Stroke in Pregnancy: How Emily Rebuilt Her Life 17 Years Later
When Emily Sarah Gable had a stroke at 26, she was pregnant with her second child. She was also in the thick of early motherhood, navigating life with a 15-month-old at home. What should’ve been a time of joyful anticipation turned into a medical and emotional crisis she never saw coming.
Her stroke was an ischemic clot to the cerebellum, causing vertigo, vomiting, loss of balance, facial paralysis, and sensory changes across her body. At the time, no one knew how to respond to a stroke in pregnancy. She was shuffled between hospital departments. Misdiagnosed. Even told she might lose the baby.
But she didn’t. And 17 years later, she’s here to share what happened next.
Why This Story Matters
I first spoke with Emily back in Episode 65. Now, more than 350 episodes in, she returns to reflect on the journey most people don’t talk about: the long arc of healing after the immediate danger is gone.
Emily doesn’t just speak to what happened to her. She speaks to what happened within her.
This episode is about more than just recovery; it’s about rediscovery. It’s about becoming. And it’s a powerful reminder that even when it feels like everything is falling apart, something deeper might be falling into place.
Stroke in Pregnancy: A Rare but Life-Altering Event
Most people don’t realize strokes can happen in pregnancy. Even fewer know what it’s like to live through one.
Emily was misdiagnosed with preeclampsia. Interns told her the baby wouldn’t make it. She was put through magnesium treatments unnecessarily. Her care was inconsistent, and her body didn’t feel like her own anymore.
She couldn’t swallow. Couldn’t walk. Couldn’t feel temperature on half her body. Yet, somehow, she gave birth naturally at 37 weeks. Her son arrived healthy. And only then did the healing truly begin.
The Path to Healing: Slow, Nonlinear, and Deeply Transformative
Emily’s story reminds us that recovery is never just physical. It’s emotional. It’s spiritual. It’s personal.
She found her way back through movement. Through fascia-based healing. Through Iyengar yoga. Through touch, breath, and learning how to feel her body again.
Eventually, she became a certified massage therapist, yoga and Pilates teacher, and bodyworker, all because she wanted to share the healing that helped her feel alive again.
“I Had to Relearn How to Be in My Body”
One of the most powerful moments in our conversation was when Emily shared what it felt like to sit on a soft ball in yoga class — and fall off. Over and over.
But she kept going.
That ball became a metaphor for her recovery. For rebalancing. For trusting her body again.
And maybe that’s the most powerful part of her story: she didn’t just recover. She transformed.
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