– Says seasoned ‘Rehab’ Assistant

WHEN someone suddenly gets a stroke, their life is turned upside down, at least initially, when a state of confusion sets in and they have no idea why they cannot move a limb or communicate a basic message to someone. The reality and severity of the new condition can take quite a toll.

At times, these individuals may not have access to supportive family members or to the medical system, and this in itself can make them feel hopeless.

Think, for example, about a person living alone who suddenly comes down with a stroke or about someone whose economic situation is compromised; he or she has no one on whom to depend and must daily care for themselves. They may have bills to pay, or may be living in a rented apartment. The anxiety can be quite overwhelming.

It is for this reason that Rehabilitation Assistant Aloma Fredericks, like many other health practitioners, believes that the sooner they start physiotherapy after a stroke, the better. And by all means, remaining calm and researching the condition can prove helpful.

“Almost everyone has access to the internet. Make use of it; google and get information,” Fredericks advised. She was one of the facilitators of a workshop held recently by the Rehabilitation Department of the Ministry of Health, based in the Palms compound.

It was a quarterly workshop to sensitise patients and caregivers about stroke. Speech and Language Therapist Lisa Sam was also on hand to make a presentation on how a person’s communication is affected after a stroke, along with Department Director Barbara Lawrence and others.

“When you get a stroke, it’s all about controlling your diabetes, blood pressure, cholesterol. To prevent it, keep those things under control. Look at your diet, exercise, visit the health centre or have some form of medical checkup from time to time, especially if you go over age 40,” Fredericks, who has been working in rehabilitation since 1997, shared.

Sixty-two-year-old Parbattie Singh knows now the value of doing all these things. At the end of last January, she suddenly developed a stroke, and to date, she cannot say for sure what really caused it. What she does remember, though, is that her pressure and cholesterol were high at the time.

After suffering a fall, Singh went to the hospital for treatment and recalled trying to make a fist with her left hand and just couldn’t. It was then that she also realised that her left foot also couldn’t move. “I was later informed that I got a stroke,” she told Pepperpot Magazine.

She made her way to the Brickdam facility, which sees approximately 25-30 stroke patients monthly, where she started therapy while at the same time taking a close look at her diet and exercise. “I can tell anyone that therapy bring[sic] me back. I got strong. They [physiotherapists] gave me the courage and the mind to do my therapy,” she expressed.

Meanwhile, Lisa Sam, who is also an Audiologist, has been working part-time with stroke patients over the past three years, and she’s also found that the major causes of stroke in Guyana are Hypertension, Diabetes, and Cholesterol.

In noting how rehabilitation makes a difference in the lives of persons who may have had a stroke, she noted how the ‘Rehab’ department has been providing therapy over the years to patients in physical, occupational, and speech therapy and has also been making referrals for patients who need further help.

Sam shared some of the things she believes can help someone avoid a stroke: making healthy lifestyle choices (eating healthy, exercising, and not smoking and consuming alcohol); knowing your family’s health history, so that you can prevent certain medical conditions that run in your family; and doing regular checkups, whether young or old.

“Your brain is amazing! It has the ability to re-wire itself, allowing you to improve skills such as walking, talking, and even using your affected limbs again. This process is known as neuroplasticity and it begins after a stroke,” Sam shared.

While it may take time to see improvement, she believes that rehabilitation activities will encourage the brain to start connecting to new healthy pathways. “Building up those connections makes your brain better able at controlling your body and lets you get back to doing the things you once enjoyed. So all hope is not lost; it just takes a lot of exercising and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.”

Sam also feels that there is a greater need for public information and education on the subject.