Too many fish suppers gave me 2 strokes
Dad warns of bad diet risks after suffering brain damage
A DAD who suffered two strokes in three months after years of eating too many fish suppers has warned of the dangers of an unhealthy lifestyle.
Jay Johnson, 48, was just 44 when he had his first stroke and admitted that until then he had thought little about his poor diet.
To mark Stroke Prevention Day today, Jay is telling his story in the hope Scots will improve their diet to avoid the killer condition.
His first was caused by high blood pressure after years of an unhealthy diet.
He said: “I loved fish suppers. I never want to run the risk of having another stroke. That is why I’ve made lifestyle changes and it’s making me feel like a happier, better person.”
But he said his fast food addiction was a recipe for disaster.
His poor lifestyle took hold at 19, after the murder of his dad Marvyn, 38, a part-time soldier who was shot dead by the IRA in Belfast.
His bad diet worsened as he nursed his previous fiancee Julie Cooke through her battle with cancer. When she died, a month before their wedding, he was so brokenhearted his poor relationship with food continued. Just five months after Julie’s death, he suffered his first stroke while chatting to a friend on FaceTime. Jay, from near Dunfermline, said: “My speech was really slurred, as if I was drunk, and she told me to go to bed. I stood to go to bed, my left leg buckled and I fell. “I tried to use my left arm to push myself up but there was no power in it. I shuffled myself off to bed using my right arm and leg to crawl along the floor. It was frightening.” He suffered a second stroke 11 weeks later – two weeks after running a 5k. It left him blind and with brain damage, which causes him to be irritable and overly emotional. But having swapped takeaways for healthy eating, and with his guide dog Bailey by his side, Jay has renewed confidence and is marrying fiancee Sarah Thomson in August.
He is now embarking on an international sports career, playing darts, and is working towards a UK Paralympic team place playing goalball – a team sport for athletes with a vision impairment.
John Watson, associate director Scotland at the Stroke Association, said: “We know not all strokes are avoidable, but as many as nine out of 10 strokes could be prevented as they are linked to things you can change or manage.
“We know it isn’t always easy, so pick something that’s manageable. Aim to stick with it for three months and, if you can do that, you’re more likely to form a regular habit.”