STROKE survivor
my story
June 5th 2020, I remember cutting the grass…………then I woke up in hospital…..
I could not speak or move, I had no idea what was happening to me. Tubes and wires and diapers, horrible food. The nurses asking simple no/yes questions, which I could only communicate with thumbs up or thumbs down answers. Even that confused me. Reading didn’t make sense to me, it was jumbled letters. Worst of all, wife Carol and family could not visit due COVID-19.
My only lifeline was an iPad which my son bought for me. This truly did save my life and sanity.
I had an ischemic stroke and Global Aphasia and Apraxia.
June 22nd I was transferred to St. Joe’s rehabilitation centre in Guelph, I had hope. I had to go into isolation for the first 2 weeks, so I was confined to my room.
I had speech therapy, physiotherapy and occupational therapy Mon-Fri until my release on Aug 6th. Carol was able to visit July 15th, then only through plexiglass for 30mins.
Surgery
I had surgery at the beginning of September at Guelph General Hospital, to remove “crud” as the surgeon, Dr Jayaram described it, from my carotid artery to prevent another stroke. This meant another stay in the ICU. This was a second attempt, as the day before after spending 4 hours in pre-op, I was sent home, as Dr Jayaram was busy saving other people’s lives.
The year before
The year before the stroke, I woke up with my throat swelling up and I couldn’t breathe.
My wife took me to ER and the Doctor there told me that it was an allergic reaction to the medication I was taking at the time for my high blood pressure (AMLODOPINE).
My family Doctor referred me to a Cardiologist, who sent me for an ultrasound for my throat, and also for an overnight study for sleep apnea.
The cardiologist diagnosed me having sleep apnea, and recommended a CPAP.
After my stroke, it was advised that I should have surgery on my carotid artery as it was 80% blocked. The Doctor that preformed the surgery told me that the blocked carotid artery should have been diagnosed a year earlier by the cardiologist.