Why it is important to know the signs of a stroke By Jasmine

My stroke happened on December 5, 2017. 

I was at my desk at work at the time. First my arm went dead. I couldn’t lift it and it had no feeling. A few moments later I began to feel the same strange sensations in my left leg.  I couldn’t stand and I thought I would collapse. I was terrified. 

It dawned on me that I may be having a stroke. I felt like my body was shutting down and I needed to get help quickly.

Somehow, I managed to alert a workmate, but by this time my speech was slurring and I couldn’t get my words out. Luckily, she knew the F.A.S.T. signs of stroke and called an ambulance immediately. 

I was given an oxygen mask to help me breathe while we waited. I suffer from anxiety and when the paramedics arrived they began to treat me for that, but I know what anxiety feels like and I knew it wasn’t a panic attack.

At hospital the staff were not sure whether to call a ‘code stroke’ because of my young age. I had a CT scan, but it didn’t show a stroke, so they sent me home with a suspected migraine. My arm was still not working, I was on blood thinners, and I was booked in for an MRI in a few days.

Leaving the hospital, I was a mess. I was in tears and terrified that I would not be able to look after my children. I was exhausted and I could hardly move. My mother came and picked me up and we were looking at each other thinking what was going on, what was going to happen? 

Over the next two days, my husband and I spent a lot of time on Dr Google. It wasn’t the best idea, but I just knew in my heart something was very wrong. 

After I had my MRI scan I received a call from our local hospital’s Stroke Ward team asking me to come in for an appointment the next day. That was when we knew it was likely that I had had a stroke. Unfortunately, as I was referred to a different hospital I needed a Doctors referral to the ward, and that took an extra day. Finally, I received my diagnosis and even though we were prepared, it still came as a huge shock.

Initially my treating team could not find a cause of the stroke, but after some checks and scans a hole in my heart was discovered, which I believe is the cause, although there hasn’t been a formal diagnosis.

I returned to hospital a month later for a heart operation to close the hole, but I received very little in patient rehabilitation or support.  I feel like this really put my recovery back a bit. 

I have found my children have been the greatest motivators for my recovery. I was damned if a stroke was going to stop me being the parent my children need. I set goals early on and I have not deviated from them.   

One of my main goals was to get mobility back in my arm. This importance of this was highlighted when I went to my daughter’s kindy graduation and I was not able to take any photos. This moment motivated me to set a goal to get my arm function back in a year. 

I stuck to my treatment plan and rested as much as I could to have the energy to do rehab every day. I am still lifting light weights daily and the repetition has paid off. I am so proud that I can now say I have a hand my daughter can hold, I can hug my kids, clap for them when they do something well and wave hello and goodbye. Small movements that mean so much. 

I am learning how to manage stress, which is a big one for me. The emotional toll of stroke cannot be underestimated.  When I feel under pressure, I lose many of the gains I have made in recovery. My speech gets worse and my hand seizes up. At times, I can’t even hold a drink.

It is now 15months since my stroke and I have learned so much. I listen to my body and know there is no shame in asking for help. Rest is really important. I don’t think my recovery would have been as good if I didn’t give my brain the rest it needed. And finally, accept the new you. If you don’t do this, you will have a bigger emotional mountain to climb. Recovery is hard enough without loading yourself with ‘what ifs’.