On August 18, 2012, Ellie Mae (My dog.) and I went for a walk. It was a Saturday morning. Suddenly, I had a stroke. The ambulance arrived quickly and took me to Fort Worth. At the hospital in Fort Worth, I was given a clot busting medicine, but it didn’t work. I rode a helicopter to a Plano hospital. I had a 4 hour operation to remove the clot. The surgeon used new equipment to remove the clot. I was one of the first patients in North Texas to have this procedure. About ten days later, I was in a rehab hospital. I was in a wheelchair. I could not speak. I could not move my right arm or my right leg. I have been receiving physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy for about two years. Now I walk with a cane. My goal now is to continue working on my speech. Some days are up and some days are down. I keep pushing foreword.
You are my hero. And your beautiful wife, too.
You inspire me.