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By Daniella Gray and Anna Lasco
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When I look back at the lead-up to my wedding, I think about how much time I spent worrying about making everything perfect.
Connor and I had been engaged for two years, and I had spent that time planning our dream wedding.
I became so wrapped up in the stress of it all, worrying about the décor and thinking about the little things I wished looked different or could somehow be better.
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But after all the planning, nothing could have prepared me for what our wedding day would actually look like.
I arrived at the venue with my bridesmaids for hair and make-up at around 8 a.m.
At around noon, I started to feel a bit dizzy and lightheaded. It didn’t feel like anything major but I just felt off.
People guessed that I hadn’t eaten or drunk enough, and that my blood sugar might be low.
But by 1 p.m., things took a worrying turn.
My legs stopped working and I couldn’t talk. My vision was also deteriorating and I had such bad vertigo.
It was like I was intoxicated but I hadn’t had any alcohol.
Over the next couple of hours, we waited to see if my symptoms would pass on their own.
Friends and family also kept coming in and sharing their opinions on what might be happening to me.
The general consensus was that I was having a panic attack.
For those couple of hours, we were still trying to find a way to make the wedding happen. If I needed to go to the hospital, could I come back afterwards?
If this was a panic attack and I was given medication, could we simply postpone everything for an hour? We were running through every possible scenario.
Eventually Connor had to come and check on me—that was our “first look” out the window.
As time went by, we all agreed that I wasn’t going to make some sort of miraculous recovery and had to make the devastating decision to call off the wedding.
Instead, we decided to have our close family, bridesmaids and groomsmen gather at the ceremony spot and watch us get married.
Then, as soon as it was over, we would go straight to the hospital.
After we were declared legally married, Connor literally carried me to the car and we drove to the emergency room.
We all know what ERs are like, and I was planning on waiting there for a good few hours before being seen. But that wasn’t my experience.
They saw me and immediately put a bracelet on me. That’s when I realized this could be much more serious than I thought.
I had a CT scan and was life-flighted to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester where an MRI confirmed I had suffered a stroke.
Doctors were able to determine that the vertebral artery dissection in my neck caused the stroke.
During the night, my symptoms started to get worse.
The medical team had been repeatedly carrying out stroke checks, and because Connor was paying close attention to what they were doing, he began doing the same checks on me to monitor any changes.
Eventually, they ordered another emergency MRI, and that was when they identified that I had suffered a stroke and that the blood clot near my brainstem had grown.
By the morning, I had completely lost movement in my left arm. I couldn’t lift my fingers or even my shoulder.
In terms of treatment, I was given a blood thinner by injection to treat the clot, and I’m now taking an oral blood thinner.
It’s not yet clear how long I’ll need it, but eventually I’m expected to transition to baby aspirin.
Doctors considered placing a stent, but said the length of the dissection meant it wasn’t a viable option.
I stayed in hospital for about a week and then went to the rehabilitation floor for my physical therapy.
Every day, I did three hours of occupational therapy and physical therapy, focusing on my hand, my arm, my leg and my walking.
Connor didn’t leave my side. He slept in a recliner chair the whole time.
I was officially discharged on September 22, 2026.
My strength is improving every day, but I definitely still have some deficits. My left arm and hand are weaker and my mobility is slightly limited.
I also walk with a bit of a limp and I have a brace that I wear in my shoe. Encouragingly, I can walk unassisted by myself now.
I’m back at work on a partially remote basis and continuing with outpatient physical and occupational therapy.
It’s less intensive now, just a couple of hours a few days a week compared with therapy seven days a week in hospital.
Support from family and friends has been incredible.
Someone made us a GoFundMe page as well, and the outpouring of support has been amazing.
I truly didn’t expect it.
Looking back now, all I wanted was to celebrate with the people we loved.
We had been so excited to eat, drink, dance with our friends and listen to music together. That was the part of our wedding we couldn't wait for, and ultimately, the part we didn't get to have.
Because of that, we have rescheduled our wedding for the same date next year.
We were already married, but we still want our chance to celebrate it.
Twenty-five-year-old Anna Lasco lives in Columbus, Ohio. She works as a micro-influencer and content creator in the social media marketing industry.
All views expressed in this article are the author's own.
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Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Charlotte Nisbet and Emma Lee-Sang
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