SPRING HILL, Fla. — A Hernando County middle school teacher is urging others to pay attention to their own health after suffering a life-threatening medical emergency.
Rob Strasser was entering his second year of teaching math at Fox Chapel Middle School in Spring Hill.
He's been an educator for more than 20 years.
At first, he thought he was dealing with sinus problems.
"Take some Tylenol, take some Zyrtec, I'm going to be okay.
Strasser said later experienced a pain he could not ignore.
WATCH: Hernando County teacher suffers life-threatening medical emergency
He went to a hospital in Pasco County after experiencing the worst headache of his life.
"About 2 a.m., I was on the floor to the living room and the most agony that I’ve ever felt in my life. I thought my head was going to explode," he recalled.
Strasser said a doctor gave him just hours to live if he did not receive medical attention.
He was transferred to Morton Plant Hospital in Clearwater.
"It was the most humbling experience you can imagine. You think about your family, you think about your loved ones, your kids, your job. At my age, I didn't even think that was in the cards. I got down there. They did some emergency procedure," said Strasser.
Strasser spent nine days in an intensive care unit. Doctors diagnosed him with CVST, a life-threatening type of stroke.
Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) occurs when a blood clot forms in the brain’s venous sinuses.
Strasser said doctors also discovered a brain tumor. He had surgery to remove a portion of the tumor.
He needed eight weeks of radiation.
He hopes by sharing his story, it encourages others to take their health seriously.
"Don’t be like me, don’t ignore your body. Your body is a unique system. It knows when it hurts, listen to it and and I didn’t and I had people tell me you got to get checked out and I didn’t and it almost cost me my life," said Stasser.
Strasser said next month, doctors will discuss further treatment.
"I'm taking lots of medications, trying to get the swelling down and then we'll readdress with a few scans to find out what can be done," he said.
A GoFundMe page is raising money to support his recovery and help pay medical bills.
"All of this is new. All I know is the impact that it had in my life. I haven’t been able to work. I cannot drive. I cannot lift. I cannot do a lot of things," he said.
"My dad had the best quote, he just said, it beats being dead, beats being dead. I have my kids. I have my family. I have all the people that love me, my friends and that’s all I can ask for," said Strasser.
Strasser said he's grateful to his support system which includes his colleagues, his friends and family.
He is also a father to three children.
"I never thought the third day of school could've been my last day of life," said Strasser.
"I'm fortunate to be here, fortunate I have good family, good support system and my kids still got their dad," he said.
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