The 29th of October, is World Stroke Day and one Cork Doctor has shared an emotional story to show how important it is to know what to do if someone has a stroke.
Professor Liam Healy, who works in Cork University Hospital, took to Twitter to tell the story of one of his patients, Chris.
The emotional story is as follows:
"Karen is worried. Her neighbour, Chris (short for Christine), has missed a regular coffee date with a friend earlier this morning. Her house is in darkness," the first tweet reads.
"The curtains are still closed. Karen gets spare keys from a neighbour and together they open the door to Chris’s house."
“They find Chris upstairs on the ground next to her bed. It’s not clear how long she has been there. She is still breathing.
Karen, an experienced physiotherapist, suspects Chris has had a stroke. She can’t speak and is paralysed down one side. They quickly call an ambulance.”
Chris, was then taken immediately to Cork University Hospital and was met by the Emergency Medicine and Stroke teams together.
It turns out that Karen was right, Chris had suffered a severe stroke.
One of the main arteries bringing blood to Chris’s brain, is blocked by a blood clot.
Due to no one knowing how long Chris was laying there before she was found, only brain scans and special imaging will tell if any of the damage is reversible – luckily some of it is.
After an emergency surgery to remove the clot, Chris's future is still unsure.
Further tests show that it was an irregular heart rhythm that caused the stroke.
Liam continues saying:
“Over the next few days she gradually begins to recover. Her language improves. Her swallowing improves. She begins to walk with assistance. She starts being able to dress herself and get to the bathroom.”
Chris’ story takes a positive turn thanks to the help of the stroke unit at CUH, stroke speech & language therapists, occupational therapists and her family and friends.
She returns home and with their help and assistance and slowly relearns day-to-day tasks.
Including a photo with his next tweet, Liam says:
“This is Chris today at home, two months after her stroke. She is living independently and can do all of the things she could do previously - walk, talk, chat, cook, laugh and cry. She is slowly but surely getting back to her old self.
The other person in the photo is Karen, Chris’s neighbour who first found her on the ground. In a twist of fate, Karen changed jobs the day of Chris’s stroke, starting a new role as a senior physiotherapist. On the stroke unit here in CUH where Chris was treated.”
This is Chris today at home, two months after her stroke. She is living independently and can do all of the things she could do previously - walk, talk, chat, cook, laugh and cry. She is slowly but surely getting back to her old self. pic.twitter.com/MC4fFdt4pn
— Dr. Liam Healy (@drliamhealy) October 28, 2021
Liam nears the end of the Twitter thread by taking the time to educate people on how dangerous strokes can be and what to do if you think someone has had one.
"Stroke is the third biggest killer in Ireland and the leading cause of acquired disability."
"Stroke will always, sadly, result in some people having significant disability or dying from their illness. We are working hard to ensure that the processes are in place to give every patient the best chance of the best care that they and their families deserve.
"Chris will be followed up in a new stroke support centre established here in Cork, allowing people and their families access to information, support and perhaps most importantly, the kindness and company of other people who have also had a stroke."
To end Chris's story, he revealed how she's determined to drive again, as "she has a missed coffee date with a friend from a few months back that she wants to keep. And maybe some cake this time too."
To read the full Twitter thread click here.
