Ebby Florence - My stroke at 27, taught me to Live
Ebby is an interior designer who live in Charlotte, NC. Coco, her dog goes just about everywhere she goes. Her favorite fitness activities include jogging and Zumba.
I grew up being a girl’s girl. I loved dancing, cheerleading, playing in sports and being part of anything that would give me an opportunity to perform. Fast forward to life after college and traces of my youth are sprinkled throughout my extracurricular activities. I love getting a good sweat on the dance floor, Zumba is my fitness activity of choice, and because I love to shop, I always ask myself, “Is there such a thing as having too many handbags?”
At the age of 27, I was in a deep conversation with my boyfriend at that time, we loved solving the world’s biggest problems through our philosophical questions. During the course of one of our conversations, he noticed that I started slurring my words. I hadn’t consumed any alcohol, so it was really strange to him. I then passed out. He immediately called 911 and I was rushed to the hospital. Only to learn that I suffered a stroke. I was terrified. I have been always healthy and believed that I was too young for something like this to happen to me. Lucky for me, I had my family and friends that were a strong support system as I went through countless procedures to find answers. To this day it’s still a mystery to doctors as to why this happened to me.
Now a decade later at 37, my mantra is “Be Grateful, Be Present” I have a renewed focus on being and living in the moment. Even when life gets busy. I work in a very demanding job. It can be stressful. I focus on finding ways to melt away that stress daily. My self-care is the best gift that I can give to myself. At night, my room often smells like a high-end spa from my essential oils – lavender. I take long walks daily to reflect on my day. It helps that my cute pup is there with me. I make sure to spend time connecting with friends that uplift me.
I was curious when I came across an ad for the Let’s Be Well Healthy Heart Box in my social media newsfeed. I originally purchased it to give to my aunt who could benefit from a heart healthy routine. However, I loved the 21 day journal, and walking weights and decided to keep it for myself. Maybe, I’ll order one for her on for her birthday. She love the pretty box it came in.
Tell us: Who in your life could use a Let’s Be Well Healthy Heart Box? Register for the Support Network and reply in the comments below.
