Marina Krsmanović, a young stroke survivor, contacted Stroke Association Serbia via their Facebook page to share her amazing story and her #BrainLifeGoals.
“My name is Marina Krsmanovic. I am from Serbia and I am 33 years old. I have got two children aged 2 and 4. I work as a nurse in a nursery. I suffered a stroke in 2017 and I would like to share my experience with you. Since I had always practiced volleyball and I regularly went cycling, I never imagined that a stroke might happen to me.
On 16th December 2017 I felt a bit sick in the morning and my left arm was paralysed. Somehow, I managed to stand up on my feet but I couldn’t dress myself. I was alone with my children. I took my phone and tried to call my mother and my husband. While I was trying to reach them, I realised that I had lost vision of the right eye.
When my husband answered the phone I noticed that I had speech problems too. I felt helpless. However, I am a fighter and I fought to get help. Luckily, they noticed that there was something wrong with me and came fast. My husband took me to St. Sava hospital and I had a medical examination immediately. My speech was recovered. I had a medical treatment and an MRI scan at the hospital.
I stayed at hospital for ten days. The doctors diagnosed a stroke which was the consequence of an congenital heart disease. I was sent to the Institute of Cardiovascular diseases Dedinje where I had a heart operation on 24th January 2018.
Having in mind that before the stroke I used to do downhill mountain biking, riding my bike again became my #BrainLifeGoal!
The process of recovery was long. However I found motivation and strength in my children. Having in mind that before the stroke I used to do downhill mountain biking, riding my bike again became my #BrainLifeGoal! After the stroke I couldn’t stand on my legs by myself but with my condition steadily improving, my wish and will for riding again grew. Eventually, I took part in a downhill mountain biking race and won a special prize as an only female competitor. I was on the top of the world! It is a huge accomplishment and fulfillment of my goals. Taking part in the competition was a dream come true. The prize was the cherry on the cake.”
This story was submitted by the Serbian Stroke Association
Find out more about the #BrainLifeGoals campaign here
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