial consultant, social worker and dietician. took 4 hours.   They have Facebook groups and zoom meetings  for patients.  Nave had  a couple of chest x-rays, EKG, CT scan of my abdimen,  a stress test,  an echocardiogram,  at least 50 vials of blood drawn. Also had to have any pending dental work done (two old fillings replaced,  a chipped tooth and a cracked one repaired and a new cavity filled to get dental clearance). The stress test  decide an abnormality, so last week I had an angiogram at Gates Vascular/ Buffalo General.  ⅔ of cardiac vessels were clear and the other had very slight deposits which will not preclude a transplant, but will I will have a cardiologist keep an eye on it. Also in 2 weeks, have to see  hematologist because one of the blood tests  showed a higher level of a clotting factor. have to get more  blood tests to see if it is  congenitlcal or abnormal test result. If congenital, will have take a blood thinner when Iget a transplant.

 

Today, the former girlfriend, who lives on CA called me and told me her mother, who is 80 (I'm  66) was told she in stage 3 CKD. Helped them  understand the lab results and emphasized  obeying the Doc and visiting him regularly.  We have remained very good friends (partially because she helped save my life) and talk at least once a week if not more since 2014. Went back there to visit in Feb 2022 and she's planning on visiting here in WNY next year.

 

 

[decsmarg]

Thanks for sharing this news about John Murphy's upcoming book. It's always inspiring to hear about someone's journey, especially when they've faced challenges like a stroke. It's incredible that he's using his experience as a source of motivation and strength. I'll definitely check out the link you provided. bookwormera.com seems like a great place to discover interesting reads and connect with fellow book enthusiasts. If you have any more book recommendations or literary insights, feel free to share them. Happy reading!

Edited December 29, 2023 by decsmarg

[Albany,n.y.]

I read the book in November on the plane when I flew to California.  I thought it was great. It brought back lots of memories of my days in WNY.  

Edited December 28, 2023 by Albany,n.y.