A BAD NECK DAY &
A "BRAIN STEM STROKE - ON 13th APRIL 2000
The year 1999 was coming to an end FAST. Christmas and Year 2000 was just round the corner and I was already 54 years old looking forward to the new Century.
On New Years eve there were so many things going on in Sydney and we as a family were all confused as to how we really wanted to welcome the millennium. We had three invites to New Years Parties to choose from, or a visit to the Opera house with a zillion others to see the spectacular fireworks or drive 75 kilometres out of Sydney to The Hindu temple for Midnight Prayers to welcome the New Century
Finally it was decided we would watch the 9.00pm fire works from a nearby park, attend a party at a friends leave early and drive to the temple before midnight . We could always watch the TV recording of the fireworks later.
The Party was dull, boring and disappointing. At 10.30 pm we were all ushered into a pitch dark foot ball field behind my friends property for our own private fire works. God knows what happened the crackers just refused to light but for the odd one as they had become damp some how... All guests retired into the house disappointed for a hot cuppa. The family left in two cars for the temple, not long after.
We set out for the temple early as it was a long drive and then out of the blue, a German shepherd who was distraught from loud explosions of crackers had escaped from his home and ran right in front of my car. I freaked out and braked hard but still hit him and he was thrown away and could not stop as the idiot driver behind me was honking and harassing me. I did not want an argument with an irate car driver just before new year 2000.
My heart sank as the party was a flop and I had hit a pet dog (I Love Dogs) and did not and could not stop to assist him. All this was heavily weighing in on my mind. Was bad Omen I'd say.
We reached the temple on time offered our Prayers at Midnight with a 1000 other devout Hindus and came home at 2.30am. Was an awful start to the new century and we were all most disappointed.
My older sister left Sydney and flew back to Madras to be with my mother. Days went by and on the 7th of January 2000, I was back at work; my first working day of the new century.
On 8th January I got a call from my sister saying my mother was in a very bad way and to take the first available flight to Madras. I knew what that meant.
My mother had been tube fed following a stroke for almost five years. The stomach had packed up and so too, her digestive system and the food would not pass through the tube. So the doctors took the feed tube out and put my mother on intravenous drips. It was a matter of time before my mother would pass away.
On the 19th of January my beloved mother breathed her last and I thanked almighty for ending her misery finally.
Back in Sydney by end January and I was feeling extremely ill. very short of breath and feeling tired and sleepy all the time. Then strange lot of symptoms started to surface.
Every day I was having visual disturbances in my right eye. Flashing lights in one corner which progressively became bigger and bigger forcing me to keep my eyes closed. Sometimes when at work a small bubble would appear which grew bigger slowly and when I was reading alphabets behind the bubble would get enlarged.
So my General Practitioner or Family Doctor sent me to see a Neurologist Prof Lance who was also a Migraine specialist.. The diagnosis automatically was migraine hemiplegia and prescribed Sando migran tablets. A few days after starting on Sando Migran, my hands were going to sleep when I was driving and I remember talking to my hand saying come on buddy, "You can't go to sleep when I am driving". I'd reach my clients office and walking up one flight of stairs to meet my client became an extremely difficult task. I was convinced my heart was in trouble
On 5th of April 2000 I was with my cardiologist. He had injected me with a Systemibi Dye and told me to wait in the reception for 30 minutes and that he would come and take me in for a stress test followed by an ECHO.
Sitting and waiting at the reception with other patients, watching Larry King Live, I felt my lips were tingling and going numb. My mouth had gone dry. Could feel my Blood Pressure was going up and I was having palpitations and shortness of breath. I was going to throw up. I thought I was having a reaction to the dye that was injected.
I managed to go to the reception desk and tried to tell the receptionist I was not feeling well. I realised my speech was slurred. The receptionist was on the phone straightaway asking to doctor who had gone to get a sandwich to come up immediately. Poor fellow ran up with a half eaten sandwich. He looked at me and said. "Shit the gentleman is having a stroke" He grabbed a wheel chair, wheeled me to the lift and down across the road to RPAH -Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Emergency.
He told the Triage Nurse "I am a cardiologist" This Patient of mine is having a Stroke. Please summon your neurologist immediately and then he just dumped me and went back to his rooms. So much for duty of care.
The Triage Nurse took her own sweet time and I was sitting in a chair dying a slow death with no one around me. I had phoned my wife and she was on the way from her work place in North Sydney.
