“6 years ago, I could barely lift a fork to the mouth”

The stroke

In 2015 I suffered from a stroke. It was a dramatic experience, and without the quick intervention from trained professionals, I would not been alive today. The stroke came after a stressful period, both at work and in my spare time. I had been overworked for some time, and this had an unfortunate consequence. There are limits to what the body can withstand.

The time after

Stroke patients have daily challenges that other people do not see. Controlling arms and legs is difficult, common words disappear from daily speech, and short time memory fails at times.
I got severely reduced fingers and face mobility, which made even the simplest tasks prohibitive.
Wear in the muscles and joints, which I also had noticed before the stroke, was far tougher. Essential medicines had the side effect that all food tasted generally poor; especially seafood was difficult. Fish and seafood have always made me unwell, although I don’t have any proven allergies.

The way back

The period after the stroke was extremely tough. I went through rehabilitation for several months, without much progress.

I came into contact with an Asian, who tipped me off about dried sea cucumber. He argued that this bottom dwelling animal contained so many good substances that it could have a good effect on my condition.

It should be said that I had no particular faith in this. After the stroke, I had tested a number of different supplements, hoping for a miracle cure.

But since I had nothing to lose, I was willing to try everything to get better.

I therefore tested out the sea cucumber extract. After a few months, things started to happen with my body. Small but clear changes.

I didn’t feel sick all the time, and the tendency to constantly be unwell disappeared.

The most significantly was the combination of pure physical strength and joy of life, which gradually became stronger.

My therapists also noticed this, and they asked me to give a little more in the training sessions. When I did so, the improvements came fast. The more I practiced, the stronger I became, and the mood and extra energy followed closely.

Life today

I live a very active life, and am really proud of my results after the convalescence period. I exercise a lot, and walk for several hours every day, without getting wear and tear injuries. 3 years ago I could barely lift a fork to my mouth. Now, at the age of 61 I lift 180 lbs in bench press. That feeling of mastery and enjoyment of life is almost indescribable. Every day I get up to tackle the day’s tasks is a gift I enjoy to the fullest.

Research

As a result of my experience, I have become involved in a research project on sea cucumber. The project, which will run over 5 years, is a collaboration between SINTEF University  in Trondheim and Seafood Home, where several researchers showed great interest in my results. The purpose of the project is to study the health effects of consuming sea cucumber over time.