Oct. 29 is World Stroke Day and is dedicated to raising awareness and understanding with a focus on stroke prevention, symptom awareness, and the needs of stroke survivors. According to the World Stroke Organization, each year more than 12 million people worldwide will have their first stroke and 6.5 million will die as a result. The chance of having a stroke increases with age; however, more than 60% happen to people under 70 and 16% to those under 50. Blue Yonder associate Liz Jorgensen is part of that 16% and shares her stroke story to raise awareness and bring a message of hope.

Tell me about yourself and your role at Blue Yonder.

I am a mom of two and live in northern California. I am an avid mountain biker and, prior to my stroke, I was riding three to four times a week. At Blue Yonder, I am a Senior Operations Director in the Corporate Development team. My role is similar to a Project Management Office (PMO) leader except that I manage integrations for mergers and acquisitions.

Please share your stroke story.

I had a mountain biking accident in May. I was on a regular ride with friends after work. I had been on this trail many times but this time there was tall grass that obstructed my view and my pedal hit a hidden boulder, causing me to crash and fly over my handlebars. Thankfully I was wearing my helmet; however, I hit the ground so hard that I broke it.

I was diagnosed with a Grade 2 concussion. I took a few days off of work and stayed off my bike for a couple of weeks to allow my body to recover. I went back to riding a few weeks later when I started to feel better, but I likely went back too soon. In concussions, doctors use the term “return to play.” In my case, I likely returned to play too soon, which means I didn’t give myself enough time to heal and rest before going back to normal activities even though I was feeling nearly back to normal.

Then in June, I was in a meeting when I started to feel a sense of heaviness. My face felt like it was drooping, and I couldn’t get my words out the way I wanted them. I stepped out of the meeting and called an Uber to take me to urgent care. This was around 10:30 a.m. and when I got there, they couldn’t see me until later that afternoon. Listening to my instincts, I knew I had to be seen immediately so I decided to walk to the emergency room, which was only a block away. I have no idea how I made it to the ER. As soon as I got there, they admitted me and began running several tests, including CT scans and MRI. I was admitted to the Critical Care Unit and was told that I was experiencing a stroke. The theory is the head trauma and whiplash from my bicycle accident may have caused my stroke. While not 100% certain, the doctors think when I crashed my bike, it caused a tear in the artery which created a clot that went to my brain.

After my stroke, I was in the hospital for three days. When I went back home, I decided to go back to work after a week, but then I started having the same symptoms again, so I went back to the hospital. While I wasn’t having a stroke this time, I was having symptoms and was hospitalized for a day. This time, my doctor emphasized the importance of rest and told me I needed to take some time off to heal and recover before going back to work.

I am now on a baby aspirin regimen to prevent stroke and medication to help the artery heal on its own. I have had a follow-up CT scan to ensure the artery is healing. And this time, I’m following the advice of my care team, because a stroke doesn’t just affect your physical body but it also affects your brain. I’m getting back to my baseline, but it will take time. Brain injuries and strokes can take several months, and sometimes longer, to heal from. The key has been getting the right amount of sleep, eating right, staying active, and taking care of myself. While I can work out, I have to be careful not to raise my heart rate too much, so I go on walks and ride a stationary bike. I’m hoping to be able to get back to mountain biking in the near future.  

How has it impacted your daily life?

I had to really rethink what is important in my life. Yes, work is important and meeting commitments are important but we can’t do those things if we are not healthy. A few lessons I learned include:

  • Taking care of your health is the highest priority, as well as keeping boundaries. I recognized that my off time is my own as my body needed to heal and recharge.
  • Find what recharges you.
  • Have a support system. At home, my daughter and my friends all supported me. At work, I felt so fortunate that my team was able to reprioritize work to support me; they were able to demonstrate and practice skills that they might not have been able to otherwise.
  • Realize how precious the time we have is, focus on the positive, and don’t get caught up in the noisy, silly things.
  • Be patient with people and understand where they are coming from. Even if they are frustrated it could be because they have pressures that you maybe don’t know about.

What is the one misconception about strokes that you would like to clear up?

Everyone thinks if you have a stroke it is physically visible. You often see people who have some type of physical limitation following a stroke, such as not being able to move one side of their body. But depending on how fast it is caught can dictate the outcome. Stroke can impact people differently and some people have no visible signs that they even had one. I was very lucky because I didn’t have any long-term paralysis. The other misconception is that it only happens to older people but it can happen at any age.

What advice do you have for or words of encouragement would you share with someone who might be going through the same thing?

It is really important for people to recognize signs of when they are feeling off – and don’t ignore it. It’s important to take care of yourself and get things checked out. Prioritize your well-being as best you can while balancing your other commitments.

It’s also good to talk to people who have been where you have been. It’s so healing knowing that you are not alone. I found an online support group of people who had the same experience; I have found that support to be really helpful.

Focus on the positive. It’s so easy to get caught up in the negative. You have to realize that you can only control what you can control. It’s important to have hope and that will help you gain progress.

What’s next in your healing journey?

I’ve started riding my bike again – but very slowly. I was off my bike for 3.5 months, so I’m doing easy rides and being very aware of my surroundings. For me, riding is very social, I have lots of friends who ride and I enjoy being out in nature. So being able to get back on my bike is part of my healing. Each tiny step is a step forward. As hard as it is some days, I try to stay as positive as possible, focusing on the next possible step I can take.