就在她开始护理生涯的时候，两次中风改变了她的生活

Precious Guan was excited about her budding nursing career. Born and raised in California, 她在那里完成了大学学业，然后去新罕布什尔州攻读硕士学位. 当她不学习的时候，她就在户外，经常徒步旅行和攀岩.

Her career started at a Boston teaching hospital, where she began training to work in cardiac surgery and recovery. At 28, she felt that her life was playing out perfectly.

One week in November, she started feeling unsteady on her feet. 她发现自己一直很疲惫，偶尔还头痛. She'd had migraines since age 12 and thought it was related.

After she missed a few days of work and wasn't improving, a friend urged her to go to the emergency room.

Doctors examined Guan and did bloodwork. Tests were inconclusive, and they sent her home. But she still wasn't steady enough to work.

Worried friends checked on her daily.

几天后，一个朋友发现关躺在床上，不能动，说话也不清楚. The right side of her face drooped. 朋友打了911.

Guan woke up in the hospital with no memory of what had happened.

Doctors told her she'd had a stroke. 他们无法做任何治疗，因为他们不知道什么时候开始的.

Her mother flew out from California to help take care of her. A mutual friend also contacted Gil Navarro. 纳瓦罗和关交往了7年，后来关去读研究生，开始了自己的事业. 他现在是加州的一名数学老师，他一听到这个消息就飞到了波士顿.

关在医院住了一个月，包括在康复病房接受物理治疗. 她的右侧虽然没有瘫痪，但却极其虚弱，步态不稳. She could talk, and her cognition was fine. She was afraid but hopeful.

Doctors couldn't determine the reason for her stroke. They found that she had hypercoagulability, an increased tendency of blood to clot, and thought it could be related, 但是他们不确定.

关回到波士顿的家后，她的母亲继续和她住在一起. Guan needed the help, as she was still unsteady. A couple weeks later, Guan choked while trying to swallow water. 她的母亲拨打了911.

在医院，医生发现关又中风了.

Her balance and coordination were severely impacted. 她在语言、运动能力和认知功能方面也有缺陷. 她上次康复带来的乐观情绪消失了，取而代之的是失望.

“我为她感到生气，因为她在第一次中风后取得了很大的进步，但在第二次中风时却失去了很多,纳瓦罗说.

Again, doctors could find no conclusive reason for her stroke. Strokes without a known cause are called cryptogenic. About 1 in 3 clot-caused strokes are classified as cryptogenic.

After two months at a rehabilitation facility, 关已经改善了, but still struggled with walking and swallowing. 她可以用助行器在平地上行走，但需要有人在她身边保护她的安全.

最重要的是, Guan missed her sprawling Filipino family, most of whom lived in the Long Beach area where she grew up. Her father is one of 12 siblings and her mother one of eight. 她开玩笑说，她甚至不能与所有的侄女和侄子保持联系.

“我不想离开我的医生，但我也真的很想回到加州，”她说. "They mean everything to me."

她的姐姐和纳瓦罗一起安排了她的交通, insurance and medical care in her home state.

那是六年前的事了. 现在35, 关和纳瓦罗及其父母住在喜瑞都的一栋单层住宅里, 洛杉矶东南部. Her parents moved close by.

她使用四轮助行器或轮椅，并且是全职残疾人.

Although she can now swallow, she always takes precautions.

Even now, eating causes her some anxiety. 她只吃特定质地的食物，并且总是随身带着水来帮助咀嚼和吞咽.

She continues to do physical therapy for her gait. Her right side remains weaker.

“当你长大了, you think what your life is going to be like – having a job, 组建家庭,她说. "It didn't turn out like that for me."

Still, Navarro praised Guan's persistence and general positivity.

"Recovery has taken longer than we expected or wanted, 但是年复一年, Guan continues to improve,纳瓦罗说.

关一直忙于阅读(尤其是历史演义)和看动漫. She recently started learning to crochet through how-to videos.

她保持活跃的另一种方式是参加当地的心脏散步训练，这使美国心脏协会受益. 她参加了洛杉矶和奥兰治县的1英里比赛. 为了锻炼自己的耐力，她和纳瓦罗在家附近绕了一圈.

在活动期间，她的同伴包括大约30名家人和朋友. She's especially fond of the Orange County walk, held in Angel Stadium of Anaheim, because walkers are flashed on the jumbotron.

"Those are really powerful images,她说. “总的来说, 每个人都以幸存者的速度行走，然后我们在最后一起庆祝，这真是太棒了."

发自内心的故事 记录心脏病和中风幸存者、护理人员和倡导者的鼓舞人心的旅程.