+34
A Sunshine Coast concreter, Dru Arnold, suffered three strokes within a 24-hour period before seeking medical help. The 39-year-old, who was previously unaware of stroke symptoms, went to hospital after experiencing slurred speech and a migraine. Doctors discovered he had also suffered a stroke two years earlier. Despite the seriousness of his condition, Mr Arnold has since overhauled his life and now warns others to be vigilant for stroke signs.
A Sunshine Coast concreter suffered three strokes across 24 hours before going to hospital for treatment. The 39-year-old has since overhauled his life and is warning others to look out for stroke symptoms.
When Dru Arnold was struck suddenly by slurred speech and a migraine, his first instinct was to try to sleep it off. And in the 24 hours it would take him to get to hospital, he suffered two more in quick succession. After his wife called an ambulance, doctors found he had also been hit by a stroke two years earlier.
"There's a lot of people that have got it worse off than me," Mr Arnold said. The fit and healthy Sunshine Coast man said he was unaware of the basic stroke symptoms until after his emergency.
"People that are just living their normal lives don't know much about strokes and about the symptoms and signs," he said. One of his treating stroke nurses, Danika Lloyd, said Mr Arnold was "very lucky" considering how long it took him to seek medical attention. Queensland Health ranks strokes as one of the leading causes of death in Australians.
Sunshine Coast University Hospital stroke clinical nurse consultant Bailey McNamara said time was the most critical factor when it came to surviving a stroke.
"By the time they get to hospital, sadly, they're out of that timeframe for us to be able to provide that hyper-acute therapy such as the clot-busting medication. " Mr Arnold was treated by the team at SCUH, which recently won an international award for how quickly it was able to treat the dangerous clots.
She said it was important for people to eat well, exercise, monitor cholesterol and blood pressure, have regular GP check-ins and blood tests, and stay on top of any heart conditions or diabetes. Stroke Foundation Australia's Kelvin Hill said strokes were increasing in people under 65.
"Over the past 10 to 15 years, things like obesity and the rise in diabetes have also meant that for some people they're getting strokes earlier than what we've seen in the past," he said. "We do need people to be more aware because every minute a stroke occurs, there are 1.9 million brain cells that die when they don't get the nutrients and oxygen in the blood supply.
""One in four people in their lifetime will be impacted," he said. Mr Arnold said he wanted to help people understand what strokes looked like and how they should respond.
"It doesn't necessarily have to happen to you, but if you see the signs happening to someone else, you could save their life," Mr Arnold said. "If we knew, I could have been better than I was, we could have got to the hospital a day earlier, and it might not have been so bad. "
Stroke Awareness Quick Treatment Fit And Healthy Lifestyle SCUH Award Stroke Symptoms
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Axed Magpie to join Carlton as West Coast circles Geelong gunAs the ‘perfect club’ emerges for one sacked Collingwood star, the former cricketer has a new contract waiting for him.
Read more »
Gold Coast Cats boss Andrew Mackie clears air on Zak Butters pursuit failureGold Coast Cats head of football Andrew Mackie addressed the failed pursuit of Zak Butters, stating that while Geelong was reluctant to trade, the Cats were prepared to meet Port Adelaide demands within reason. Mackie expressed optimism about the clubs future cap space and linked them to potential targets Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera and Matt Rowell.
Read more »
Bluebottles the size of a fist wash up on Gold Coast beachesUnusually large bluebottles are washing ashore on the Gold Coast ahead of summer, with scientists unsure how their venom compares with that of smaller species.
Read more »
US Coast Guard Boards Fuel Ship in Cuba Dark Fleet CrackdownThe US Coast Guard boarded a fuel ship near Cuba, suspected of using dark fleet tactics to evade sanctions and deliver oil under the Trump administration embargo.
Read more »