I had a stroke. So I was informed. Golfers do all they can to take a stroke off their score. The kind that I experienced requires immediate attention. So dangerous, a stroke can cause paralysis and even death.

A person having a stroke is experiencing a brain attack. Shockingly, that is what is happening. It places people into nursing homes. The surprising thing about a stroke is that there are no symptoms. The cause lies in the carotid arteries, which lie one on each side of a person's neck.

I learned all this in retrospect. Passing on my experience may help you, dear reader. This past summer, I worked at a Camp Marist for Boys as a powerboat instructor. I swam every day, rode my bike to the beach and, in general, was active. I felt in the best of health. Yes, I avoided liquor, smoking of any type, did not overeat, was able to rest and did not have any anxiety. The criteria for a healthy life prescribed by doctors. Right!

Aug. 20th morning, some six weeks gone by, when my left eye became shaded and my right fingers felt numb. Momentarily, I wondered what was happening for the scare was over in seconds. Having spent some five hours a day in the sun, I blamed the shining brightness on my condition. When it happened again, I knew I was in trouble, but unaware how serious my condition was, as I found out later.

I left camp and traveled to my home in Manhasset as soon as I could. The goal was to get to a doctor. How fortunate for me to have doctors all nearby. Dr. Joseph Bianco on Plandome Road examined my eye. He sent me to nearby Northern Boulevard, a Dr. Robert Waxman, for a sonogram. Informed by him, Dr. William Knight, my personal doctor, located on Port Washington Boulevard, sent me to St. Francis Hospital where Dr. John Yuan of the Long Island Vascular Center operated on me on Saturday morning, the 21st. I was released on Sunday, the 22nd at 4:30 p.m. What team work! I mention their names to show my appreciation for I had a 90 percent blockage in my left carotid artery caused by a tiny piece of fat. Caught in the knick of time!

I'm almost myself again and have learned that many do not realize that they are prime targets for a stroke, called a brain attack. It was the sonogram that showed my blockage. It is from my experience that I highly recommend, especially for the elderly, a sonogram (a Doppler) be included with your yearly physical. Search the Internet using "carotid" for more insights. Thank God I survived.

Bro. Alphonse Matuga