What a year February 23,  2017  2:37pm EST

My journey started in April, 2016.  I had not been feeling quite right, something was different.  My blood pressure at the hospital was 225/115.  After several tests it was determined that I had had a stroke.  That was on a Friday night.  I was released Sunday at 11 am.  Upon arrival at the hospital I could hop on or foot, raise my arms over my head, touch my nose with my finger, the usual tests.   When I left I couldn't even move my left arm let alone lift it over my head.  Apparently they bring your blood pressure down slowly, controlled.  In the process I had two more strokes.  I told the visiting Cardiologist thanks a lot, I may have come in with one stroke, but I leave with two more.  It was an adjustment.  I needed help dressing, and showering.  All my meals were fixed for me.  I was lucky enough to live with my fiancé and his Mother.  Without them I don't know what I would have done.  My first Dr.'s appointment was that week when I first got out of the hospital.  He examined me and found I had a mass in my stomach.  Not knowing what it was he immediately sent me to have an MRI.  It was determined that it was a tumor and he said since it wasn't bothering me and there were no side effects we would just watch it.  Meanwhile, I decided that while I was not working I would get caught up with all my Dr.  appointments and started physical therapy.  At my gynecologist Dr.   she found some abnormal cells.  She said she would need to do a biopsy.  She called,  the one area was good, the second came back inconclusive .  She was unable to get a good sample because of the tumor.  She said she would have to operate to get a good sample.  I said okay.  Well she called, it came back inconclusive again.  The tumor was in the way and she couldn't get a good sample.  She didn't feel comfortable with doing nothing and was going to send me to a specialist.  We went, because all my appointments were a we, my fiancé went to every appointment and test with me.  She said the tumor needed to come out and then the best course of action would be a complete hysterectomy.  That way at 52, I was not about to have kids and I would have peace of mind.  I didn't want to spend every day wondering will it become cancerous.  My surgeon said the surgery shoul take 4-41/2 hours.  Well 7 1/2hours later  And a 9 1/2 lb tumor later it was finally over.  The surgeon said it was the largest one she ever removed.  It was the size of a basketball.  I had no clue, really.  The following day, at 2 pm, they said I could go home.  After such a long, and painful, surgery you would think they would keep you more than 1 night.  The next week and a half were awful.  It hurt pretty bad.  It did start to get better.  Now, 4 months later, my focus is on getting the complete uses of my left arm back.  I continue to go to pt once a week and continue to exercise at home 6 hours a day.  My goal from day one has always been to go back to work.  It may never happen.   I am not going to stop trying.  I do know after all this that I went through that God has bigger plans for me.  Why else would I survive three strokes, a hysterectomy, and a 9 1/2 lb tumor, all within 8 months.  I also know that with my fiancé we can face and survive anything.  He has been my rock and angel through all this.  When I tell people I am lucky, they look at my like I am crazy.  I am lucky because I have survived all this.  I am lucky because I have him.