My Stroke - August 21, 2024

My Stroke: August 2024

By Ron La Fournie

SUMMARY

In August 2024, I experienced a stroke that reminded me—once again—that fitness is not about guarantees, it’s about preparation. This article explains what happened, why awareness matters, and how years of consistent exercise changed my recovery and outlook. Fitness didn’t prevent the stroke, but it gave me the resilience to respond, recover, and continue moving forward.

I never thought I would be writing about this.

Heart disease? Yes. Open-heart surgery? Been there. That was another chapter I didn’t expect. But a stroke—especially after everything I thought I had done “right”—that one caught me off guard.

In August of 2024, my life took another sharp turn.

What I want you to understand right away is this: this is not a story about fear. It’s a story about preparation, awareness, and why fitness is not optional—especially as we age.

I Didn’t Look Like a Stroke Victim

Most people have a picture in their mind of what someone who is about to have a stroke looks like. Weak. Frail. Obese. Out of shape. Old.

I didn’t fit that picture. I was exercising regularly. I was mobile. I was engaged. I was still moving, still pushing up my aging curve.

And yet—it happened.

Looking healthy and being protected are not the same thing.

The Warning Signs Aren’t Always Dramatic

Strokes don’t always arrive with flashing lights and dramatic collapse.

Sometimes they whisper.

A moment of confusion.
A sensation that something is off.
A brief loss of coordination.
A strange fatigue that doesn’t make sense.

In my case, the sight in my right eye became a flashing checkerboard. 90 seconds later, it was gone. Doctors gave me a statin prescription to reduce cholesterol, and said a major stroke usually follows in 2-4 weeks. I told myself, that was just a warning!

Because I had spent years paying attention to my body, I knew something wasn’t right. That awareness mattered.

Fitness Didn’t Prevent the Stroke—But It Changed the Outcome

Exercise is not a magic shield.
Nutrition is not a guarantee.
Healthy habits do not make you invincible.

What they do is stack the odds in your favor.

Recovery Is a Skill—Not a Switch

Recovery is repetition, patience, and humility.

Fitness teaches you consistency, awareness, and respect for your body—long before anything goes wrong.

Why I’m Still Here—and Still Working Out

Daily movement, strength, balance, and conditioning are things only you can do for yourself.

Fitness doesn’t promise a problem-free life.
It gives you a better chance to survive, recover, and continue living with purpose.