Saturday and Sunday is Stroke Weekend with the Green Bay Gamblers and Aurora BayCare. A portion of ticket sales from the two games is donated to the Green Bay Community Stroke Fund. On Sunday, the Gamblers will honor retired Green Bay Police officer and stroke survivor Susan Bickett. Here is her story:
“It was a beautiful summer day on August 16, 2018. I didn’t know it that morning but it was a day that would change my life forever. Here is my story. My name is Susan. I was 56 years old. I was in excellent health with the exception of drinking alcohol and smoking when I drank. I had no family history of medical problems. I was at the gas station with my partner, Tammie. Suddenly I felt dizzy, off balance and like I might pass out. I had double vision. At first I thought this was vertigo because I had experienced that in the past. We drove home and once I got home I sat down in a chair. It felt like the room was moving around me. Then my right arm and right side of my face went numb. I couldn’t speak clearly. Tammie recognized these were symptoms of a stroke, got me in the car and drove me to Aurora BayCare’s emergency center. The team went into urgent mode, rushing me for a CT scan and MRI within minutes. It was a very scary experience but I knew Aurora BayCare was a stroke center so I was getting the best treatment possible. Within 45 minutes the doctors determined that I had experienced a mini-stroke. There was a temporary loss of blood flow to my brain and I was very lucky the blood flow returned on its own. A TIA is often an early warning sign of a complete stroke and there is a 1 in 3 chance of having a stroke within one year of a TIA. To help reduce my risk I stopped smoking and drinking alcohol. I started exercising more. I take the medications prescribed by my doctors. I was given a second chance! I hope that my story will influence others to make some simple lifestyle changes before it’s too late. Do what YOU can to reduce YOUR risk of stroke! Thank you.”
