A set of fraternal twins in their 20s suffered from strokes just months apart from each other, reported ABC News.
Twenty-six year old Kathryn Tucker from Tempe, Ariz. was getting into bed last summer when she felt a sharp pain in the back of her head. Only nine months later her twin sister Kimberly felt the exact same pain, but on the opposite side.
Both women experienced similar symptoms such as loss of vision and numbness in their bodies, according to Mail Online.
Both of the young women had no family history of stroke. The chance of both twins having strokes within such a short period of time and with such low risk factors is like "like lightning striking twice," according to medical experts.
While the twins were young and activ,e they did have some lifestyle factors that contributed to their risk of stroke, such as smoking and taking contraceptive pills. The women also suffered from migraines, which can be a sign of a higher stroke risk.
After Kathryn experienced the pain in her head along with other symptoms such as loss of vision and numbness her brother rushed her to the hospital. Doctors first believed she was just experiencing a bad migraine and sent her home.
"I was absolutely terrified," Kathryn told ABC. "I slept for three days straight. Then, when I woke up, my vision was horrible. Everything was distorted and one-dimensional. I could barely get around."
When her symptoms did not subside she was taken to an urgent care facility, she was then told by doctors that she had suffered a stroke, the Mail Online reported.
Nine months later Kathryn's twin, Kimberly, ran a 5k race and noticed that she was exceptionally thirsty when she got home. That night she woke up with a sharp pain in her head that was on the opposite side as the pain her sister had experienced.
Kimberly suspected she was having a stroke because of what her twin had gone through, medical staff didn't agree with her at first.
"Honestly, it's rare for us to actually evaluate two sisters who've had strokes within months of each other. If they had a family history, it would not be a surprise. It's quite uncommon," said Dr. Joni Clark, a vascular neurologist at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix.
The women both participated in occupational and speech therapy and have stopped smoking and taking birth control. They are feeling almost back to normal, but still have some vision problems and aren't allowed to drive.
"Don't think you are impervious to stroke," Kimberly Tucker told ABC News, "We think we are invincible until we are not. This taught us a huge lesson that we are not guaranteed great health and we need to take care of our bodies."
The risk of people under the age of 45 to suffering a stroke has jumped 14 to 20 percent, according to experts; it can also be brought on by diabetes, obesity, and substance abuse, according to Mail Online.
