Aubrey Hasley’s Unexpected Stroke Experience

It all started with a strange ringing in her ears.

Aubrey Hasley, a 23-year-old graduate student specializing in occupational therapy at Elmhurst University in Illinois, was living a seemingly normal life. “It sounded very loud in my head, like when a microphone is too close to a speaker,” she recalled, admitting it scared her quite a bit.

The ringing quickly faded, but it was followed by a headache. Given her history with migraines, this sudden turn was unexpected.

She decided to cancel her plans and manage her migraines, but her symptoms only worsened. “I was very dizzy. The headache was getting worse,” she described. “It felt like the room was spinning.”

Initially, she wondered if it was simply dizziness. However, her part-time work at a hospital clued her into potential stroke symptoms.

Even so, she hesitated at the thought of rushing to the ER. “I didn’t realize that strokes could affect young people, and I didn’t want to overreact,” she confessed.

After her brother handed her a glass of water, she accidentally spilled it on herself.

When her mother returned home, she insisted on taking Aubrey to Northwest Community Hospital. Thankfully, the medical staff took her condition seriously.

Fortunately, when she arrived, they didn’t just give her medicine and send her on her way. Her symptoms were escalating; her facial drooping and speech difficulties made it obvious something was wrong.

“I was feeling so nauseated that I kept my eyes closed most of the day,” she recalled. At one point, she was unable to walk when they diagnosed her.

They had her read and perform various tasks, but by then, she couldn’t manage any of it. “That’s when they told me it was a stroke,” she said.

Doctors discussed various options, ultimately deciding that a thrombectomy to remove the blood clot would be the best course of action.

“They handed me a pen to sign the consent form for surgery, but I couldn’t use my right hand, so my mother signed it for me,” she explained.

While it was undoubtedly a terrifying experience, Hasley felt “pretty positive about the whole thing” and thought the medical staff made the situation manageable.

During the procedure, she recalled they played the song “Everything’s Fine.”

Although the surgery was successful, she didn’t remember much of it afterward. “I felt very tired, and my vision was a bit blurry the next day, but my recovery was pretty quick,” she noted. “I stayed in the hospital for four days.”

Her friends were shocked to learn she had suffered a stroke.

“A lot of people don’t realize strokes can happen to younger individuals,” she remarked. The rate of strokes and heart attacks among the young is increasing, even in those without traditional risk factors.

In Aubrey’s situation, the cause might be a patent foramen ovale (PFO), a heart defect.

Her doctor also indicated that she was on oral birth control pills, which can heighten the risk of stroke.

Additionally, a recent study suggested a connection between migraines and an increased risk of stroke; something Aubrey has experienced.

“The more I researched, the more I found that these migraines seem more prevalent in people with PFOs,” she explained. “Most people don’t have issues with it until later in life, so many live without knowing they have it.”

Today, Aubrey is recovering well. She hopes that by sharing her story, others will take stroke symptoms seriously and seek help when necessary. “It’s crucial for people to recognize the signs of a stroke,” she urged. “If I had ignored it, things could have turned out far worse.”