My Story - Jose Gopal aged 35

My Survivors Story

My name is Jose D Gopal & I'll be 40 this year, I had my stroke at the tender age of 35 which was four months before my 36th birthday it was on Monday morning about 10am 20th January 2003 - funny how events like that stick in your mind and I'll be approaching my fourth year post stroke.

It was a mild January morning and also my day off from work, my partner Lynn was downstairs in the kitchen & I was running a bath upstairs. I went into the bedroom to get undressed, the girls were at school and it was peaceful. Suddenly I felt a rush to my head and my whole left side went limp and I fell on the floor. I was very dizzy, could not see much but I could here Lynn running up the stairs asking if I was OK. I remember saying I think I've had a stroke, then I recall Lynn speaking to the 999 operator, then I passed out.

Boy did I have some really strange dreams while I was out - little did I know how long for. While I was out I was shuffled between Ealing hospital and Charring Cross hospital while they fought to save my life. I was so close to death, somebody upstairs was protecting me - sometimes I do wonder why.

I awoke 6 weeks later in Ealing Hospital. I'd been in a coma, I was still hazy - not really with it. I did not realise that my left side was non functioning, as I tried to get out of bed I fell flat on my face - a couple of nurses came over to help me up I felt so stupid it still did not dawn on me what had happened to me, I think it was a couple of days later when the consultant came to see me and he explained what had happened to me - that I will probably never regain function in my left arm or never walk again, my vision was not great and I could not communicate properly. That night I cried myself to sleep I could not believe it. I spent two months in Ealing hospital with limited physiotherapy my father used to do to exercise my arm and leg, as he had had a stroke when he was 45 he knew what I was going through.

It was finally decided that I should go to Clayponds rehabilitation hospital, I remember my 1st night there, the doctor came over to see me and said we will give you physiotherapy and if you do not walk in three weeks we will send you home and if your family cannot cope with you, we will probably arrange for you to go into residential care. I could not believe what I was hearing, I hated it there, I was one of the youngest people there - the bulk of the people there were much older and it was hard to strike up conversations. It made me very depressed, I did remember what one fellow stroke survivor said to me one afternoon he said “having a stroke was like being a baby learning how to talk and walk except you remember every bit of it”, well I spent 5 months in Clayponds by the time I was released I still had no use of my left arm & I could walk very short distances with a quadstick - I say walk more like a shuffle.

I was assigned to the Ealing intermediate team who work out of Ealing hospital for 6 weeks, the O/T that was assigned to me was very concerned with my walking and mental state - she had a friend who was a physio at Northwick Park hospital in the Regional Rehab unit. I was assessed, given a guided tour and everything that the unit did and what they intend on doing for me was explained to me, although I did not want to go back into hospital again I knew I could not stay the way I was Lynn would not have been able to cope so I resigned myself to going there for my sake and for the sake of my immediate family. I was offered a place I reluctantly accepted in the hope that I would leave in better condition then when I arrived, the 1st few days proved hard I was very tearful & down but eventually I got to like it there. They dealt with brain injury, not just strokes, and there where people in there more in my age group & I made a lot of friends especially one young guy that had MS. I remember we were both laying in our beds at night and he said to me “do you miss it?”, “miss what?” I said “walking” he replied “it must be hard you being able bodied then suffering a disability, I've never walked so I do not know any different being in a wheelchair” what he had said to me struck a cord and we have remained in contact ever since, the staff kept you active & you were encouraged to participate in all the activities throughout the day. They had a good hardworking team at Northwick Park and I was discharged from there after 5 months feeling much better within myself.

My feelings towards the NHS are mixed, there was some good days and a hell of a lot of bad days, I had spent a total of over a year under the care of the NHS and reading some of the other survivors stories I probably got a lot more support from the system than most, I left the system with a leg splint because of my dropped foot and I can walk very short distances with the aid of a walking stick. I still have a lot of pain, my balance is not 100%, and at night I wear a hand splint to keep my fingers opened, I still do not have any function of my left arm, the hand splint still causes me pain as my fingers really push against the plastic & I require assistance to put the splint on.

Upon my release from Northwick Park hospital I fought to get my driving license back and to get back on the road. It took a total of seven months, loads of phone calls to DVLA medical, and finally a visit to a GP paid for by the DVLA finally insured that I would be getting my licence back, the day I received my licence and I had it in my hands I cried (tears of joy). I now drive an automatic adaptive vehicle that I acquired on the Motability scheme, the day I drove it home was a very proud day for me - it was more like an achievement as I thought I'd never drive again, it is a brilliant feeling.

The support that I have received from my family and my close friends has been amazing and I consider myself very lucky and fortunate, I still miss the old me and I do still think back on what I have lost but I live everyday as it comes and face life full on the best way I can dealing with my disabilities.

The aftercare that I've received from the NHS as an outpatient has been reasonable, could be better, what more can I say.

I'd like to thank Different Strokes for publishing my survivors story & for a great message board.

I wish each and every stroke survivor all the best in whatever they decide to do with their lives, good luck & god bless.

Jose

Thanks to Jose 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!)

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