My stroke battle at 28: Dublin man tells of harrowing experience
A healthy man aged just 28, Dubliner Andrew Quinn’s life was turned upside down when he suffered a stroke last year. He tells Arlene Harris about his ordeal, the fantastic care he received and how he still hasn’t fully recovered
Andrew Quinn is one of around 10,000 people who suffer from stroke every year in Ireland. But while the average age of a stroke victim is 74, this Dublin man is just 28 and prior to June of last year was fit, healthy and living life to the full. “I used to work as an accountant and then went back to study engineering, so had a busy life with my boyfriend Conor and our dog Charlie,” he says. “Although I was a smoker, I had given up in the weeks leading up to the stroke. But I was in good health, was relatively fit, I walked everywhere and had a very good diet.
“I didn’t drink any more than any other 28-year-old and maybe headed to the pub once a week. Obviously, that changed in March with the lockdown and after that it was just a few cans every few weeks at home. So there was never any thought in my mind that I would suddenly become so ill.
“But on June 8, I got up around 6am to let the dog out and when I got back into bed, I couldn’t get comfortable. I just didn’t feel right so went into the bathroom and noticed that my face looked strange and my balance was a bit weird.
“Then I realised that I couldn’t stand properly so had to lie back down on the bed. I shouted at Conor to call an ambulance and after what felt like an eternity, the paramedics arrived. I was unable to walk so had to be carried down the stairs and although they were trying to talk to me, I couldn’t respond.”
Andrew was rushed to A&E and after an x-ray and CAT scan, was told that he was likely having a stroke. The exact diagnosis wouldn’t be confirmed until after an MRI, but the signs were all there, even though he seemed far too young.
“I thought as soon as I started losing my balance that I was having a stroke, but I had no idea how this was possible,” he says.
“I had a bit of a headache for weeks beforehand and thought it was due to being on a screen all day, not getting out due to Covid and just stress in general. I didn’t think too much about it. ‘I thought as soon as I started losing my balance that I was having a stroke, but I had no idea how this was possible. I had a bit of a headache for weeks beforehand and thought it was due to being on a screen all day, not getting out due to and just stress in general. But I didn’t think too much about it’
“I don’t really remember much about getting to hospital, but initial scans revealed that an artery in my neck was dissected, which could have been the cause. I had been in a car crash last year so maybe that caused it, but I also had been moving furniture the day before, so maybe that had something to do with it, I just don’t know.
“I went rapidly downhill and couldn’t move, talk, eat or drink. I lost all my faculties and was so tired that as soon as I got onto the stroke ward, I fell asleep.
“Then when I woke up, I asked to go to the toilet and the nurse handed me a bottle, which made me realise that things were probably a lot worse than I had originally thought.
“I tried to use it but fell out of the bed and before I knew it, I was placed back into the bed and having a bed bath. I was definitely in a dodgy spot.”
Due to health and safety restrictions at the height of the pandemic, Andrew was not allowed visitors and this he says was one of the most difficult things to deal with.
“Initially I didn’t care about anything other than sleeping and I couldn’t process any of what was going on,” he says.
“After the official diagnosis, the goal was to get me medically stable. I had a suspected ruptured ulcer in my stomach which was causing me to throw up, I was nauseous and had chronic hiccups. I felt like this for a week and the hardest part was that neither Conor nor my family could visit.
“My eyes were also very affected and I had double vision so I couldn’t even use my phone to send or receive messages. I spent most of the time with my eyes closed so the whole experience was very isolating, lonely and scary.”
After two weeks, his various symptoms were brought under control and doctors began to talk about long-term rehabilitation. He had not factored this into the equation and the thought of being away from home for up to three months filled him with dread, but he knew there was no other choice.
“When the doctor told me that I would have to go for rehab, I was a bit shocked,” he admits. “I had already been in hospital for two weeks and the thought of a few more months was very upsetting. I got a bit teary when I rang my dad to tell him as the thought of not seeing anyone for another eight to 12 weeks was very hard.
“I was transferred to the National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh (NOHC) which was another scary experience as I was in a wheelchair and had to go in a taxi by myself. But arriving was like a breath of fresh air as it was so quiet and calm there — totally different to a hospital environment. And after ringing my parents, who were delighted that I had some sort of normality for a few weeks, a physio and occupational therapist came to see what I could do for myself and put a plan together for me.”
In the weeks that followed, Andrew re-learned how to do the basic things we all take for granted such as getting up, washed, dressed, eating, drinking, walking, and going to the bathroom.
“These things may seem like little tasks, but it was so important to be able to be independent,” he says. “The staff were all amazing and I developed a deep trust for them as they knew what I was capable of doing and would be really encouraging, which helped to build excitement and motivation.
“They also did everything possible to make patients feel not alone and to give us time when we needed to talk. This made such a difference to my recovery. They became a part of me as they played such a big role in the biggest event that has ever taken place in my life — and not just because it was their job — you could tell they really cared.”
Andrew made such progress at the NOHC that he was discharged a week early. This, he says, was down to the determination and professionalism of the staff.
“If it wasn’t for the help of my occupational therapist and physio, I wouldn’t have made such progress as they helped me to get back on my feet, become independent and be able to do things for myself,” he says. “It is difficult to put into words the gratitude and respect I have for these people and I owe them so much.
“I was nervous at the thought of going home as I didn’t know if I would be able for it, but the staff at NOHC taught me to trust myself and have confidence.
“So when the day came, I wasn’t scared at all as I had gone from using a wheelchair to being able to walk properly. It was such an achievement.”
Although he is back home after his ordeal, Andrew has still not fully recovered. His eyesight still hasn’t returned to normal, his chest is weak, and his energy levels are very low.
Dr Raymond Carson, consultant in rehabilitation medicine, says the pandemic has affected many services offered to patients like the 28-year-old both while they are in rehabilitation and after they have returned home.
“Group therapy has been suspended and there is reduced bed capacity in the rehabilitation unit due to the necessary physical distancing and infection control measures,” he says.
“This has led to prolonged occupancy of acute hospital beds and delays in transfer to rehabilitation.
“During the lockdown period, people with medical emergencies, such as acute stroke, were delaying or even not attending the emergency departments for prompt treatment.
“So we need more resources and regional rehabilitation units need to be developed. Here in Cappagh we need a significant infrastructural upgrade with more beds and better facilities, including single rooms. We also need improved access to home care packages to facilitate discharge of stroke survivors with severe disability.”
Dr Carson says there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to rehabilitation and patients need to recover at their own time. Andrew is one of the fortunate ones and says he is grateful to Dr Carson and all the staff who cared for him throughout his ordeal. “Before this happened, I had lost sight of what is important in life and now I know what is worth worrying about,” he admits. “I was very stressed out before the stroke and now I am a totally different person, which is down to the experience I have been through and the teams who looked after me so well. “However, I’ve developed a respiratory illness as a result of the stroke and can only walk about 15-20 minutes before I become out of breath and wheezy. I’m waiting for an appointment to have this properly diagnosed and managed with the correct medication.
“Lockdown has been tedious and my GP has advised me to treat everyone like they have Covid-19 and only leave the apartment if truly necessary, so I’ve resigned myself to the fact I’ll be stuck at home until I receive the vaccine.
“But I’ve just been trying to push awareness on social media among people my age, in particular knowing the BE FAST symptoms to detect a stroke early.”
‘Lockdown has been tedious, and my GP has advised me to treat everyone like they have Covid-19 and only leave the apartment if truly necessary, so I’ve resigned myself to the fact I’ll be stuck at home until I receive the vaccine’