TE ANIWA
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Something’s not right with dad.
My dad’s first stroke came completely out of the blue. I had taken him to the hospital to get a colonoscopy, but on the way I noticed he was repeating his questions. He was also shuffling while walking, was weak on his left side, and couldn’t put his seatbelt on.
I could feel something was wrong, so I mentioned it to the hospital staff, but they shrugged it off and went ahead with the procedure. When I saw my dad again, he was on the floor with a white sheet over him. He had tried to get dressed, and had fallen. It was about four-and-a-half hours between us reporting his symptoms to the hospital, and him receiving any attention, and his scan revealed that he had a brain bleed.
One positive to come of it was that the neurologist educated us on the signs to look out for with dad. A few weeks later, he slumped over the table unresponsive. I took one look at him and dialled 111. The ambulance was there really quickly and by the time I arrived, they were already taking him for an MRI. He then went straight into surgery to drain a huge brain bleed.
Our two experiences with stroke couldn’t have been more different. The first time was really traumatic for our whānau. The second time we knew what to look out for, and when we called the ambulance we knew exactly what to say. As a result, dad got the treatment he needed extremely quickly.
In the six months since his last stroke, dad’s come out of it with very little deficit – he’s got no paralysis or speech difficulties. The biggest change is that he gets tired really easily, and sometimes can be repetitive in his thoughts. To us that just goes to show how knowing the signs of stroke, and acting quickly, had a hugely positive impact on dad’s health. After our experience, and with our new knowledge around F.A.S.T., we’re hyper-vigilant around his healthcare and are always watching out for any signs of stroke.