I was having sex when I suffered a massive stroke – my date didn’t notice straight away then he thought I was on drugs
A WOMAN who suffered a devastating stroke while having sex says her date didn’t notice straight away and thought she was on drugs.
Misha Montana, 33, from Nevada in the US, had a stroke while getting down and dirty three years ago — but initially thought she'd had an allergic reaction.
The model learned what had happened hours later in hospital, and that the symptoms can come on over the course of a few hours and be painless.
Misha said: "I felt strange and foggy, but there wasn't any pain associated with my stroke.
"I was actually having sex when it happened.
"The only reason I knew that something was wrong was because I couldn't talk, and I thought it was odd in my head.
Read more on strokes
"My date at the time didn't notice until afterwards.
"I went to the bathroom right away. I could not talk, and he looked at me like: 'Are you on drugs?'
"I can see why somebody would think that — it looks like it's odd if you're slurring."
Around 100,000 Brits suffer a stroke every year, with 38,000 dying.
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There are around 1.3million stroke survivors currently living in the country.
They occur when blood supply to the brain is cut off, causing cells in the organ to become damaged and die.
Symptoms usually begin suddenly and can be remembered with the word FAST.
- Face symptoms include it dropping on one side and being unable to smile, while eyes or mouths may have drooped.
- Arm signs can be being unable to lift both arms and keep them there because of weakness or numbness in one arm.
- Speech may be slurred or garbled, or the person may be unable to speak at all despite appearing to be awake, and have trouble understanding what you’re saying.
- T stands for ‘Time’, as in it is time to dial 999 immediately if you notice any of the symptoms.
Misha's date suggested she could be having a stroke afterwards but she thought it was impossible.
She said: "When he said it could be a stroke, I was like: 'There's no way.’ Why would I have a stroke at 30 years old?'
"A level of panic and anxiety started to take over regardless and I knew I had to get out of there and get medical attention.
"What a lot of people don't realise about strokes is that the symptoms can come on over the course of a few hours.
“My face and my hands got tighter until I couldn't use the like right side of my of my body from the waist up.
"My face drooped, my eyes were no no longer centre. My mouth fell down quite a bit, which was difficult."
Misha learned that she'd had a stroke at the hospital and doctors told her it was caused by a hole in her heart that she quickly had closed.
Misha then began the gruelling process of attempting to recover from the life-changing event.
Her ongoing recovery involves exercises to regain feeling in her hands and face and relearning how to use the left side of her body in case she never regained control of the right hand side - which she has mercifully now done.
Now I have to work twice as hard just to pretend like everything's normal.
Misha Montana
Misha said: "There's so much pressure to be a woman, never mind being a woman in a competitive industry with high beauty standards. I thought my face was ruined.
"My speech was one of the most impacted things that took the longest to regain and it's definitely not 100 per cent. Neither is my whole face on the right hand side.
“My cheek and my lips are still numb. I was lucky it wasn't as severe or crippling as strokes can be.
"Serious memory loss is probably the biggest symptom I've had. Now I have to work twice as hard just to pretend like everything's normal."
But Misha said she was determined not to let the event keep her down for long.
"I really wanted to make it a positive thing. My son was born with cerebral palsy," she said.
“That's the event which humbled me the most in life, and that was several years prior to having a stroke.
"By then, I already had a gift of profound gratitude for life.
"After the stroke, I was like: 'This is my second chance, and I don't want to waste it.'
"I decided to do things afterwards that scared me. I was terrified of flying, and now I'm no longer afraid of it because I just push myself to take opportunities.
"I was afraid of snakes my whole life, and I actually threw a party for the company that I worked for and hired a guy to come in with a bunch of these beautiful pythons and I carried one around all day long.
"Now I approach challenges head-on, and ask myself, 'What's the worst that could happen?'
“As soon as you start pushing yourself to that level, you unlock new achievements that you never knew that you were going to have.”
'INVISIBLE ILLNESS'
Misha is now in a relationship with Matt Riddle, a professional wrestler formerly with WWE and UFC.
She said: “I met him in September 2022 when he asked me if I wanted to come to a WWE show. We're expecting a baby this December.
"So I consider my stroke a blessing in a lot of ways."
She hopes that by sharing her story, she can raise awareness of strokes and heart conditions in young people, as well as other invisible ailments like the ones she now suffers from.
She said: "I want to live a life that is full of love and happiness, and I want to share that with others so they know they can do it too.
"I've had messages since the stroke happened from people sharing their stories about themselves or their loved ones.
"We don't talk enough about invisible illnesses and mental health.
"I told myself, 'If I could change or help one person, then it will make all the difference in the world to me'."
Misha is hoping to continue to raise awareness of strokes by making a documentary about her experience. She is also writing a book.
Dr Gareth Nye, of the University of Chester, UK, said: "Evidence suggests that one in seven strokes occurs in people aged 15 to 49 so strokes in younger adults are certainly not uncommon.
"Strokes are simply caused by a lack of blood flow to particular areas of the brain, depending on the area depends on the outcome.
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"This could be loss of limb movement, impacted speech or disrupted bodily functions. Regardless of age, the result is similar.
"The younger the age of stroke, the more of an impact we would expect."
What are the signs of a stroke?
The main stroke symptoms can be remembered with the word FAST:
- Face – the face may have dropped on 1 side, the person may not be able to smile, or their mouth or eye may have drooped.
- Arms – the person may not be able to lift both arms and keep them there because of weakness or numbness in 1 arm.
- Speech – their speech may be slurred or garbled, or the person may not be able to talk at all despite appearing to be awake; they may also have problems understanding what you're saying to them.
- Time – it's time to dial 999 immediately if you notice any of these signs or symptoms.
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