Finally they found a bed for me and went through all formalities and paper work and health insurance details etc etc. Organised some blood tests, I was there for three or so hours and then I came good all symptoms were gone besides fatigue. No one form Neurology came to see me. No scans were done despite the cardiologist telling triage I was having a stroke. I was discharged and told what I had was Migraine hemiplegia that had been diagnosed by Prof Lance and I was being treated for. (on hindsight I wish I had not given them this information).
On 7th of April I went Woolworth shopping with my nieces husband. Was feeling crappy and told him "Peter, I feel like shit and should be in hospital. Something is very wrong with me."
On 12th April I dropped my wife off at the Sydney International Airport. She was on a business trip to Tokyo. I always told her to be careful when travelling as she is an insulin dependent Type 1 Diabetic. On that day I did not do that; instead I told my wife, "Jupps, I don't feel well at all. So don't be surprised to see me in hospital when you come back".
I got told off by her for saying what I did and ruining her trip; but to me this was just plain premonition, just came out of my mouth.
I went home cooked Tamarind fish curry and watched a bit of cricket with my son. The famous World Cup match South Africa Vs Australia where South African Cricketer Jonty Rhodes dropped Steve Waugh's catch and lost the game for South Africa.
By 10.30pm I hit the sack.
By 1.30am I was extremely thirsty. Came downstairs for a glass of cold water. My son was asleep in the TV Room. I turned the TV off and sent him to his room upstairs and I went to mine on the first floor too.
About 4.30am I woke up and pulled my sleep apnea mask off as my nose was itchy and needed a scratch. Something was wrong. I could move my right hand but could not scratch my nose. It was pitch dark still. I tried to get up and could not feel my left leg. Could not even wiggle the toes in my left leg.
Damn. I had suffered a stroke in my sleep and my left leg was totally paralysed. I was scared as hell
I tried to call my son, but could not raise my voice enough to wake him up, as doors to both our bed rooms were shut.
I still had the presence of mind to roll over the king size bed to my wife's side and grab the phone and dialled 000. The Operator at the other end said .
"Sir your speech is extremely slurred. You are having a stroke? . I said "Ummmm". She said "don't worry we have all your information here. You live at 14 Telopea Avenue South Strathfield opposite the Primary school. Please get some one to open the door as the ambulance will be there in a few minutes. I mumbled and said "door is locked - steel security door". Operator said "Is there any one who can open the door" and I said "No".
Ok we are sending Police and Firebrigade too. They may have to break the door to get you out to the hospital.
Fortunately I remembered my Sister who lived down the road had a set of keys to my house so I dialled her number and my Brother in law arrived just as the Police Ambulance and Fire Brigade arrived.
The Paramedic sat me up in bed and I threw up like I have never done before in my life. They told me not to worry this happens when patients are having a stroke.
Good all of them arrived at the same time as it needed six strong men to bring me down a winding staircase using my bed sheet, as they could not use the stretcher.
The Paramedics were "God Sends". They gave me Maxalon injections to calm me down and kept telling me not to fall asleep in the ambulance and to try and stay awake until I got to emergency.
On 13th April 2000 I suffered a massive Brain Stem Stroke caused by the Dissection of the right Vertebral artery in my NECK.
Did I say NECK ? Yes Sir it was the damn neck again.
13th April 2000 was "A Bad Neck Day"
Satan had tried one more time to end my life by cutting off the blood supply in the vertebral artery in my neck supplying the Brain Stem
I was fading in and out of Consciousness at the emergency. My Face was burning as if it was inside an oven.
My wife was told this bad news, as she landed in Tokyo and was on the first flight back to Sydney. I felt very sad imagining what she was going through and how my 16 year old and only son was handling this situation. My younger sister Sheela and Brother in Law Sree stood by me shell shocked not knowing what the future held.
Before I realised I was inside an MRI Machine. Never heard such loud noise before. Opened my eyes and realised my head was inside a tube that was just millimetres from my nose. I felt claustrophobic so I closed my eyes shut tight. Then the most amazing thing happened.
I probably passed out I don't remember and there was no one there with me because of radiation.
Suddenly an Extremely Bright White Light appeared to surround me. I thought it must be the MRI Machine as I had never been in one before. There I was pleading with my God saying
"Please spare me. My son and wife need me badly. I cannot leave them in the lurch. Please give me one more chance"
I don't remember anything else until I woke up in my bed in a neurology ward on Level 5 of RPAH.
