I was 24 years old and I thought I was invincible
For many people, Valentine’s Day is a day for bunches of roses and chocolates and sometimes a marriage proposal. For Ernesto, it’s memorable for another reason.
“It was 2006 and I was at a Valentine’s Day party at a friend’s house. At some point I went out for a smoke. When I came back in, I had a terrible headache. My friend joked it must’ve been the brand of cigarette.”
As the night progressed, the headache worsened.
“Eventually all I could do was head home. I remember trying to pick up my car keys off the bench but kept dropping them which was strange. My friend ended up giving me a lift home.”
By the time Ernesto arrived home, he was slurring his words.
“My parents, with whom I was living at the time, first asked if I was drunk. But when one side of my face started drooping, they decided to take me to hospital. Thirteen days later, I woke up in a hospital bed with my mum crying beside me.”
Ernesto had experienced a stroke and had been placed in an induced coma after a 13-hour brain operation.
“I’m not going to lie, I was a bit of a party animal. I had been smoking for years. But I was young - 24 years old - and thought I was invincible. The risk of having a stroke had not crossed my mind.”
Recovery was slow but steady. Ernesto had to re-learn to talk, walk and write.
“I recall the doctor holding up a pen and asking me what it was. I kept thinking, ‘yeah that’s a pen’, but I couldn’t translate that thought into speech. I couldn’t say the word ‘pen’.”
It took nine months before Ernesto could return to work.
“I never smoked again, after that Valentine’s Day. I quit cold turkey. I still have the full packet of cigarettes I purchased that day. I keep it as a reminder. I love life too much to die from smoking.”
Watch Ernesto’s full story here.
To hear from other stroke survivors about their experiences with stroke and stopping smoking, visit Smokes can lead to strokes.
What is stroke and how does smoking increase the risk?
Stroke strikes the brain and can change lives in an instant. A stroke can happen in two ways – either there is a blood clot or plaque that blocks a blood vessel, or a blood vessel in the brain breaks or ruptures. Smoking doubles a person’s risk of stroke by increasing blood pressure and reducing oxygen in the blood. Smoking also increases the stickiness of blood which can lead to blood clots forming.
After an initial stroke, continued smoking increases the risk of another stroke. The more someone smokes, the higher the risk. Continued smoking after a stroke also increases the risk of dying from stroke or heart attack.
The benefits of stopping smoking
People who stop smoking after a first stroke lower their risk of having another stroke. Stopping smoking will also lower your risk of dying from stroke or having a heart attack.
When you stop smoking, you no longer inhale toxic chemicals in tobacco smoke, which would otherwise enter your bloodstream and damage blood vessels as well as increase your risk of blood clots. Within a month, your blood pressure returns to its normal range. The risk of heart attack and stroke starts to drop immediately. The risk can drop by as much as half after one year.
Learn more about stroke and smoking with Quit’s new pamphlet The benefits of stopping smoking for people who have experienced stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA).
How to stop smoking
Stopping smoking is the best thing you can do for your health and for your risk of recurring stroke. You don’t have to do it alone. There are supports available to help. As one of the first steps, it’s important to speak with your stroke specialist to seek advice on stopping smoking. Your stroke specialist will be able to talk with you about how to stop smoking, answer questions you may have and give you a referral to Quitline.
Quitline (13 7848) is a free telephone counselling service. Quitline counsellors are specialist counsellors qualified to help you stop smoking. They provide practical, personalised and non-judgemental support and can answer any general questions you may have about quitting.
Quitline is an inclusive and culturally safe space for all, including the LGBTIQ+ community. There is also Aboriginal Quitline for people identifying as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander who smoke. To access Aboriginal Quitline, call 13 7848 and ask to speak with a friendly and qualified Aboriginal Quitline counsellor. Quitline also have an interpreter service available if you speak a language other than English.
For more information, tools and resources on stopping smoking, visit quit.org.au. You can also join Quit’s Facebook page for tips and advice.