Progressing Stroke
Hi There
My name is Letty and I need to tell you a little about me. I had the beginnings of a stroke on the 27th January 2016. It took four days for me to be unable to use my right side at all and it was worse because I’m also right-handed. I was only 62 years-old at the time. No-one believed that the stroke was still in progress. No-one thought to ask if the treatment I was receiving was correct for the type of stroke I was having.
Clinical Physiologist
I have been a Clinical Physiologist for many years and please note that I am not and have never been a doctor. Because of my job, I became very familiar with the brain and spinal cord and their associated diseases. I didn’t know, at the time, that I would end up making that training about me.
Stroke Ward
Having had the beginnings of a stroke, I was admitted onto a stroke ward. After a while, I was able to observe other patients and the way everyone interacted with them. Half the time the patients did not seem to know what was being said to them nor were they able to answer queries fast enough, if at all. I found myself in the same boat. I also found myself misunderstood very often and there was nothing I could do about it. Trying to argue only made matters worse because I either couldn’t respond fast enough or I could not get the answer out or I was just not understood.
Speaking for stroke victims
Although this site is about me, it speaks out for and to all those patients who are/were having difficulty communicating with staff and carers. It especially focuses on people who have had a stroke-in-progression but refers to all stroke patients because most of us are misunderstood. On top of that, we often receive treatment that healthcare professionals deem appropriate for us when that is not necessarily the case.