I was seeing every thing double. My face was burning. My speech was slurred and I was not able to swallow and was choking on my own saliva and drooling. I could move my right hand but had little control, it was all over the place. My left leg was totally paralysed and like a tree stump.
Shit luck it was, to be honest. I have always hated bed pans and here I was stuck in a hospital bed and my bladder was bursting.
I looked at all the nurses and they were all amazing angels except they had no wings.
Two things followed Non Stop HICCUPS and the most severe Ear Ache.
The neuro Registrar Steve ( dont Remember his surname) was truly brilliant doctor. He performed all neurological tests to ascertain the full damage. Canulars were put in, blood sent for all sorts of tests, drips were in place.
I heard Dr Steve tell another colleague, "This is a Typical Text Book Case, where the right side of the Face and right hand were affected and the nerve damage crossed over in the neck and affected the entire torso on the left side of the Body and my Left leg. Then they started to whisper and my guess is that Steve was saying "He is lucky to be alive".
I seldom cry but could not hold my tears then. Thank You God.
I started to blame myself thinking I had not done enough to look after my mother and this was my punishment. But then I also thought my mother loved me more than anything in the world and she would not let this happen to me.
Why my life was spared ?, I have no Clue to this date. Was it an answer to my Prayer or was I spared as I had unfinished business that had to be completed.
Despite all family members and friends being there for me every day, there was someone I was truly missing. My four legged Son Rajah as he had no clue where Dad was.
My One and Only Juja "RAJAH"
I insisted that he be brought to the hospital. I was brought out of the hospital in a wheel chair and Rajah was there waiting for me. He was soooo happy to see Daddy and just could not contain his joy and wanted to climb on to the wheel chair and sit on my lap.
Unconditional love only Dogs can give us humans.
It is a 19 year long story of how I survived a Brain Stem Stroke defying all odds. It was the same stroke that killed young Australian cricketer Phil Hughes when a cricket ball hit his neck and ruptured the vertebral artery. I lived and he died.
I was in hospital for about four weeks and Dr Steve, the Neuro Registrar looked after me as the neurologist Dr. Davis was away on Easter Holidays.
Family and friends were visiting me and stood there at the foot of he bed with long faces feeling uncomfortable not knowing what to say to me and all I remember is I was fading in and out all the time.
A few days later the doctors and nurses tried to make me stand. I just fell like a sack of potato. Had zero balance and my left leg would not take any weight. Steve tried to explain that my Right ear had been damaged badly and hence loss of balance. Hiccups he was not sure what was causing it. I over heard him telling some family member the hiccup is getting worse and if the stroke did not kill him this damn hiccup would.
I am writing this 19 years later and am wondering where this talented young Doctor was today. Perhaps I will start to look for him so he can pen a few words for this Blog of mine.
In the 3rd week I was wheeled away. I could speak much better by now. My case was presented to all neurologists associated with RPAH and Sydney University, the auditorium was full and there I was sharing my story about what happened how I felt. Steve of course gave his doctors side of the medical story.
One of the doctors at the conference said : "This Gentleman was admitted to this same hospital a week earlier by his cardiologist telling Triage the gentleman was having a stroke and to call the neurologist registrar. The Triage Nurse failed to do this. Had he been assessed on that day neurologically and Plasma had been administered he would not have suffered a Brain Stem Stroke. No one could explain how the vertebral artery dissected. The three weeks I was in hospital I became a specimen as so many doctors dropped by to see me and ask me questions.
Oh. I almost forgot I survived because my Blood was thinned with Warfarin (Rat Poison for the Rat) and blood was going up the dominant Left Vertebral artery up the Basillar and retrograde flow down the right vertebral into the PICA.
I was discharged and sent to a Rehab Facility close to my houseman Strathfield called Alwyn.
Alwyn is where the miracle took place. The Place was a dump but there were two amazing physiotherapists working part time. They were actually nurses from Ireland on a working holiday, Unfortunately I do not remember their names though I made a note of it then. They told me you are only 54 and so young and you have to exercise your mind over your body to get well.
They gave me some basic exercises of doing weights on pulleys. They asked me to do the exercise for 30 minutes twice a day. I used to do it for 2 hours twice a day. Within a week I was up on my feet with crutches and the 4th week I was naughty and walked outside the Rehab round the block without crutches or any one for support. I was thrilled but boy did I get a lecture from the head nurse for being stupid breaking rules that could have got the Rehab into a big legal trouble had something bad had happened to me.
So I dodged death One More Time and against all Odds.
Why am I alive today and not Dead is the question ?
