Steve is an established author and public speaker and he's joining us all the way from Colorado. He suffered a stroke in April of 2008 and he's here today to share his story with us. So please welcome Steve. Thank you. 2012, four years, post stroke.

I woke was in the ICU. Bright lights, and there was a nurse across the room. I couldn't add 2+2, read a book, or tie my shoe. The doc came over. How are you doing? I have the worst headache ever, worse than the other one. She laughed. because she was so relieved to hear me speak. I didn't realize that I could have ended up like that.

They started testing me; Jane had 50 cents, she spent 15. How much did she have left? I could not come up with an answer. Then they gave me a little stick house to copy. Then 4 words to read.

"Well, in every situation, you missed the left side of everything." I was Whacked out from the stroke and the Percocet but I couldn't do simple math, read a few words ...

What am I going to do? Am I going to take this shit? No, I will do whatever the hell it takes to get better. I guess the answer was pretty obvious. Here I am today.

What people don't know is, that you can look normal, and speak well enough, but still not remember your phone number or find your way home from six blocks away. I'm here to tell you about the life of a stroke survivor.

My mantra is, positive and willful before the stroke, positive and willful after the stroke.