Surviving A Stroke: A Journalist's Real Life Story

By Jailani Hassan Bernama's journalist Jailani Hassan writes based on his own experience on how he survived a stroke and his regret of taking unapproved medication. LABUAN (Malaysia), Jan 12 (Bernama) -- It was Aug 25, 2014 and I woke up drowsy with a dull headache. I was living in Rawang, Selangor then with my son and my wife was in Labuan, Sabah. I Skyped my wife over my condition and she was concerned when she saw my red face on the phone screen. Though disoriented, I slowly forced myself from the bedroom to the dinning table to have a light breakfast before taking some medication. While sitting on the dining chair, I realised my right hand side of the body had become numb. I could not move the right hand and the right leg. I looked at the items on my table and they appeared double. The television in the hall too appeared double and blurred. For once I realised there was something seriously wrong with me. Being home alone, there was nothing much that I could do except to lie face down on the dining table and wait for my son to return from school and get help. My son called my elder brother in Sungai Buloh who rushed me to a private medical centre where I was diagnosed with Acute Ischemic Stroke (or mild stroke). The stroke was due to high blood pressure and the problem was further compounded by the fact I also suffered from high cholesterol levels and obesity. My body weight was 104 kg then. It was a real shock for me because I thought the symptoms were just due to my work stress and had no idea it was a stroke. It was a taxing period then as I had to adapt with a new working and living environment, far away from home. I have been a journalist with the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) in Labuan and just three months earlier I was posted to the agency's English sub-editing desk in Kuala Lumpur. RECOVERING FROM STROKE After the stroke, for the first few months I was very much bedridden and for mobility initially I had to rely on the wheelchair and later as my condition improved I used the walking stick. My slurred speech too gradually improved. I underwent weeks of physiotherapy at a leading private hospital in the city before returning to my family in Labuan. My optimism, apart from the support from family and friends, helped to speed up my recovery during the first nine months. However, after that I suddenly lost my appetite and vomited whenever I ate. This went on for two months and my wife who was concerned over my state of health got me admitted at the Labuan Nucleus Hospital. While I was there for a week at the Acute Cubicle Ward, doctors sought more information from me especially on what medications I was on over the last few years as they were baffled with the high degree of dehydration that I suffered from. The doctors diagnosed me of showing signs of ‘Cushing’s Syndrome’, a metabolic disorder caused by overproduction of corticosteroid hormones by the adrenal cortex in the brain, that contributes to obesity and high blood pressure. This condition is often caused by the intake of excessive synthetic medication with permissible steroid. UNAPPROVED PRESCRIPTION MEDICINE I was not aware that the China-manufactured medication that I was taking for almost 18 years as a remedy for my asthma had caused my body’s system to go haywire. While taking this medication I had experienced uncontrollable weight gain and lethargic feel over the years. Not only that, the medication has also affected my nervous system. This why there is radiating pain at my feet every night before going to bed. The doctors told me the unapproved medication for asthma had contributed to the stroke and disrupted the hormonal balance in my body. It was unfortunate that I never took seriously the fact that the medication that I bought from a medicine shop was not approved by the Health Ministry. Now, to help me wake up and continue with my daily routine, I have to take 12 high dosage tablets with two being synthetic steroid drugs to help stabilise my hormone levels. One of the drug just approved by the Health Ministry is not available locally, thus had to be imported from the manufacturer abroad. LIFE WILL NEVER BE THE SAME Though I have recovered now and have gone back to my routines but there are things that I still cannot do. I used to play futsal, badminton and football and even have scaled Mount Kinabalu. However now, I must tell you that I can only be the spectator of my favorite games and extreme activities. I can walk slowly and do light exercises. My mental faculty is not impaired and I still continue as a journalist writing for Bernama including this piece. I thank my family and friends for the support during my recovery. My dearest wife Nurelaine Qistina Sibil Abdullah in particular who did everything possible to see me get back on my feet. More than anything else, looking back at what I have been through for the last two years, I'm so grateful to Allah for giving me a second chance in life. For those who have suffered a stroke, my only advise is that be positive and there is a good chance to recover and continue with life, albeit some limitations. -- BERNAMA