This woman cracked her neck and it caused a stroke!

This is crazy! I have cracked my neck SO many times, and it has never occured to me that it could cause such an extreme medical emergency.

This 23-year-old Natalie Kunicki, a paramedic from London, was in bed watching TV when she stretched, and heard a loud crack in her neck. A few minutes later, she got up to use the restroom, and collapsed. She initially was embarrassed to call 999 (the UK equivalent of 911) because she'd been drinking and mistook her symptoms for inebriation. But she eventually realized it was more serious than that and called an ambulance.

Turns out, an artery ruptured when she cracked her neck, and emergency surgery was required to repair it. Had she not sought medical attention, she could have died.

Doctors are calling this a "one in a million" incident. Kunicki's left side was initially rendered completely paralyzed by the stroke. Through physical therapy, she says she has been able to regain some use of her leg, arm and hand, although she describes her movements as "clumsy."

She hopes that by speaking out about her condition, her story will spread awareness that young people can also suffer strokes and that symptoms should never be ignored.

That's crazy! I'm so glad she was able to get treatment in time!

[AOL]


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