Cerebellar stroke experience, treatment, recovery - want to dialogue

@strokesurvivordynamo

At 48 and relatively healthy, I didn't fit the typical stroke profile. I have great cholesterol, am a non-smoker, a casual drinker, I don't have uncontrolled high blood pressure, I'm not a diabetic, and have no family history of strokes.

If you're like me, you've read the Heart & Stroke material and watched the ads on TV. We've been trained that if you think someone is having a stroke, act FAST and do the following:

Face - is it dropping?
Arms - can you raise them?
Speech - is it slurred or jumbled?
Time - to call 911 right away!

My daughter thought I was having a stroke when it was happening and administered the FAST test - I passed it. I could do all of these things! That test works for the majority of strokes but not all. A cerebellar stroke, like mine, accounts for only 3% of strokes. MY warning signs didn't fit the profile.

Instead I had the Three Vs - Violent Headache, Vertigo, Vomitting. Any of these signs coming on suddenly without explanation, alone or especially together, are enough to call 911. Even if your symptoms go away, you need to see medical treatment as you could have had a TIA (mini stroke).

For every minute delay in treating a stroke, the average patient loses 1.9 million brain cells. That is terrifying! It was 4 hours before an ambulance was called to my home the night I had my stroke.

I had felt "off" two days before and paid my Doctor a visit because I felt so strange it worried me. I described it as "feeling like Alice in Wonderland and I didn't belong". I now know that sensation is called disassociation and is a sign of a cerebellar event.

My Doctor couldn't find anything wrong and said maybe I was fighting a virus. So when I suffered my stroke, my family thought I had a bug and checked on me every 30 minutes as I continues to battle the Three Vs. Not until I collapsed on the bathroom floor did they fear the worst and dial 911.

Thank you!
I’m learning…. We have no choice!!

I’m sorry to hear your story. I am very empathetic to everyone that has had to endure this struggle. Although I know everyone has their own set of challenges, I feel for every one that has to accept their “new life”. It’s terrible and it’s not fair…. I guess that’s life

I have still have some issues with dizziness/vertigo, but not as bad as it was in the beginning. My main struggle is ataxia and tremor which makes it very difficult and painful to walk and balance. I keep trying new things and praying for another miracle!!

I wouldn't mind some insight. My spouse age 42 suffered a stroke I was told Left Inferior cerebellum and middle cerebral. We have been separated so I have no details on the events leading up to it. He is currently paralyzed on the right side, can only say no, yeah and uh. Responds to questions with headshakes which lead me to believe he understands. Has shown emotion (sadness, I mentioned our dog died). His health wasn't the best leading up to this, he is not overweight just didn't eat well and take care of himself. Its been 13 days, I wouldn't mind some information on where you began and how you progressed. I don't know what to think, although he does have an infection in the heart which he is received 6 weeks antibiotics for and may need a heart valve replacement in the future.

My Story

On February 9, 2026, when I was 40 years old, my life changed in an instant.

I was involved in what initially seemed like a minor car accident. I had the green light and was only driving about 15 miles per hour when a young woman who did not have a driver’s license turned left in front of me and hit me head-on. The impact totaled my car.

Police and an ambulance arrived at the scene, but at the time I thought I was okay. I was shaken up, but I didn’t feel seriously hurt, so I declined going in the ambulance and went home.

Not long after I got home, I realized something didn’t feel right. My daughter drove me to the hospital. We waited in the waiting room for about two hours. I felt “off,” but I wasn’t dizzy yet and I was still able to walk.

When I finally went into the triage room, everything suddenly changed.

Out of nowhere, I heard a loud whooshing sound in my ear. Then the entire room began spinning violently. My eyes began moving uncontrollably back and forth. I started vomiting and suddenly could not stand or walk. It was one of the most terrifying physical sensations I have ever experienced.

In the emergency room they performed a CT scan, but it didn’t show anything abnormal. The doctors did not yet know what was wrong.

Two days later they finally performed an MRI. That’s when they discovered the truth — I had suffered a stroke in my cerebellum, which doctors later determined was caused by whiplash from the car accident.

I was immediately flown to another hospital for specialized care.

The stroke left me with severe and life-altering symptoms. I now suffer from serious balance problems and severe trunk ataxia, which makes walking extremely difficult. I also experience double vision, and the vision in my left eye is blurry.

The left side of my face has also become more paralyzed. It was already partially paralyzed from a previous trauma — a gunshot wound I survived during a home invasion — but the stroke made the paralysis even worse.

This stroke has affected every part of my life.

Today, I am in a wheelchair, working every day to recover and adapt to a reality I never expected.

But I am still here.
And I am still fighting.

Hi there. Does anyone know about stroke and how/ when strokes show up on imaging. I had cerebellum stroke in 2016 via Cat scan they could see it that day in the ER. Yet another stroke survivor stated they could not see the stroke until a MRI 48 hrs later? Why is that?

Are there standards re: like when strokes show up on cat’s or MRI. I was screened in January2026 but was told there was no evidence of stroke issues. With all the AI or self advertising - it very difficult to understand or selecting treatment options

Hi there. Does anyone know about stroke and how/ when strokes show up on imaging. I had cerebellum stroke in 2016 via Cat scan they could see it that day in the ER. Yet another stroke survivor stated they could not see the stroke until a MRI 48 hrs later? Why is that?

Are there standards re: like when strokes show up on cat’s or MRI. I was screened in January2026 but was told there was no evidence of stroke issues. With all the AI or self advertising - it very difficult to understand or selecting treatment options

@almafe85 That's a pretty terrifying story. I'm sure you realize your recovery journey is only beginning.

I had a lacunar ischemic stroke, and it required nearly a month of hospitalization just to be well enough to travel home. (I had my stroke 350 miles from home). That was more than seven years ago, and I'm still making progress.

Of course, no two strokes alike, and two stroke patients are alike. But stay positive and be sure to reach out here on Connect. Feel free to send me a private message and I'll be happy to help in any way I can. You might also consider finding a local Stroke Support Group. It can't help a lot.

You definitely have the right attitude! As I was told early on, recovery was entirely up to me -- there's not much medically anyone can do in a case like mine, where brain cells are simply gone and can't be replaced.

Stay strong!