Michael Elliott suffered a massive stroke in at the young age of 32 while reading a book at his St. Louis home. His wife, Meena, who thought he was having a seizure, called 911 and an ambulance transported Michael to the hospital.

It was a long road. It was three days before Michael came to, and he wasn't expected to walk or talk again. The right side of his body, Michael's dominant side, was paralyzed. He was unable to communicate to his family through writing and while he could see the words in his mind, he couldn't think of the letters to speak. He had to re-learn the alphabet. Michael spent a month and a half in the hospital and was in rehabilitation for an additional 18 months. Michael says that Meena and his family kept him encouraged during the road to recovery.

At the time of his stroke, Michael exercised regularly, didn't smoke and had no family history of stroke. However, he had an undetected hole in heart. From there a blood clot escaped and traveled to his brain, causing the stroke. Today Michael still experiences mild aphasia, or a partial loss of the ability to use words.

Michael, who lives in McLean, joined the Peer Visitor Program to show recent stroke survivors that there is hope for them and to emphasize the importance of having a positive attitude. The Peer Visitor Program is a partnership between Inova Health System and the American Stroke Association, which pairs hospitalized stroke survivors with recovered peer survivors for support and encouragement.

What helped you cope with your stroke?
I had a positive attitude all the way around. I think that I didn't pay attention to what I lost but paid attention to what I could get back through hard work and rehabilitation. I centered all of my mental energy into getting better.

My wife (Meena) takes 50% of my recovery. Every time I'd get down about not being able to do something again, she would settle me.

How do you stay active?
I have a routine of working out daily (at the Fairfax County Recreation Center). I have a list of exercises I do at home during the day. In the summer, I walk outside everyday.

(Michael also said that playing golf regularly has three main benefits: walking the golf course, the arm movements involved in a golf swing and getting together with three people he hasn't spoken to before.)

What advice do you give the recent survivors you meet through the Peer Visitor Program?
I try to tell them what I've gone through. I tell them not to expect things to happen immediately. It's a new challenge in your life. Things will happen slowly but you're not going to know what you're getting back until you try. There are ways to compensate for the things you've lost.

If you would like to learn more about the Peer Visitor Program in the Washington, D.C., metro area, call the American Stroke Association at 703-914-3707.