Stroke survivor shares trials, triumphs and tribulations that changed her life

By VANESSA CAMOZZI
Observer Staff

Last April, Njeri Shomari left her hometown of Lawrence, Kan., to come to Washington for a conference and to visit her sister.

“I left home saying ‘I’ll be back in a week,’” Shomari said.

Shomari, 52, never left Washington. It has been almost eight months since she suffered a transient ischemic attack, or TIA. It lasts only a few minutes and occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is briefly interrupted. Symptoms usually occur suddenly and are similar to those of stroke but do not last as long, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).

Important facts about stroke

There are two major types of strokes, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. An ischemic stroke is caused by a blood clot that blocks a blood vessel or artery in the brain. Eighty percent of all strokes are ischemic. The other is a hemorrhagic stroke, which is caused by a blood vessel that breaks and bleeds into the brain.
African Americans are twice as likely to die from stroke as Caucasians, according to the National Stroke Association. The rate of first strokes in African Americans is almost double that of Caucasians. African Americans are affected by stroke more often than any other group.
Not all of the reasons why African Americans have an increased risk of stroke are clear. Some factors include a higher rate of obesity, sickle cell anemia and high blood pressure.
For more information on stroke, visit the National Library of Medicine.

Shomari’s symptoms occurred while dining at a restaurant with her sister. She became numb on the right side of her body, her face drooped and her speech became slurred.

“I knew something was wrong,” Shomari said. “The whole thing lasted about two to three minutes.”

Shomari didn’t want to panic because there were children in the restaurant, so she slipped out the back door with her sister and called an ambulance. They rushed to the hospital where she underwent a series of CT scans. Doctors found severe blockage in a major artery to her brain.

“The option was to take a chance or take a chance. I didn’t have a real option but to chance it with surgery,” Shomari said.

During her procedure she suffered an ischemic stroke.

“I just prayed that I would survive the procedure, and I did. Now I am called a stroke survivor … by God’s mercy,” she said. “I’m clear why I am here. It was a greater hand on my life.”

A new life

Shomari knew she could not return to Kansas. She would not be able to care for her grandmother anymore and would no longer be able to drive. In Kansas you need a car to get everywhere, she said. She would live with her sister, whom she lovingly refers to as a saint, and begin a new life.

After her stroke, she was hospitalized for a month and went to therapy every day for six weeks to regain her speech and the use of the right side of her body. Doctors told Shomari that she was fortunate not to have lost any of her cognitive memory. Through therapy Shomari regained her speech but has Foreign Accent Syndrome (FAS), a rare condition that can occur after a brain injury or stroke. There are very few cases of FAS in the United States. As a result, Shomari said there is much discussion and debate about it in the medical community.

“All I know is that I’m from Kansas, and now after my stroke I speak like an islander. Many people think I’m from Jamaica or from somewhere in the Caribbean.”

Before her stroke, Shomari said she felt as though she was doing everything right.

“I exercised, I didn’t drink or smoke. I ate healthy. So even when you think you are doing everything right, things go wrong.”

In Kansas, Shomari had a consulting business, was a writer, mother and grandmother. Ironically, she was working on a Master of Science degree in education, focusing on “brain-smart” teaching, which draws upon developmental brain research. Because of her studies, she is knowlegable about neurological research in cognitive development.

Now Shomari’s life revolves around a new full-time job — recovery and rehabilitation. She goes to intensive therapy sessions daily at the National Rehabilitation Hospital.

But rather than sit around and feel sorry for herself, Shomari sees the glass as half full and spends her free time working on a book about health care, stroke survival, family, love and community that she hopes to someday have published.

“So that’s what’s next. I’m going to finish my book. It’s easier than learning how to drive again,” Shomari joked.

Her positive attitude and zest for life have helped her rehabilitation. She no longer needs a wheelchair and can climb up to 17 stairs with the help of her physical therapist. She can move around independently and has regained all of her speech.

“Everybody should be educated and know what to do if the signs of a stroke become present,” she said.

Therapy and recovery

April Shaffer is Shomari’s occupational therapist and has been working with her for five months. Shaffer works with Shomari on motor control in her right arm.

“April is like my cheerleader; she makes me feel like I can do it,” Shomari said.

Shomari “can now grip up to 10 pounds,” Shaffer said. “The extra challenge is opening her hand.”

The fingers, toes and hands are the last muscles to return after a stroke, according to Shaffer. Shomari is now able to move three of her toes on her right foot.

Shomari also works with Jennie Swatling, a physical therapist. She helps Shomari work on balance and mobility so that, according to Swatling, “living and walking is safer, thereby increasing independence.”

They practice at the hospital in a mock-up city with murals on the walls and inspirational street names. Shomari takes on streets called Determination Drive and Independence Square.

“That’s meaningful. You look at [the street names] when you’re walking and you think ‘yeah I am determined.’ I have to be,” Shomari said.

After walking 20 feet without her cane, but with Swatling by her side, Shomari heads to a mural of the Washington Monument. She points her finger at the sky.

“When I was trying to walk, this was my favorite picture. ‘I would say I’m going to touch the sky.’”

The future

Shomari wants people to ask questions and become involved in their community to find ways they can help. Her focus is to help others recover and to spread the word on ways to prevent strokes.

“We’re all tied together,” Shomari said. “Nobody can tell anything until I reach for my cane, or they see that my hand drops” because of the paralysis.

She wants people to recognize when somebody has suffered a stroke and to be educated about their health and the health of others.

“Life is never going to be the same,” Shomari said. “What an incredible opportunity I had … so I went about reinventing myself.