My Story.....

Anthony Pinkerton

My life changed after I had my cerebral infarct, on the morning of 29 March 2004. I was getting out of bed to drive my wife to work as I had the day off. The next thing I remember is that I was lying beside the bed on the floor, my left side was paralysed but I could still manage some speech. My wife Helen came in the room and started to ask me what was wrong, I remember it was like being in a drunken stupor like I was a few times in the year after watching football. Helen phoned for an ambulance to come but I told her not to bother, I thought that it would just pass and I would be fine later on.

How wrong was I to think that!!

The paramedics were excellent telling Helen over the phone not to give me any water or let me sleep just get me up onto the bed until they came. The ambulance arrived 10 mins later and they picked me up and asked all the usual questions, like can you speak or smile, raise your arms and look at their fingers in front of my eyes. So into a wheelchair I went and was rushed to Stobhill Hospital which was only a short distance away. I was admitted to a casualty ward which the nurses called the zoo as it was so busy and noisy. I had tubes put into me and the usual injections. The first 48 hours are still very hazy to me I remember I couldn't see out the left eye, and I was almost falling out the bed every couple of minutes and was very sick. After the 48 hours I was admitted to Ward 10B in Stobhill Hospital which was a Chest Heart & Stroke ward.

I had been looked after by the nursing staff of Ward 10B who were excellent, encouraging me to try and sit up. After 2 weeks I was moved to a rehab ward which was much quieter, and the ward had rooms which had about 8 patients in each. I was quite cheerful and relaxed (I don't think I realised what lay ahead). In total I was in hospital for only 4 weeks! It seemed like 4 months. I was working for the John Lewis Partnership in Glasgow before the CVA and it was encouraging to see my workmates visiting me and keeping my spirits up.

I know I was very lucky not to be paralysed for longer than I was. All the damage was soon repaired, my eyesight returned and I started to walk a little with help from the nurses, my speech was still slurred and my mouth drooped but at least I could try to talk.

I don't know the reason for the CVA but there is a history of strokes in the family, I had a few shandies the night before the CVA and when admitted to Stobhill tests showed I had high blood pressure and my cholesterol was a little high. After tests (is it Doppler) on my neck it was decided that I should be ok to go back home as long as it was easy for me to get about on my weak left side, some alterations were made, shower rail installed etc and there were no stairs in the house to try and manage.

My mother and sister have had strokes in the past, my mother has sadly passed away, my sister Evelyn who lives in South Africa had a TIA about 7 years ago. She is fine now and living in a retirement village near Durban. I only found out after my wife phoned Evelyn to tell her I was in hospital and then she told us of her having the TIA. I have a brother in South Africa so the only family I have here are my wife's family who were brilliant to me, urging me on to get my head up and see how lucky I was that I can have some mobility. I had physio in the house and made an effort to go to the gym to get myself fit. I was really doing so well until I had the dreaded panic attacks and all the nonsense that goes with them. They started in August and I was so low, the usual crying, no way out type of thing. I tried to shake them off without any pills but I was an absolute wreck. I just couldn't go out the house to even walk to the local shop for a paper. I felt as if all the panic attacks were holding up my progress. It was like I was going backwards instead of forwards. I was so annoyed.

My wife was always by my side and she was absolutely fantastic during the last 6 weeks. I had an appointment with my GP so off I went and he could see I was struggling and he was quite shocked to see the difference in me. A delayed reaction I suppose, he prescribed Lofepramine but told me it would take at least 10 days before they would start to work, that was the longest 10 days I have had since I was admitted to hospital.

Well it's now October and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. The attacks have lessened and my moods have improved. I know I still have a long way to go but I will not let this keep me back. I know part of my problem is that my life has changed so much - diet, drinking, socialising, but I still have quality of life. I just have to get use to the change. I started to attend Relaxation classes which are held in an office block in the City Centre where I go for my Momentum classes. I attended last Wednesday and I enjoyed it so much, I went home and had a lie down on the settee watching TV and having a snooze - best sleep I have had in months. All the people who attended the classes were known to me as they were held in the same office as the rehab I have been attending in the last few months.

My Momentum class for me is learning Word Pro with the IT Dept, I do not like this very much but it's got to be done.

I only found out about this web-site by visiting my Momentum class in Glasgow. The survivors' stories are very uplifting and helped me a great deal. Many thanks to Different Strokes in Castlemilk Sports Centre. Helen phoned up and asked for help as I had nowhere to go for help with my severe panic attacks and depression. Helen found them very helpful indeed, and arranged for us to visit the following Sunday. We arrived on the Sunday afternoon at the Sports Centre. I was shaking and crying, but after meeting Kathleen Malloy and her husband Jack and the rest of the group I soon calmed down, after a coffee and a talk. I went to the gym and did some exercises. When we went home I helped with making Sunday dinner, a big step because I wouldn't even lift a spoon before I went to the Sports Centre.

Well I have tried to keep this as short as possible, all I can add is good luck to everybody in their progress. Keep your head up it will get better.

P.S. If Chris Pinkerton is reading this if you want to you can phone or email me to find out if we are related, my family is scattered all over England, Scotland and South Africa.

Thanks to Anthony for sending in his profile. Anyone else who would like to share their story can send it along with a photograph (if you're not shy!)



Back to Survivors stories Menu