If Wagga man John Moi didn’t listen to his wife, his story would have been much different.
Mr Moi is bravely telling his story to coincide with stroke awareness week.
The 61-year-old woke up one morning on July 22 this year to get ready for work.
“But I felt uneasiness on my left arm and I couldn’t do what I normally do in the morning,” Mr Moi said.
“When I stood up, my left side was uncoordinated, I was just twisting around.
“In my mind I thought I thought I had slept badly.”
Mr Moi’s wife, Susan, was looking for signs of stroke, such as whether his face had drooped.
“She said ‘instead of going to work, let’s go to the hospital’,” Mr Moi said.
“All I knew is something bad was happening to me, I didn’t know it was a stroke.
“If I knew from the start I was having a stroke, I would have freaked out.”
Mr Moi is on the road to recovery – he is going to rehabilitation sessions to aid his treatment.
“I still have things to work on on my ankle, knee and some other places,” he said.
Wagga Wagga Health Service has provided a number of local coffee shops with coffee cups displaying the National Stroke Foundation’s FAST awareness campaign.
Murrumbidgee Local Health District Neurologist Dr Martin Jude threw his support behind the awareness push.
“The FAST campaign is an easy way for anyone to quickly recognise the signs of stroke and provide fast action for someone showing the signs,” Dr Jude said.
Wagga Base Hospital Stroke Unit Social Worker Catherine Stockyl said time was very important in getting treatment to stroke victims.
“With a stroke there’s usually no pain associated with it, unlike a heart attack,” Ms Stockyl said.
“You’re better off getting checked and be sure.”
“We’ve treated teenagers who have suffered from stroke – It can affect anyone.”
FAST
- Face – check their face, has their mouth dropped?
- Arms - Can they lift both?
- Speech – Is speech slurred, do they understand you?
- Time – Is critical. If you see any of these signs, call 000.
