Inspired by watching the upcoming episode of BLACK LOVE on OWN entitled In Sickness and In Health, Raquelle Harris, married 16 years with 2 kids, describes her experience facing her husband’s stroke. This is her story.
“The whole right side of my body is numb,” he said. It was a Monday. I was busy with work, kids, him, and I was in the midst of starting my career in media. I did not have time for any shenanigans. My husband’s statement didn’t fully register at first because my thoughts and emotions were on ten. We were experiencing financial strain and it was affecting our marriage.
Hindsight is a tricky thing, it’s almost torturous when you reflect on your past actions and realize what you could and should have done differently. After asking him a few more questions, we attributed the numbness to him sleeping in an awkward position during his nap. Yet, when I arrived home several hours later, he said he still felt numb on his entire right side. That’s when I got nervous and suggested he go to the emergency room. He was scheduled to start school for graphic design the next day, so he didn’t want to go to the hospital.
Raquelle & Husband Ben Harris