MARTIAL ARTS 1, STROKE O

Statistics state that 1 in 5 people will suffer a stroke.

- L. BYRD

For Black Belt writer Terry L. Wilson, it happened on August 10, 2022. He’d just driven 15 hours from Reno to San Diego in the heat. While unpacking, he became one of the 795,000 people who fell victim that year.

“It was surreal,” Wilson recalled. “One minute, I’m fine, and the next minute, I’m lying on the floor unable to speak or move. It took me a few seconds to realize what had just happened.

“I lay on the floor, trapped in my own body as my girlfriend Kathy slept in the next room. I called for her, but she’s a sound sleeper. Besides, what came out of my mouth was a muffled mix of unintelligible words. I tried to crawl to the bedroom by pushing my knee against the carpet. The trip normally takes seconds. That morning, it took 45 agonizing minutes to crawl 5 feet.”

His knee left a trail of blood as he completed the toughest journey of his life. Sadly, it would be another three hours before he could wake his girlfriend and get to the hospital.

“It was my worst nightmare come true,” Wilson said. “It was like watching a scene from the reality-TV series I directed in the ’90s titled Emergency Call 911. Back then, it was always somebody else who was strapped to a gurney while I captured the events on tape. This time, I wasn’t a spectator; I was the star of the show.”

The paramedics unloaded the gurney with a sense of urgency, but Wilson could only stare at the ceiling. His view of the world consisted of flashing lights and concerned looks on the faces of the nurses and patients he passed.