My name is Rich Lupia. It’s December 10, 2013, or about 475 days since I last officially appeared on this site. Here is what happened:

I went about my day after posting on August 15, 2022. I was getting my stuff together to teach Earth Science and Biology at a local homeschool co-op called Ignite in Powdersville. I was quite stressed and was nervous after several run ins with people in recent days, particularly with Ignite.

I got up the morning of August 16, 2022. I got my weather done. It was 7:04 AM. I was nervous but not exactly terrified. Then all of the sudden I start losing total control of myself at some point between 7:30 and 8 AM. My son Zack saw me first then Amy. They called 911. The paramedics came over a suspected stroke. I went into seizure. They took me with ambulance to Greenville Memorial where I fell into a coma.

The next time I remember waking up, was in a hospital room. With tons of things around me. Barely being able to speak, “what is happening”? I asked. The answer was “I had a stroke”. I had a major hemmoraganic stroke with a left side brain bleed. The type of stroke I had should have killed me. Somehow, someway, by God’s amazing grace, it did not. That date was September 2nd, 17 days after the initial stroke.

I spent the next 40 days in the hospital, until I was released on October 11th, barely being able to walk out. I got some steps in the next three weeks along with tons of eat out food… until I fainted at Chick-fil-A on November 1, then entered the hospital for another 10 hours. Less than two days later, my blood pressure and heart rate became so low, I had all my family plus my mom and dad shout at once “go to the ER or DIE!”. So I did. That started another 5-6 days in the hospital until they were finally able to get my medications stabilized. After leaving the hospital, I was 201.2 pounds. I have not weighed that low since 2001, the year I got married. I’m now 22 years from that.

I spent from October 2022 to April 2023 in rehab at Roger C. Peace in Downtown Greenville. 2x per week for about 6 months, until I finally passed and graduated their program.

From May and June, it was a great time with my Dad for 10 days around his birthday, with my three adopted kids for their birthdays, and with summer finally returning to Greenville. I was growing stronger each day. In the winter I could go 1-2 miles a day. Springtime I could go 2-3 miles. Summertime, I could really stretch it out! I did 20 miles in 3 days, my record still post stroke.

We went back to NY for a glorious reunions with our family and friends for nearly 2 weeks in July. Held back once we returned to Greenville for the rest of the summer. I passed the August 16th one year mark from stroke tearfully and elatedly.

In September, we returned to Upstate NY, but this time only me and Amy for my 30th High School Reunion, and to see some friends and family afterwards. That trip was so special in more ways than one!

I finished September on a high note with my exercise before surgery on a bunion on my right foot. I had to be off of it for 3 weeks. Then only on it for very limited time for another 8 weeks. Which brings us to today and where I am at. The foot is nearly healed. I am so ready to go and get my miles back on.

So what about me? Well I am OK. Could be dead! Also I could be better. Overall I am 48 and handling life about as well as I can now. So what am I going to do with richlupia.com? Well keeping it and putting something back into it in 2024 is a good idea! There are so many people that have done so much for me since August 16, 2022, and through even today, nearly 16 months later. For the tens of thousands we have received, to all of the help our family has received, babysitting, meals, countless other blessings we have been so blessed with from our family, our friends, our church, to individual people: THANK YOU!!!

We have been blessed by so many. God bless you and thank you! I will see you on the daily weather reports beginning on Monday 1/1/24!