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My Stroke

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The great stroke of 2012.

Surprisingly, until now (2018) I have never written about my stroke.  I write about most things, but not about the most significant event in my life.

I write this 6 years after my stroke in 2018 as National Stroke Week commences.

I must begin with my “symptoms” because I dismissed the warning signs which may have changed the outcome.

A STROKE happens in Australia every 5 minutes and a person dies every 15 minutes because of strokes.

My STOKE symptoms: unbalanced, male, 57 years old

The most noticeable symptom I experienced was feeling dizziness/unbalanced in the week prior to my stroke.

I don’t remember any other symptom except this feeling which was a loss of equilibrium (balance) whenever I was standing or walking.  Sitting I was ok, but stand and whoah, what is going on?

Being typically male, I stupidly dismissed it and hoped it would just go away.

I didn’t fall over but I generally felt unwell, tired and unsteady on my feet.

Day 5, I experienced a TIA (a mini stroke). A transient ischaemic attack (TIA) happens when the blood supply to your brain is blocked temporarily. The signs are the same as for a stroke, but they disappear within a short time.   I was presented to hospital which ran tests but a diagnosis failed to diagnose a stroke.

Day 8, after having a couple of beers, pizza and watching football on tv, I went to bed early not feeling well.  I woke up feeling very unwell around midnight.  I was experiencing the first signs of a stroke, nausea, dizziness, loss of balance and headache.  After managing to get headache tablets from the kitchen, I collapsed on the bedroom floor and started vomiting.

My partner Lynda called an ambulance that arrived within 10 minutes of the call (very lucky).  I remember saying to the ambos, I have no idea what a stroke is or what its symptoms are but I reckon I’m having a stroke.. to this day I don’t understand where my diagnosis came from.

I had an Ischaemic (is-key-mick) stroke, a stroke caused by a blood clot in Carotid artery.

I was rushed to the Austin Hospital which luckily for me is only a short distance (5.6km) away.  As  luck would have it, the Austin is one of the leading hospitals in Australia when it comes to dealing with and managing a stroke.

Hindsight: apparently 90%+ of people have TWO (2) strokes.  Mine was the TIA (day 5) and the big one (day 8).

What Next = blood pressure test

If you’re experiencing dizziness, unbalanced or feeling lightheaded, the best next step is a blood pressure test.

Record the date, time, systolic and diastolic pressures. You should also record any special circumstances like any recent exercise, meal, or stressful event.

Analyse your result

  • Blood Pressure Calculator – Find out your blood pressure (BP) risk category by entering your age, sex and most recent blood pressure measurement into the calculator.
  • Blood pressure chart – Use a blood pressure chart below to see what your blood pressure means.

The Cause of MY Stroke

In the months leading up to my stroke, I had stopped regular exercise.  I’ll blame winter, I liked to walk but the excuses included weather and work.  Being bullet proof, I’d catch up.

Testing after the stroke revealed:

After MY Stroke

I was extremely lucky, if one can say ‘lucky’ after having a stroke.

Stroke symptoms

The Stroke Foundation promotes THINK F.A.S.T !  If you see or experience any of these symptoms CALL 000

How do you know if someone is having a stroke? Think… F.A.S.T.

The Stroke Foundation recommends the F.A.S.T. test as an easy way to remember the most common signs of stroke.

Using the F.A.S.T. test involves asking these simple questions:

  • Face Check their face. Has their mouth drooped?
  • Arms Can they lift both arms?
  • Speech Is their speech slurred? Do they understand you?
  • Time Is critical. If you see any of these signs call 000 straight away.

Think F.A.S.T., act FAST

A stroke is always a medical emergency. The longer a stroke remains untreated, the greater the chance of stroke-related brain damage.

Emergency medical treatment soon after symptoms begin improves the chance of survival and successful rehabilitation.

Facial weakness, arm weakness and difficulty with speech are the most common symptoms or signs of stroke, but they are not the only signs.

Other signs of stroke

The following signs of stroke may occur alone or in combination:

  • Weakness or numbness or paralysis of the face, arm or leg on either or both sides of the body
  • Difficulty speaking or understanding
  • Dizziness, loss of balance or an unexplained fall*
  • Loss of vision, sudden blurring or decreased vision in one or both eyes
  • Headache, usually severe and abrupt onset or unexplained change in the pattern of headaches
  • Difficulty swallowing

Sometimes the signs disappear within a short time, such as a few minutes. When this happens, it may be a transient ischaemic attack (TIA).

If you or someone else experiences the signs of stroke, no matter how long they last, call 000 immediately.