LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Adam Maddox said Norton Brownboro Hospital saved his life after suffering a stroke at his brother's funeral two years ago. He's now opening up about his journey to recovery and taking his second chance at life to become a caregiver himself.
Maddox was 26 when he was hospitalized and Dr. Bryan Eckerle explained to him the high risk factors that led to the medical episode.
"In your 20s you don't think about it," Maddox said. "You feel like you're invincible. You go out and think I can eat whatever I want, drink whatever I want and I'll be ok. That's not always the fact. Don't get me wrong, yeah I have a blood clot disorder, but it was the high blood pressure, not taking care of myself (and) so many risk factors."
Stroke symptoms you should be aware of are sudden numbness, confusion, trouble speaking or loss of balance. This can indicate a medical emergency and should urge you to call 911.
After being discharged from the hospital, Maddox took it upon himself to go back to college and pursue a nursing degree. All while he's able to work at the same hospital that saved him as a patient care associate.
"I never wanted to be in healthcare until this happened," Maddox said.
His journey is even inspiring his daughter who watched her dad's recovery.
"It's funny because my daughter actually wants to be a doctor," Maddox said. "That's what she tells me at the age of five. She tells me she wants to help people like me."
Maddox now works at the same facility as the team and doctor who helped him get back on his feet.
"He actually had a pretty unusual cause of stroke where he had a vein that was blocked by a blood clot which caused not only some bleeding on his brain but also seizures," Eckerle said.
The doctor went on to say that it's disheartening seeing younger patients who've suffered from a stroke.
"We think that with lifestyle modifications with medications and treatments we can reduce the risk of by as much as 80%," Eckerle said. "The things we talk the most about are patients monitoring blood pressure, monitoring cholesterol, monitoring blood sugar, eating well, moving well, exercising."
Since having the stroke Maddox has lost weight and is following the doctor's orders. He wanted to share his story to raise awareness on how strokes can impact other people his age.
"There's a lot of contributing factors for a stroke," Maddox said. "Things you might not even know."
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