After a stroke at 34, she's devoted herself to recovering

After a morning of working at home, Amanda Porter of Tulsa, Oklahoma, started getting ready to go to the supermarket. 那是2020年3月20日，世界因COVID-19大流行而关闭. She needed to stock up on food and supplies.

She went into the bedroom to get dressed. 就在她去拿手机的时候，她的右腿感觉好像睡着了. Then her right arm and hand. She tried to shake them awake, but they wouldn't move. She lost her balance and fell face down onto the bed.

She tried to call her husband, Allen. 他和他们的两个女儿在隔壁房间，一个两岁，一个不到七岁.

"Al," she muttered, unable to finish his name. She tried again.

Allen heard her the second time. When he saw Amanda, he tried to prop her up. She flopped back down. Her entire right side was paralyzed. She couldn't speak.

This is bad, he thought.

Allen knew Amanda needed immediate medical care. As a former Marine who had served in combat, he didn't panic.

在急诊室，阿曼达的血压测量值非常高:240/180. Doctors assumed she'd had a stroke. 她很快就被送到了医院，接受了溶血药物治疗.

She spent the night in the hospital. The next day, tests confirmed she'd had a stroke. She was 34 years old.

Doctors believe high blood pressure contributed to her stroke. It was surprising because her only experience with high blood pressure had been associated with giving birth; both times, it went back to normal.

虽然阿曼达经常吃高钠的快餐，但她的身材总体上很好. A competitive cheerleader in high school and college, 除了女儿们让她保持活跃之外，她还继续锻炼.

Within a day of the stroke, her speech had mostly returned. 但是阿曼达，一个左撇子，仍然不能移动她的右侧. Doctors wanted her to stay at the hospital until she could walk. 艾伦坚持待在她身边，即使医院开始制定更多的流行病法规.

After a few days, 阿曼达从重症监护室转到了住院康复病房.

她和艾伦与物理、职业和语言治疗师合作，设定了每天的目标. Her first big one was walking to the bathroom.

“从一个有两个孩子的职业母亲，到现在你的丈夫不得不扶你起来，帮你拿便盆? It was humiliating," she said. "I was an exhausted, emotional basket case."

Amanda feared the future, but she drew strength from her neurologist, who was optimistic because of her age and overall fitness level. She was also buoyed by texts, calls and videos from her twin sister, other family members, co-workers and friends.

在康复的最后一天，阿曼达拄着拐杖走过了一个足球场. The next day she was released from the hospital. 家人和朋友为她举办了返校游行，给她一个惊喜. It lasted 30 minutes; she cried the entire time.

回到家后，阿曼达每周接受两次门诊治疗，持续了六周. On the off days, she and Allen exercised at home. 到最后，她可以在跑步机上走路，也可以使用椭圆机.

晚春时分，艾伦在她身边，阿曼达可以开车了. 到6月中旬，她的右臂和右腿已经恢复了大部分活动能力.

今年早些时候，她完成了一个为期六周的免费康复项目，该项目由正在接受培训的学生组织. Back to working out on her own, 她专注于提高上半身的力量和右脚的灵活性.

“我不认为外界的人会注意到她有什么问题, but every year there are new things she's trying to overcome," Allen said. “我觉得她中风前做的每件事现在都能再做一些. I'm proud of what she's done."

而阿曼达很感激她从持续的物理治疗中得到的微调, it also gives her more confidence.

“这是一种激励和授权，让我感到更安全，”她说. "It's also a supportive environment."

Stories From the Heart 记录心脏病和中风幸存者、护理人员和倡导者的鼓舞人心的旅程.