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Hi, I'm Kezia. I'm a stroke survivor and a member of BIND.

And hi, I'm Carrie, a stroke survivor, and also a member of BIND. And today we would like to welcome our guest, Michael. Michael has been an active member of bind since we were in the original building, across the street. Um, he takes, he drives, comes in consistently from McKinney all the way to Plano. So he's very dedicated to coming and working on his everlasting recovery. But what we're really excited about is Michael has joined the podcast team as one of our writers.

Hello. Um, more recently from Oklahoma. Uh, I have one sister. And. Before I suffered my stroke. I knew absolutely nothing about strokes. everything I thought I knew it was wrong.

Everything you thought you knew was wrong.

Yeah.

Oh, okay. I get what you mean. Seriously. I actually didn't even think I had a thought about it. Didn't know about it. But can you take like a couple of minutes and like, let us know about what your life was like before the stroke.

Uh, I was working. As a licensed A&P sheet metal met a mechanic at tinker air force base. I had been out there for, I think it was 11 or 12 years. And. Just. Went to work one friday and had already made plans to come down to see my mom and dad. After I got off. And. At some point. I suffered this stroke.

It was on a Friday.

Yes.

Yeah. Wow. Um, mine was on a Monday, so Friday or Monday. Um, so. When you were at work, did you have like symptoms or like, what was your day like on a Friday?

Um, I don't really recall. In these symptoms. The one thing that. That did stick in my mind. Was, um, I remember our. Restroom was up a flight of stairs. And that was going to the restroom and I got the toe of my boot. Oh step. And just brushed it off. Is. It wasn't I wasn't paying attention. I didn't fall or anything. But I don't remember. I don't remember. Losing the use of arm.

Yeah.

Or anything. So. Uh, I didn't. in. I didn't know. That was a. And stroke or had suffered a stroke.

All right. And. Didn't you say that when you got home, like your dad mentioned it. That you were talking funny or something like that?

Yeah.

Yeah. I think that sounds like. Kind of similar. To like my Monday. I don't remember anything. So, yeah, and I also, that's a part that I remember too. Like I was going down the stairs, you're going up the stairs. I was going down the stairs. And. Yeah. That was just crazy. Huh?

Well, and I know Michael, do you didn't go to the hospital right away. Didn't you

No.

Yeah.

It was that, like I said, I'm not sure what time Friday. But I'm pretty sure it was sometime Friday. And. I made it to my mom and dad's and. And I ended up going to sleep. Friday night. And then when I woke up Saturday, And there was something was very wrong. And so they ended up taking me to the. ER at Baylor and McKinney. And I'm don't recall a test. It was, but the first test they ran, they were like, oh yes, you. You've had a stroke.

Interesting. Interesting. So, um, Do you. Do you feel like anything that now, you know, like obviously now we know a lot about brain injury survivors and then also this, the symptoms and. You know, people like us, the three of us have had a stroke. So now they know more about it. Is there anything different than you would have done? You know, Now that you would have done. The Friday or the Saturday.

Um

Or even after, you know?

You are maybe things you wouldn't recommend to other people that think they might be suffering. Stroke.

I mean, I can't really. Think of anything, except maybe if. You do recognize this symptoms? And you think you may be having a stroke? Probably don't. Don't wait, go ahead and go to the ER and add them rather than run the test. And find out for sure.

Yeah. Yeah, I think that's the main thing to do, right? Like we talk about it on this podcast and I hope a lot of listeners they'll get like tired of us seeing like, see, this is what we learn. This is the new stuff that we learned today. Like, you know, there's a lot of things that we learned here at bind, and I hope our listeners are learning through bind waves. But they're just, the symptoms are key.

Um, PATE. I was. It was, I thought it was good. I, uh, When I first. They had me, it gives me in. Baylor McKinney for. I think it was the Wednesday after, I suffered a stroke. So that half a week.

Oh, wow. That's quick.

And, uh, Then they transferred me to. Inpatient. BIR Frisco. And a speeding. Um, right out of the month. In inpatient. And the funny thing about that is that remember. Them telling me. Well, you know, don't. Try to get up and go to the restroom learning thing. The cut will nurse. Yeah. And I was like, what are y'all talking about? I can get up. I can walk to the restroom. I don't need a nurse. And so. At some point that. I did. And I feel. So they were. And weren't too happy with me.

Did you have to get an alarm on your bed? I know I had to get an alarm on my bed because I was stubborn and wanted to get up too.

I don't know of. If they put an alarm on it. But I think I was labeled a fall risk.

Yeah. So is that like the most like major effect that having a stroke had on you is like you're balanced. And I. I think Carrie and I have like a little bit more deep down, like. Knowledge about who you are, but I think it's really important to share it over the podcast because people don't know you. So like what are some like seven. What are some effects that the stroke had like from before and after, like that you really had to go through recovery for.

Um, I would say. Probably. For me the hardest. side effect, or. Whatever you want to call it. of, the stroke was losing. the use. of left arm and hand..

Okay.

Because my niece and nephew were still smile at the time. And. I use it whenever I would see him. They would run and just jump in my arms. So I really that upset, I mean, that really missed that.

Yeah.

Yeah, that's a big change.

Yeah, there really is. Especially as an uncle, right?

Yeah. Yeah.

Cause you ended up being the favorite of the family. You know, more than a daddy. So, yeah, I could see the, how that was really difficult.

Now, when did you go to PATE in Anna.

