Help I can't cook

By Ben MacDonald

I knew very little about strokes before I was told that I had had one in May 2022.

My left wrist started aching, it was as if I had been overusing it. The next day I started bumping into things. I went to Warragul Hospital to be checked out. After 24 hours of tests, I was diagnosed with a stroke which was a result of blockages in my right carotid artery. I spent about two weeks in hospital.

Fortunately, my stroke was mild, and I had great support as an out-patient with sessions with a physiotherapist, occupational therapist and dietitian. I lost coordination in my left-hand, and have some fatigue, but the mental and emotional side of my recovery has been the hardest to deal with.

Depression and grief just about took me to my knees. The emotional and mental effects of the stroke were catastrophic. I lost all motivation to face even the most basic day-to-day activities. Honestly sometimes it took all my strength just to open my eyes and turn on the light.

I am a family man, I have people who rely on me, which is why I am still here.

To turn my life around, I focused on what I could control – the food I put in my mouth. I worked with a dietician to shed kilos and the weight dropped off fast. I began to feel better.

Blokes for the most part don't talk about their feelings, or their health. The stroke taught me to ask for help and to take my health by the short and curlies. I want to help other men to eat better, so I have written a cookbook. My hope is that others don't find themselves with their backs against the wall like I did.

I dedicate my cookbook to my family – mum, dad, my kids, my ex-partner, my friends, colleagues and all the amazing staff at Warragul and Monash hospitals, especially my dietitian, thank you.