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when george myette woke up one morning and had trouble finding his balance, he thought it may just be a case of vertigo .
the cerebellum is a small section of the brain, located to the back of the skull, where the nerves from the spinal cord connect with the brain. although this section of the brain only makes up about 10 per cent of the brain’s mass, it contains more than 50 per cent of the neurons and plays a key role in motor functions like walking, balance, eye movements, speech and coordination.
cerebellar strokes are rare, accounting for only one to four per cent of all stroke events. because of the vague, confusing symptoms and the unique position of the cerebellum in the skull, it is also believed to have twice the mortality rate of other forms of stroke. symptoms of a cerebellar stroke can be remembered by the “three v’s:” vision, vomiting and vertigo. headaches, double vision and muscle tremors may also occur.
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i woke up at about quarter after seven in the morning and the symptoms were worse at that point. i was even less co-ordinated and really having to prop myself to even get anywhere in the room. i was also violently ill — i just had to throw up. i woke my wife up and i said, ‘ i’m not sure what’s going on with me but i might be having a stroke or something because this is really weird, i just don’t know what’s happening .’
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about a year later, one afternoon and — you know, when you’re retired you can have a nap in the afternoon — i was in my recliner, laid back, and i suddenly woke up and felt almost like a bolt of lightning go through my brain. it just felt like an electric shock. all of a sudden, i felt nauseous, i felt disoriented and i thought, i think i’m having another stroke . it wasn’t the same as when i had the stroke, but i was definitely a little wobbly.
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i don’t know that i have the same level of energy, but then i’m aging too. i’ve also had other health issues in my life. i was a baby boomer type 1 hep c person which damaged my liver. that probably has some long term residual effects on a person, i’m guessing i’m just saying for me, in terms of energy levels, i don’t know that the stroke had really anything to do with my current energy level. i think that’s just my body.
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