So the ambulance crew came very quickly, within about 12 minutes I think. And they were in a hell of a hurry and they whisked me off to the hospital, wouldn’t even let me stop for a toilet (bag) which subsequently became a bit of a problem. I was just in the clothes that I stood up in, that was it. But then I got into the emergency (unit) I was put on a trolley and nobody looked at me, not even in my direction for literally hours until I eventually saw a doctor and she said, “We’ll book you in for a scan about three o’clock tomorrow.”

 

So what was all this urgency about? What’s the F.A.S.T. campaign about? You know. So that was the beginning of a rather unpleasant experience.

 

Well I had my scan and somebody said, “You’ve had a stroke.” I said, “Great. I know I’ve had a stroke, the girl on the end of the telephone line says I’ve had a stroke. The paramedics say I’ve had a stroke. Thank you very much, I’ve had a stroke. So, what do we do now?” I was put on a general ward for about a week and then I was finally moved to a stroke ward, which was absolutely no different except that there were some other stroke patients there.

 

It was about a week before I had any kind of treatment, even medication. The likely scenario was never discussed. I had sporadic and brief physio sessions, but given no exercises or warnings about the effects of prolonged bed rest, etc*.

 

I never got off the ward until I was transferred to the stroke rehabilitation unit... so called. (In) which I had no rehabilitation whatsoever [sighs]. I’m sorry to be negative but there’s very little positive to cling onto. For instance, just simple things like, I mean, for a start I was kept in bed, flat on my back. And if I wanted to go to the toilet or have a wash or anything I had to have somebody wheel me there. I mean, after a while I got to the point where at least I could go to the bathroom on my own, if they would leave me alone. I had to appeal to the consultant and say, “Look, I can, I’m OK to do this on my own. And he persuaded them to let me do it, because I found it difficult doing things with people standing around watching me. So it was very unpleasant and there weren’t even practical considerations like, I mean, I had bladder and bowel loss of control (as you do). I was, as far as you can possibly get from the bathroom, in an open ward. I mean, surely, it doesn’t take a great mind to say, “Maybe we can move him down to (be), near the bathroom. Or maybe we can put him in a side room where, where he can take himself to the toilet.”