Peter and Maggies story

In May 2013 my partner and I were enjoying our 4th month of our caravan trip around Australia, we had just arrived in Murray Bridge after crossing the Nullarbor. I woke one morning to find that my partner Peter couldn't speak and was looking very confused. 

I didn't know the site number nor the name of the caravan park we were staying so I rang my son's fiancée as they lived close by, and told her I needed to get Peter to hospital right away. Luckily she was there within 10 minutes - the longest 10 minutes in my life. 

Peter at that time was still able to walk leaning on me to stay upright, and by the time we arrived at the Murray Bridge Hospital he was dragging his right leg. I rang the emergency bell and wouldn't let go until someone came, a nurse did eventually come and told us they were busy with someone else.  I told her this was urgent and explained the situation, and within 5 minutes a doctor was there and had ordered an urgent CT scan of Peter's brain. 

The results were not good, Peter had a life threatening bleed so the treating doctor rang Royal Adelaide Hospital who sent the chopper to take him to the hospital there. By the time I arrived less than two hours later Peter was in ICU on life support. 

The hospital also told us it didn't look good, and by this time Peter was paralysed down the whole of his right side. He had a probe in his head to keep an eye on the pressure as they may have had to open his skull if the pressure didn't subside. Luckily it did after the third day in ICU. On the fifth day, Peter was moved to the stroke unit.

He still didn't have any feeling in his right side so we started stretching and massaging his right leg and arm, the doctors wasn’t sure whether he would ever regain use of them. We would stretch and massage Peter’s right arm and leg every 30 minutes. Later I would also put coins on the bed table and Peter would try and pick them up. 

When Peter was cleared to eat soft foods I would fill a spoon with the yoghurt and put it in Peter’s left hand and help guide it to his mouth. Once Peter was able to master this I had Peter try and fill the spoon and feed himself. 

We never lost our sense of humour and that has been a blessing. The first time Peter drank some water I said “cheers” and Peter said in a barely audible voice “Big Ears” - we laughed and laughed.

Peter continued to slowly improve, and we celebrated the day when Peter could have a cappuccino, he was still unable to speak but he was aware of his surroundings. I think it was July when we were told that we would be flown home with the Royal Flying Doctors. 

At Royal Perth Hospital Peter slowly started to learn to stand and was allowed to sit in a chair, although this would tired him if left for too long. He was transferred to Rockingham Hospital, and his rehab continued there for 3 weeks. 

When Peter got home he had ‘Rehab in the Home’, this is where Peter learnt to answer a phone again, and all daily things we take for granted. The Neurologist kept saying how amazed he was at Peter’s condition considering the severity of his stroke. 

We were told that slowly over time the other part of his brain would take over, so we decided to build bridges ourselves. I went out and bought books that young children use to learn to write between the lines – it felt like Peter was back at school in first grade.

I bought Peter easy books to read and once he mastered them he went on to reading novels with simple storylines, as he would have trouble trying to remember the all characters. Now he’s reading books on Gallipoli and history books on Rockingham. I use to ask him to tell me about the book he was reading - I don’t do that anymore. 

Peter has had to relearn how to walk, talk, answer the phone, use the computer, eat, drink and use money - everyday things we take for granted. He doesn't drive as he had one seizure and prefers for me to drive. He suffers from fatigue and he has a nap during the day - it's a small price to pay for what could have been. 

He doesn’t have the strength in his right arm/hand, but that’s ok. There are times he has to search for a word, and just when I don’t think he could improve any more I notice something else and I silently put another ‘tick’ on his progress in my mind.

I am very proud of the progress that Peter has made, I often think to myself about how surprised his neurologist was that he survived such a deadly stroke – Peter’s survival is a miracle. The bleed was so big that ‘by right’ he should have died or at least have a permanent disability. I truly believe that he is doing well because I got him to the hospital within 30 minutes.

Before the stroke Peter was a volunteer Commander with the Rockingham Sea Rescue group, now he would like to do give back and help others facing the same journey.