I was so lucky

By Warren

Just before 8 am on May 2, 2019, I had a stroke.

I was home alone, preparing to leave for work and about to shower, when I felt my eye lids closing involuntarily.

I had seconds to think, “this is strange” before I blacked out.

About 10 minutes later, by my estimate, I heard a key in the door. My son, Arron had come by on his way to work.

I began to bang feebly on the wall of the bathroom. I was on the floor and could just raise my hand. Arron heard the thumping and found me on the floor. He recognised a possible stroke and called triple zero (000) immediately.

A short time later, an Ambulance arrived and did their first observations, then the Mobile Stroke Ambulance arrived.

I was loaded onto a stretcher and into the back of this specialised Stroke Ambulance, where a neurosurgeon and a stroke nurse carried out a CT Scan, right there in front of my house with the traffic stopped. They discovered a clot, and gave me clot busting drugs straight away.

Once I was ready, I was taken to Royal Melbourne Hosptial with all sirens blazing. I was given a second dose of clot busting drugs and then admitted to the RMH Stroke Unit.

All of this was completed within about an hour – the golden hour. 

Laying in the ward, I was hit by an emotional tsunami. I was so damn grateful, and at the same time I was scared witless. My life could have ended today, I could still have another stroke, was I out of the woods?

I was paralysed on my lift side, I couldn’t get a spoon to my mouth, and I was having toileting accidents. What impact was this going to have on my wife, my children, and my students – on me?

As I have discovered, with the world-class treatment that I received, I was on my feet nine weeks later and able to give my daughter away at her wedding. Four years later my life is 95% back to what it was.

My family is whole because of the quick thinking of my son and the arrival of the Mobile Stroke Unit in my driveway.

I am thankful every day for being given my life back.