The first days of my stroke journey
Over the next few weeks I want to raise awareness of young stroke. So I am posting parts of my journey on my Facebook page and in the event page for my fundraiser. I wanted to share it here too.
Post #1:
Stroke can strike anyone, of any age, gender and fitness level. Sometimes it’s caused by something. Sometimes no cause can be found. For me, they didn’t find a cause. I was 30, fit and healthy, I worked out the gym, was learning ballroom dance, ate well, had a job where I was active most of the day. There was no warning that I was about to have a massive stroke.
I was at work on a Monday when I started feeling ill. I recall I was filling out paperwork at my desk when a crystal-like light started shining in one eye. I ignored it and kept working. I remember feeling weak and tired after and made the incredibly smart decision to go home. I called my Mum and asked her to pick me up. I rang my GP and made an appointment for that afternoon. It just didn’t feel right.
One of the GPs in my practice thought it was a migraine. He gave me a few days off work and told me to rest. 6 days later I woke up and couldn’t move. Panic set it in. I felt like I had lost half the bones in my body. My right arm and leg were like rubber. I remember thinking I must be in the second Harry Potter book, that someone had removed the bones from my arm and leg. But there was no magic cure. No regrowing bones with skele-grow potion.
What ensued was an ambulance ride to hospital, a battery of tests and a word I thought I’d never hear: stroke.
I was in the stroke ward for 5 days and then released home. I had to attend physio, speech therapy, occupational therapy, hydro therapy (about 6 sessions of each). And then I was left to my own devices. That’s when the Stroke Foundation started helping out, I relied on the information they provided to continue with my own “home therapy” program. Without the Stroke Foundation, I would not have made the recovery that I have. Through the Stroke Foundation I found ideas on what to try, who to talk to, where to go for help. They were a lifesaver for me, feeling isolated and alone as “the only young person I know who’s had a stroke.” I’m not the only one. And I’m not alone anymore.
I don’t normally post about myself much, but I want to raise awareness of young stroke. I want to show people that strokes can affect anyone. I’m hosting a trivia night to raise money for the Stroke Foundation so they can continue to do what they do best: supporting people who’ve had a stroke. So that’s why I #doitforstroke
Here is a link to the page if you're interested in coming or supporting the event. Please share the link, the more we share our stories and our journeys, the more people will know and the easier life will become for survivors.