A JOURNEY TO BETTER HEALTH
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Stroke can happen at any time – and for a stroke survivor and their family, it can completely devastate their day-to-day lives. Geoff, a quarry driver from Dunedin, experienced a stroke six years ago. With the support of the Stroke Foundation, we’re proud to say that Geoff is now back at work and is continuing on his journey to better health.
The day before his stroke, Geoff was experiencing some strange sensations. He was extremely tired, headachy, and thirsty.
Geoff recalled, “It had been pretty warm here in Dunedin, so I just put it all down to heat exhaustion. But honestly, my lifestyle wasn’t that great. I didn’t watch my diet or exercise and that had taken a toll on my health.”
When Geoff walked into work the next day, he suddenly felt like he had been whacked from behind. “I knew something was wrong. By coincidence, my colleague’s mother had experienced a stroke a few weeks earlier and knew to dial 111.”
Geoff was immediately admitted to the stroke ward and underwent rehabilitation before returning home to continue his recovery. It was a period of major change for Geoff. Physically, he’d lost a lot of strength on his left side, and his speech was also affected.
“It was all a shock, I thought I was too young to have a stroke at 51. I wasn’t able to get back to work and I had my driver’s license revoked for six weeks.”
Kathy, one of the Stroke Foundation’s Community Stroke Advisors (CSAs), was introduced to Geoff to guide him through his recovery and connect him with the vital support systems that would make a difference. Kathy was there to help when Geoff returned home, supporting him through those first stages and liaising with rehabilitation services to make this transition easier for Geoff and his family.
“Kathy helped me through the immense changes and challenges I was going through. Whenever I needed something, she was there to help.”
When Geoff regained some of his confidence, he also joined Kathy’s coffee group for stroke survivors.
“The support and camaraderie from the group has been fantastic. I was encouraged to join a walking group, which is something I’ve continued. It’s really built up my stamina and strength.”
After a couple of months, Geoff thought he’d achieved his major goal of getting back to work as he was given the all-clear to drive again. However, recovery from stroke is often an unpredictable process. A specialist noted that Geoff was experiencing visual inattention, which meant that his driver’s license was once again revoked.
“I was really worried about how long it would be before I could return to work, or if I could get back to work at all.”
From that point on, Geoff focused on what he could control, which was improving his overall health and fitness. He started regularly going to the gym with his wife Fiona and taking part in long-distance walking events.
“I set a goal to join a walk from Clyde to Alexandra in the September following my stroke, which I completed. Since then, I’ve actually taken part in around 10 long-distance 10km walks. I love them!”
After driving for over 30 years, Geoff didn’t expect to have to start from scratch. However, the massive improvements Geoff was making to his health meant he was getting closer to passing his driving tests and returning to work. Just over a year after his stroke, he was back at work full-time.
“Over the last six years I’ve completely turned my health and lifestyle around, I’ve even managed to lose 30kgs!”
Geoff remains a regular in the coffee group and enjoys encouraging stroke survivors on their recovery journeys. “I support others by sharing my own experiences. It’s good to be there to help – just like the Stroke Foundation, and particularly Kathy, did for me.”
Geoff is now training to complete the Papatowai Challenge in February, where he will walk a 15.5km course around the Catlins.
SUPPORTING US NOW WILL ALLOW US TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF CSAS IN OUR COMMUNITIES, HELPING EVEN MORE PEOPLE AFFECTED BY STROKE IN 2021.