5 years later

and the COVID-19 Jab?

So, today is an anniversary someone on Facebook is claiming the COVID-19 “jab” caused my strokes in 2021.

Well, I’d like to put some context and reality check points out there. When we talk about something important, it’s good to remember the facts and real-life situations that help us understand it better.

Five years ago today, February 24, 2021 I received my first COVID-19 vaccine.

My strokes were on March 1, 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic brought a lot of stress to people everywhere. It changed how we live, work, and even how we connect with others. For over a year, I spent my days sharing important updates about the virus on Facebook. I gathered information from local, state, and federal officials to keep everyone informed. Yes, every single day. Did that cause it?

I do remember eating ice cream the night before, too. Was that the cause?
Oh, I also had a severe case of shingles for about 6 weeks before my strokes. Was that the cause?

In early January, I had some strange vision issues, so I Googled it. Mayo Clinic explained it as a precursor or symptom of a stroke, but I totally ignored that, cause “it’s January in Quartzsite!” Who has time to deal with all that?

Also January and February were busy with online rehearsals for the alto part in Sogno di Volare with the Stay At Home Choir. I even learned a bit of Italian. After many failed attempts, I finally uploaded my submission on February 22nd. Did that cause my strokes?

That week, Los Angeles Times photojournalist Kurtis Lee came to the Quartzsite area to write an article about how residents felt about snowbirds getting COVID-19 vaccines. Lee had reached out to the Chamber and I gave him suggestions on who to contact in the community. He interviewed many folks and thought it would be great to photograph folks getting the vaccines. We met up at Ehrenberg Fire District on February 24th where the La Paz County Health Dept held a vaccine clinic. I received my first COVID-19 shot along with hundreds of people.

The LA Times article, “Snowbirds’ Use of COVID-19 vaccine supply has locals concerned in this Arizona town” was published March 8, 2021. https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-03-08/la-na-arizona-snowbirds-vaccine.

February 28, 2021, the night before my stroke

It was a very memorable evening, because the we were gathered around the TV watching the Golden Globes. It had been an incredible time leading up to the awards. My friend Swankie starred in the movie and we were so excited for her, texting back and forth.

NOMADLAND won best motion picture- drama, and its director Chloe Zhao became the first Asian woman to win the best director award – and first woman since Barbra Streisand won for Yentl nearly 40 years ago.

As the president of the Chamber, I was very excited and was discussing how we could promote our little town using this huge win. I also knew that Town Hall wasn’t an expert at promotion, so it would most likely fall upon me. I felt a lot of pressure that evening, along with the overwhelming joy of seeing Quartzsite get the attention it deserved on such a national stage.

Did I say I was also on deadline for the March 3rd edition and it was Sunday night?

I knew I had to go to press in less than 2 days, so my mind was working a bit overtime. I jumped on the computer and worked late. Not surprisingly, I went to bed with a horrific headache.

Monday morning, March 1st

The next morning, I woke with no feeling on my left side and my left arm just was plain useless. The fantastic crew from Quartzsite Fire & Rescue came and said, yes, it looks like you’ve had a stroke. After going to the Parker hospital for initial examination, they found me a room at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix.

We stopped by the house to pick up my laptop, because, you know, I had to go to press the next day!

Everyone was counting on me to get the paper out on time!

And NOMADLAND just won the Golden Globes!

Yes, I actually thought I could work on the paper while in the hospital. Strokes do funny things to the brain that way! Well, that didn’t work out, and I posted my apologies to the public for not having a paper that Wednesday.

Barrow Neurological Institute

After a long night of tests, tests and more tests, I was under the care of surgeon Dr. Michael Lawton, CEO and President of Barrow Neurological Institute. He was gentle but strong. He explained how every stroke is different and sometimes the causes can be very complicated. Some stroke survivors never find out why they had a stroke. I learned I actually had two strokes, watershed infarctions. It’s interesting to note that only about 10% of people who have strokes experience this kind.

I asked him if my strokes had anything to do with getting the COVID-19 vaccine I had received the week prior. He rolled his eyes and said, “Do you know anything about Familial Hypercholesterolemia?” Um... no...

He explained Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a common, under-diagnosed genetic condition affecting 1 in 250 people, causing dangerously high LDL “bad” cholesterol from birth and a 20x higher risk of early heart disease.

He then explained how my mother’s crazy medical history and my unregulated dangerously high cholesterol most likely led to my stroke, saying I was lucky it wasn’t worse. I was incredibly blessed to have him as my surgeon and lead caregiver. And he also admonished me for not paying attention to my vision symptoms for two months.

I learned my carotid artery was almost completely blocked on one side and the other was at 80%. I had carotid endarterectomy surgery the next day.

So, yes, my mother had a unique medical history. I’m an only child and my mother died at the age of 62. Mom had her first open heart triple bypass surgery at the age of 42 when her total cholesterol count was over 600! She had her second bypass a few years before she died.

When I first tested my cholesterol in my 20’s, mine was over 300. I was naively thinking it was great that the number wasn’t 600. But the tech was very concerned and warned me of how it could impact my life. I was a vegetarian, very skinny, but it was still dangerously high. My mother and I tried all kinds of diets to lower our numbers.

Mom ended up taking lots of medication, while I refused to seek doctors for treatment. She had high blood pressure, while I had very low blood pressure. So I felt I didn’t have anything to worry about. Who knew low blood pressure was an issue, too?

But having blood pressure that is lower than normal, which is known as hypotension, can have a negative impact on health, as well. When blood pressure drops too far, the tissues of the body begin to develop a deficit of oxygen. This can cause symptoms that range from mild to severe. A substantial or sustained drop in blood pressure can be life-threatening.

Will I listen to the medical professionals who saved my life? Definitely! I am so very grateful for those doctors, nurses, interns, and hospital staff that treated me so well those four days. Even Dr. Lawton wanted to make sure I was okay after my second carotid endarterectomy surgery that he wanted to see me in person two years later.

My journey made me realize how important it is to pay attention to our health and how our bodies can sometimes react in unexpected ways. Learning about my strokes helped me understand more about what happened and why it’s crucial to take care of myself moving forward.

Oh, and don’t listen to people who want to believe my cup is still blue! In case you missed this:

May your day be peaceful, and full of joy. ~Rain