Skateboarding and surfing again after stroke
By John Duenzl
The first swim on the first day of a holiday is always something to look forward to for me and my family.
In December 2019, I had wrapped up work for the year. My family and I had headed to the beach for Christmas and it was time for fun.
I threw a tennis ball into the water for the kids to retrieve, but lobbed it a bit too far so I swam out myself to grab it. That is when everything changed in an instant.
As I turned to come back to the shore, I started losing my vision, my balance and coordination. I couldn’t control my arms to swim, something that was so natural to me, something I had done for decades. I screamed out to my wife Trudi for help, I went below the water. Thankfully, there were a number of people on the beach. Trudi and some kind strangers pulled me from the water unconscious, lay me on the sand and called triple zero (000).
I regained consciousness, but was dazed and clearly remember thinking "don't panic" as we waited for an ambulance to arrive.
The ambulance took me to the local hospital, where I had a brain scan. Doctors told me I had suffered a stroke.
Hearing that diagnosis was a huge shock. I was a 37 year old guy who looked after my health and fitness. Before my stroke I went to the gym five days a week, I didn’t smoke and I only drank socially.
After my stroke, I was fortunate enough to still be able to talk and I defied the odds with my ability to walk given the amount of my brain which had been damaged. I felt excruciating pain in my head in the days after my stroke and feared I would have another one.
The early days were long and frightening for my entire family, but soon I started making small daily improvements in my mobility.
I returned to work as a business development manager four weeks after my stroke and it was too soon. Although I was put on light duties, I underestimated how much I would struggle. Then the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic hit and I was made redundant.
In reality, my redundancy was a blessing in disguise. It allowed me the time I needed to heal. I was suffering from fatigue. Even things like stormy weather and my hydration levels impacted me physically.
At home I could work on myself and what really mattered in life. I started to stretch my mind and began to work on my co-ordination and timing by learning the piano and trying to skateboard down the driveway.
Fast forward one year and my stroke has made me more aware of the need to focus on my faith, family, friends and finances.
We have moved from the city to a regional town, on the beach where I have the opportunity to add surfing to skateboarding as a way of improving my balance. I am far from doing any tricks, but it’s something I am so thrilled I still have the ability to do.
There is more to do in my and my family’s recovery, but we are on our way.
