My Story…

So, I’m guessing you’re wondering, “Who is Kim, and why is she out here telling me to make decisions about my health?” Well, let me introduce myself. I’m your classic next-door neighbor type—a girl raised to be nice and kind to everyone (until someone tries me, of course). I worked hard in school, built my career, stayed cute, and had a great time hanging with my girls.

Oh, and I worked out. Not because I loved it, but because I had to. See, I was the heaviest I’d ever been. Thankfully, I had Brandon, my new trainer at the gym, who seemed like a cool guy after our first boxing class. I was doing the “live, laugh, love” thing in life…until January 21, 2018. That’s when it happened.

It was a Sunday. You know how Sundays are for me—lounging, smoothie-sipping, and maybe binge-watching something embarrassing on Netflix. But that day, I didn’t feel good. At first, I thought it was the flu. So, I called out to my younger cousin, who was staying with me, and asked her to make me a smoothie.

The next thing I knew, my right arm curled up like it was auditioning for a new yoga pose, and I hit the floor. That’s when my cousin sprung into action like an unpaid superhero and called 911.

What I remember next is a whirlwind: the ambulance ride, my brother holding my hand, and then being rolled into surgery. After that? Blackout.

When I woke up, it wasn’t a dream—it was a nightmare starring me. I had some tubes in my nose and throat. What happened to me? The verdict? I had suffered a massive stroke caused by a blood clot in my brain.

Now, let’s pause. A massive stroke? At my age? Overweight, sure, but this? I didn’t see it coming. BUT—yes, there’s a but—thank God I survived.

When my nurse told me I’d need to move to a rehab facility to relearn how to walk and function, I immediately responded with a classic Kim line: “I don’t need to go to rehab.” My brother gave me the what-is-wrong-with-you look, and my nurse? She called my bluff.

“Alright,” she said. “Prove it.”

Challenge accepted. She handed me a walker, and the next thing I knew, I was attempting a full-on power walk through the ICU. Picture this: an overweight woman in her 40s, who just had a massive stroke, trying to break the ICU speed record. I looked ridiculous, but guess what? I walked. No slurred speech. No wobbling. Just pure determination—and maybe some adrenaline.

Now, if you believe in God, this is the moment to praise dance with me. Because when I think back to that day, I know that wasn’t just me walking—that was God carrying me.

Fast forward, I did compromise. I agreed to outpatient rehab, going a few days a week. And as much as I thought I didn’t need it, I knew deep down that my life needed a change. A serious one.

It’s been seven years since that day. As I write this, I’m tearing up—not from sadness, but from gratitude. I survived something that could’ve ended me. And looking back, I know it was all part of God’s plan.

So, here I am, seven years later, still standing, still walking, and still trying to inspire others. Because if a woman who had a stroke and tried to power walk through the ICU can change her life, so can you.

To be continued… because this is just the beginning