I wasdizzyand felt fatigued, Bennett tells SELF.
Bennett says her boyfriend got her and the kids into the car and drove to the hospital.
My speech had started to slur, and I was discombobulated and sweating.
Bennet with her son, Bryson, and daughter, Brooke
My face was really pale.
At that point I knew something was really wrong.
Shes lucky she got to the ER when she did.
Bennett with her mother after her white coat ceremony, a rite of passage in medical schools that signifies a student’s transition from classwork to the clinical portion of a degree program.
Its not terribly common, but every time it happens its devastating.
But more research needs to be done to figure out what’s truly responsible.
Research showsthat among young stroke patients, the most common cause is actually unknown.
A stroke with an undetermined cause is called cryptogenic.
There are about 800,000 strokes each yearthats one every 40 seconds.
Somebody dies every 4 minutes says Bauman.
We estimate about 200,000 are cryptogenic.
Not knowing what caused the stroke causes a lot of frustration and anxiety, Bauman says.
Because how do we treat a person if we dont know what caused it?
Bennet says her diagnosis of cryptogenic stroke was extremely frustrating.
She went home with a walker and a cane, where she continued to do outpatient therapy.
She alsowent to psychotherapy.
It helped me with emotional distress.
I just ended the therapy about a year ago, she says.
Sometimes it would have been great to have an outlet.
It would be awesome if I could be that for someone.
For me that would be extreme headache or fatigue, and dizziness.
If at any point if I feel that again, I immediately get to an ER.
The T stands for Time to call 911.
People wait a while and think itll go away, theyll shake it off, Bauman says.
Maybe you think itd be embarrassing to cry wolf.
But theres a finite timeframe that doctors can administer clot-busting drugs.
If you miss that window of time, theyre not going to work.
If something feels off, get help immediately.
Theres never any shame in looking out for your health.
