I woke up in the middle of the night, numb on the right side of my body. I thought it was just being 24 weeks pregnant and sleeping in an awkward position, but after being tired and headachy for a day I returned to work and couldn’t read the computer screen. My midwife suggested I go to the hospital — and I’m glad I decided to get care at UConn John Dempsey Hospital.They admitted me to labor and delivery and put my baby on a monitor while I got a CT scan and MRI… which is how they found I’d had a stroke. I thought they were crazy; I didn’t have a stroke, I have a friend who had a stroke, and he was in a wheelchair. It was not what I’d imagined having a stroke was like. I was in denial.I spent four days in the ICU because the numbness and blurry vision kept coming back. There I learned I had a cryptogenic stroke because I had a hole between two chambers in my heart that I didn’t know about. My doctors worked as a team to come up with a plan for preventing another stroke and keeping my baby and me healthy until Lorelai was ready to be born. It was so reassuring to have a great team at UConn. It was a lot to deal with, but Neurology, Cardiology and Maternal Fetal Medicine were all super great and met regularly to provide me updates. After a successful heart surgery, I am home with my family. I still have some side effects from the stroke, but since the hole was closed, I’m not afraid of another stroke. I am so grateful for everyone at UConn Health. Everyone there was so amazing.