Luján urges people to learn early signs of stroke: ‘Don’t be so tough’

Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) has urged people to learn the early signs of a stroke after suffering one himself in January.

In an interview with ABC’s “Good Morning America” that aired Wednesday, Luján, 49, described the experience of having a stroke, sharing that he felt as if he’d just “got off a roller coaster or merry go round.”

His first instinct was to “sleep this off,” he said, as it never occurred to him that he’d had a stroke, but he added that is “one of the biggest mistakes that people make when they get an early sign of a stroke.”

The freshman senator said people should “learn about strokes” and learn about those early signs

“Don’t be so tough that you see you can sleep it off. It’s a big mistake,” he added.

According to “Good Morning America,” Luján was diagnosed with a stroke in his cerebellum and required “decompressive surgery” to ease the swelling in his brain.

The New Mexico senator was visibly emotional as he discussed the outpouring of support he received from senators on both sides of the aisle and shared that Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) sent him daily inspirational videos while he was recovering.

Luján added that he cried when he saw the videos from Booker for the first time and said, “For someone of his stature, to stop what they’re doing to tell you a story, that’s an example of the kind of humanity and generosity that you see from other people.”

He told the news outlet he never lost his ability to speak and said that was because he did not wait to seek medical attention.

Luján returned to Capitol Hill in March and received a standing ovation at a Senate Commerce Committee meeting on his first day back at work since suffering his stroke. 

His interview comes during the U.S.’s National Stroke Awareness Month. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around 795,000 people in the United States suffer a stroke every year, with 610,000 of that number suffering from first or new strokes.