Gary Chalk
Throughout our marriage Jan and I sometimes don’t see things eye to eye. One morning we REALLY did not see things eye to eye! This is what happened…
Jan left to go to a dental appointment. Meanwhile, I was home getting ready to meet friends for lunch. When I began to shave I realized something terribly wrong, things didn’t look right. Everything was fuzzy, way out of focus. I checked my glasses, they were clean. I rubbed my eyes and put the glasses back on. No difference. It was like I had suffered, oh no, a stroke! I quickly called Jan.
“Hi. You have reached my voicemail. Please leave a message.”
“Hi Jan, when you get this message please call me RIGHT AWAY!”
I looked back in the bathroom mirror. Everything was still blurred! I cleaned the glasses and looked again. No difference. Was it a stroke?!
I recalled from my healthcare background the five symptoms of a stroke: sudden trouble seeing out of one or both eyes; sudden numbness on one side of the body; sudden confusion or difficulty speaking; sudden dizziness or loss of balance; and, sudden severe headache.
Right off the bat I knew I had blurred vision in both my eyes! Yikes.
My phone rang. It was Jan. “Gary, is something wrong? I would have called you sooner but I have a headache, it came on suddenly.”
OMG! “Jan, did you suddenly become dizzy too? TELL ME!”
“Gary, no I am not dizzy. What is with you? Why are you shouting? Are you confused?”
OMG! My vision is blurred; now Jan—who I trust—thinks I am confused. Two symptoms of a stroke!
Silence…
“Gary, you aren’t speaking to me.”
OMG! My eyesight is blurred. Jan thinks I am having trouble speaking. AND she has a headache. What are the chances the both of us having a stroke?
“Jan. Where are you? I’ll send help right away.”
“Gary, what are you nattering about? I am sitting in the waiting room at the dentist’s office with a magazine. Calm down.”
Experts say when it comes to a stroke, time is important. I swung into action!
“Jan, listen to me. Remain seated and flail both your arms to get the attention of the receptionist. Or, are your arms numb?”
“Gary, WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU? My arms are fine.”
“Okay, if your arms are fine that’s a good sign. How about your face? Is it drooping? One last question, Dear. How is your vision?”
Jan’s answer scared the bejeebers out of me. “Gary, I slipped my glasses on, and the magazine looks fuzzy.”
“Jan, I don’t know how to tell you this, but I think we are both having a stroke!”
Silence. Then Jan laughed. WHAT? I tell her we are having a stroke and all she can do is laugh?
“Gary. The magazine looks blurred because I realized that I have your glasses. I left mine on the bathroom vanity.
Silence…
I checked. I was wearing Jan’s glasses. By noon, Jan had returned home. We are seeing eye to eye again.