A stroke unit would get my thumbs up

The Editor

Five years ago at age 53, while waiting in the lineup at a local coffee shop, I had a hemorrhagic stroke. That’s the type of stroke where there is a bleed in the brain.

Gary Gray

I will always remember the experience. Somewhere along the way, I had learned the warning signs so that when I started to lose my voice and my side went weak. I knew I was having a stroke. Somehow, I managed to whisper to a friend who had already noticed something was wrong, that I was having a stroke and they called 911.

The ambulance arrived quickly. I was taken to the Montague hospital, then the QEH in Charlottetown, and then sent to the neurosurgery department of a Moncton hospital.

I remained in a coma at hospitals in Charlottetown, Moncton and Montague. My family was given little hope and my house was closed and contents put in storage. Then a miracle happened. After three weeks, I woke up.

What followed was a long and intense recovery period with lots of physical and mental rehabilitation.

Now, over five years later, I am living independently, driving, travelling and doing consulting work on a voluntary basis.

Because of my stroke, I have done a lot of reading and learning.

For the sake of other Islanders who will some day need the kind of medical attention that I required, I completely agree that the Island needs an acute stroke unit. I know, too, that this is one of the recommendations in the P.E.I. Stroke Strategy developed by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of P.E.I. and the Department of Health.

When dealing with stroke, time is of the essence. An acute stroke unit enables patients to receive timely, appropriate and high-quality stroke care.

Another important aspect of stroke recovery is rehabilitation.

Persons with stroke need followup physical therapy. This needs to take place in the hospital and in their community.

I know the importance of rehabilitation. Without therapy, I would be house bound and not nearly as active as I am. Therapy in hospital and after discharge is vital for those living with stroke.

Gary Gray, Montague