Yes.

So did you actually live out there in Anna?

No.

Okay. So you just went. Outpatient

Day neuro. Program. They would come pick me up. Every morning that. I guess about eight or maybe a little bit after. Because the bait was from nine to three, I believe. And they would drive me out to PATE and then they would bring me home. At the end of the day

Oh my God. And how was that?

At, at the very first I got, I got car sick, something horrible. I couldn't ride from. My parents asked at the end of the block to the stop sign. Without getting sick.

Oh, wow.

And my mom made. I don't know how she found it. But she eventually found. And over the counter medicine. That I believe was. Intended for pregnant women.

Interesting.

It is. Uh, car sickness. So. I took it.

Yeah. Did it help

yes.

Okay. That's really good. I think that these are all little things that a lot of our members are members and listeners and followers and friends haven't really heard about. So thank you so much for sharing that right now. And I do just want to spend like a little tiny couple of seconds to mind all of our listeners to make sure to follow us on all social media platforms. Um, especially here on Spotify. Um, Google, whatever, whatever, whatever. The way, the listen to our voices.

and also, so Michael. Um, like I said, I know you've been with, um, BIND for several years now. Um, how did you hear about BIND?

I heard about BIND. One of my. One or more? My counselors at PATE. And they encouraged me to, um, Apply. And so I did. And. I believe it was Karl. That. Returned my call and. I'm not being alive first. I would get his voicemails and. Abbott and return them. Cause that was like, ah, Um, I don't want any, more therapy. At the time I was just. Feeling sorry for myself and was like, I just want to sit at home and watch TV for a while.

Yeah.

So. Luckily for me, Karl. Was persistent. He kept calling, kept calling. And then finally think he ended up getting my mom's number. Somehow. And calling her and that's how. I think I ended up coming. I was told that. I would go down for a. Half a day for a visit just to see what it was about. So I agreed to that. And that was. Probably in the spring time of 2016.

Yeah. Wow.

Um, coming up on eight years ago.

Oh, wow. Yeah.

So clearly in what's a really liked BIND. Thanks for coming back and sticking to us and coming continuously. Right.

Yes.

Like, what has BIND done for you to like change your life, you know, from wanting to sit on a couch. To like being here. You know, multiple times during the week, like what has it changed your life?

Bind for me was. Um, Basically, I guess she, for lack of a better word, he could say a lifeline. Uh, good and liver as it's by myself. At the time. So I couldn't go back to Oklahoma. So I had to move him a mum and dad. They lived in McKinney. And so. I didn't know anybody down here in Texas, except for them and messages. Right. Her family. So too bad. I got to meet. Some really great people. And. Became friends with him. And just provided me with a social. Um, Outlet.

Right. And I know you said eating didn't think you wanted to come here because you didn't need any more. Um, therapy, but what did you, what have you found that different about BIND and our therapy as opposed to PATE? And therapy. It's not really the same kind of therapy.

Yeah. BIND. Is. I guess. You could, I would say maybe. BIND is. Uh, functional therapy. Whereas PATE. Is more traditional. Therapy. So that was kind of able to see more of a purpose. In what I do here. And then I was. In traditional right therapy.

And what got you interested in being a part of our little team here and bind waves. I mean, we're really glad that you have, you are.

Um, Just. This Saturday. Ah, should. Step up and. Oh, I'm sorry. It's just, um, take a bigger role.

Yeah.

Coming down here. And what I do while I'm down here.

I also heard something. I also heard something. And I'm hoping it's okay with you, for me to share to listeners. But he used to come on a Wednesday and I want to come on a Thursday. You prefer. Doing the writing instead of cooking.

Yes.

That's how you changed it. You were like, I need a write. You know, that's something that I can actually do that I like to do. And I'm making my decision to write instead of cook, which is also my decision too. I would have done the same thing. I don't like cooking.

Yeah, either. Nope. So we won't have any cooking shows on our.

I got on the podcast. I'm not going to happen.

Nope.

Well, I do want to, um, ask you something else. So our listeners are mostly people that are. Brain injury survivors or caregivers, or even members of bind. And we do have any location in Fort worth. So maybe people don't know you. Right. So. What would you give as an advice to someone that you might not know, but is. Has some kind of history with a brain injury or a stroke, what would you give as an advice?

Um, My advice would be to. Try to keep an open mind. And listened to. People that are trying to give you advice. About what you need to do.

Hey. Yeah. I think that's probably pretty good advice, you know? And again, if, if you feel like something's funny and I want to say it. I've said it before. I'll say it again. You feel like something's a little off for a little funny, like Michael said earlier. Go ahead and just go to the hospital and get it checked out. Because, you know, the worst thing that can happen is I go, oh no, you're fine. Go home. You know, I'm going to be happy if that was the case, but. Yep.

Well, Michael, I really want to thank you for doing this with us. I really hope that you enjoy it. And I'm hoping that all of our listeners know that. The descriptions of every episode moving forward are from our writers that are BIND to members, brain injury survivors. Um, so I think that's really cool that you're going to be the first one that people get to know a little bit more. So thank you so much for coming, Michael

you're welcome..

Thank you very much, Mike.

You're welcome.

For all of our listeners, again, if you'd like to contact us, you can email us. At bindwaves@thebind.org. Follow us on Instagram again at bindwaves. And you can visit our website. The bind.org/bindwaves. Wait, Imagine that.

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Until next time,

Until next time.