LEXIINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — More than 2,000 Kentuckians die every year due to stroke. The CDC reports that we rank 18th in the nation.
That's why tomorrow, World Stroke Day, is a good chance to remind us all to know the risk factors and speak up if something doesn't feel right.
Becoming a top SEC football team takes a lot of work, and some pain. Running a top SEC program takes a lot of coordination, communication, and time.
Matt May is a big part of that, managing media and making sure player interviews go smoothly.
As Associate Director of Athletics Communications with UK, Matt stays more than busy enough.
But at the turn of the New Year, just after watching the football cats win the Citrus Bowl, Matt felt himself slowing down.
"I was tired — and just felt a little off," says May.
He had strange symptoms like projectile vomiting and uncontrollable hiccups.
On January 14, those small irritations became a life-threatening, life-changing event.
"I was getting ready to go wake up my son for school... I couldn't walk down the hallway without bouncin' off the walls," he says.
He then went to wake up his wife to tell her he thought he was having a stroke.
Doctors told Matt his stroke was likely brought on by a shingles outbreak. After a week at UK Hospital, Matt spent two weeks at Cardinal Hill Rehab.
He achieved his first major goal, going home before his birthday. He credits the rehab he did inpatient and at home for his relatively quick recovery.
And the emotional rehab, Matt says may be the key to everything.
"Don't be afraid to say 'I need help, I'm not very good at that,'" Matt says with laughter.
"It was like you were mourning the loss of your old life... and getting past that mental block is really what — is the hardest part of rehab," says his wife Carmen.
Matt credits Carmen calling her a hero for keeping the household running and helping their children through the difficult journey.
Researchers with the American Academy of Neurology have found that shingles is a risk factor for stroke. Matt's stroke came after his second round of shingles.
