Posted by
Carole Wade on Tuesday, July 14, 2009 1:21:09 AM
It was not until in my late 40’s that I truly began to understand what it meant when someone says to me, "You're going to be OK? Just try to forget about it!"
One day at around 1:00 a.m., while I was sitting in my wing-chair ready for bed and watching an old movie, that I began to see "double." My vision seemed to be confused. I felt "wobbly." Extremely frightened and becoming "weak," I grabbed my raincoat out of the front closet and threw it over my pajamas. Dragging my handbag behind me, I somehow made it to the elevator.
Downstairs on my condominium's carport plaza, what seemed to be a "floating white daze" was actually the headlights of cars. I was not wearing slippers. My doorman called out to me. I said to him: "Please help me." Then, I fell into our valet parker's arms.
Later, I found out that our doorman had called 911, but before the ambulance arrived, our valet parkers had "scooped" me up and carried me across the street to the Century City Hospital's Emergency Room. There, the doctors stopped the nerve damage quickly.
My husband was on a business trip. He returned home immediately. Upon his arrival home, he was told that I had had a small but severe trauma to the nerve behind and inside my right ear. The event had left me weakened in my right eye, throat, cheek, chin; and my entire right side was out-of-balance. Swallowing even a small sip of water was almost impossible without choking. Later, my neurologist told me to swallow and move "slowly." And he said: "Try not to think about it. Go home and get on with your life." I was placed on sedatives, various medications, an intense schedule with a therapist, and sent home.
The moment we pulled up to my condominium complex in Century City the valets and doorman ran over to get me out of the car. They were so happy to see me. We had to force our monetary "thank you" into their hands. All they wanted to know was if I was "OK?" However, we insisted that they had saved my life. And we would never forget them. Oralia, my Guatemalan helper stayed with me until felt comfortable walking around my apartment and going into my kitchen alone.
THE CALIFORNIA REPUBLICAN PARTY
The next weeks were extremely rough. However, they were made much brighter by flowers which were sent from the California Republican State Party. Both State Senator Jim Brulte and Assemblyman Dave Cox sent regards.
A few days later my friend who is a GOP political campaign manager and consultant walked into my apartment. She looked at me. "You're getting better!" Thoughtfully she brought with her a get-well card that was signed by all of my friends at the West Los Angeles Lincoln Club, a political action committee (PAC) where I am an active member. More cards and greetings arrived from the Party's Treasurer and his wife.
My friend, an attorney on the Westside and a former Judge, sent get-well greetings too. Many friends from the Golden Circle (a group founded by former President Ronald Reagan and Actor John Wayne), where I am an active member sent get-well greetings. Other greetings arrived from my lovely political friends -- a Marine Colonel and his wife from Glendale, along with the California State Volunteer Chair for Bill Simon, a great dentist and his wife phoned me often.
Secretary of State Bill Jones had asked me to Co-Chair his Los Angeles County campaign for Governor of California just days before I became ill. Bill visited me on my birthday during one of his primary campaign speeches. I told Bill that I could not possibly take on such a "big job" given the weakness in my speech. He immediately said to me, "You are still Co-Chair." Bill's gracious wife sent greetings.
Except for visiting my therapists, I did not leave my home again until David Horowitz, founder of the Center for the Study of Popular Culture, invited me to his luncheon at the Beverly Hills Hotel to hear Tony Snow of Fox News. As always, David and his beautiful wife welcomed me -- along with all of David's Wednesday Morning Club members.
By June, I was actually getting worse on my medication. True, my swallowing had improved and my peripheral vision was manageable. But, although my physicians reassured me that my nerves were "improving," they were not recovering as fast as I wanted them to. My neurologist suggested Alternative Medicine. He introduced me to a Chinese physician in Los Angeles who was making progress for stroke patients using Acupuncture and Vitamin therapy. At first I did not feel comfortable with Eastern Medicine, but I decided to meet my doctor and take a chance.
My new Chinese doctor was directing a study of Acupuncture and its effects on long-term stroke and trauma patients in collaboration with the University of Southern California School of Medicine. This study is one of the first to take place in the United States.
My doctor explained to me, "Acupuncture treatment for stroke patients and for patients with nerve damage have long been the first lines of treatment in China's traditional Chinese medical hospitals. Generally in China we start Acupuncture immediately following the trauma and have found that it improves quality of life and mobility, and mental capacity returns more quickly."
My next six-month’s schedule included Acupuncture, light electrical simulation to my facial and neck nerves, vitamins, physical therapy, and bi-monthly visits to my Cedars-Sinai Medical Center physicians who monitored my progress.
At the Republican Firestone Retreat in Santa Barbara in July, Secretary of State Bill Jones greeted me as I walked into the Firestone Winery. He could not believe his eyes. I had made such progress!
Recently, years later after my long journey began, I walked into a reception in Washington, D.C. honoring Congressman David Dreier, my GOP friends said to me, "Carole you look great! We can't believe anything bad ever happened to you!