[ad_1]
How two stroke survivors cope with life’s unpredictability
Jigmi Wangdi
In January 2009, 32-year-old Kesang woke up in a cheerful mood. She went through her usual morning routine – offering water on the altar and preparing breakfast for her family. While in the kitchen, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her head, and then everything went dark.
“I don’t remember much about what happened afterwards,” said Ksan.
The 47-year-old mother of three suffered a stroke, also known as a cerebral infarction, but was saved thanks to her family’s quick response and treatment at the National Referral Hospital.
But her life was never the same again.
It took her hundreds of physical therapy sessions and tremendous willpower and determination to be able to walk normally and do normal household chores independently.
“It was really difficult at first. I needed support from people around me to be able to walk,” she said.
She is lucky that her husband has always been there for her when she needed help. “My husband is my biggest support. He has always taken care of me, supported me, and given me hope and strength.”
Kesan said he didn’t realize he had a stroke until after he had it. Although she had suffered from high blood pressure since she was 22 years old and her doctor advised her to take medication, she did not take it seriously. “If I had listened to the doctor, this wouldn’t have happened to me.”
Today, Kesang can walk to the memorial tower and walk alone to the hospital for checkups — simple pleasures she wasn’t able to enjoy before, and which many people might take for granted.
More than a decade later, 39-year-old Dawa Choden suffered a stroke in 2021. During the pandemic, she actively tried to quit her drug addiction, little knowing what would happen.
That day, as soon as she got in the car and started the engine, she found that her vision became blurred and speaking became difficult. This was her last memory before she lost consciousness.
When she woke up, she found herself in hospital, where she was told she had suffered a stroke.
“My friend took me to the hospital and called my husband,” she said. “A few months after I was discharged, I couldn’t move my arms and legs.”
Dawa Jorden had to undergo rigorous physical therapy to recover. “I thought I would be paralyzed for life,” she said.
She can walk on her own now, a big improvement from her post-stroke condition, but she still loses her balance and falls.
The Bhutan Stroke Foundation (BSF) plays a vital role in providing critical care and services to stroke survivors and patients.
Both Dawa Choden and Kesang said BSF has played a key role in educating and developing stroke survivors and caregivers. Now, both are actively raising awareness about stroke among their friends and family to ensure they do not suffer the same fate.
Risk factors for stroke include high blood pressure, obesity, lack of exercise, poor diet and smoking.
The National Health Survey (NHS) 2023 revealed a high prevalence of risk factors among the Bhutanese population.
The survey found that the incidence of high blood pressure increased from 28% in 2019 to 30.3% in 2023. Additionally, the number of people who were physically inactive nearly tripled, with the prevalence increasing from 6% in 2014 to 18.3% in 2023.
The study also found that the average daily salt intake of Chinese residents is 8.5 grams, exceeding the daily limit of 5 grams recommended by the World Health Organization.
Colonel Tashi Tenzin, consultant general surgeon and neurosurgeon, said high blood pressure and heart disease were the main causes of stroke. “High-salt diet, smoking, lack of physical exercise, alcohol consumption and obesity can also cause stroke.”
The acronym “BE-FAST” can be used to remember the signs and symptoms of a stroke: B for loss of balance, E for vision problems, F for face drooping, A for arm weakness, S for speech difficulties and T for time to seek medical help.
“If any of the above symptoms occur, it means the patient may be suffering from a stroke and needs to be rushed to the nearest hospital. Some may experience severe headaches and some may even lose consciousness,” said Dr Tashi Tenzin.
[ad_2]
Source link
