I recovered from a stroke after four years
Sep 23, 2007
BEATRICE Ntege has spent four years in her house after being diagnosed with stroke, a disease that has become common among many aging individuals. Sitting in her dinning room in UEB Zone Mulago, Ntege narrates how the symptoms began, before she got a stroke.
By Alfred Byenkya
BEATRICE Ntege has spent four years in her house after being diagnosed with stroke, a disease that has become common among many aging individuals. Sitting in her dinning room in UEB Zone Mulago, Ntege narrates how the symptoms began, before she got a stroke.
“Before suffering stroke, I would get tired quickly after walking a small distance and I would sweat a lot. At home, I would remove all my clothes to get fresh air.â€
Beatrice says one day, as she was returning from having a drink with colleagues, something abnormal happened to her in the bathroom.
“It was like something struck my head and I lost control instantly. I lost strength and crawled to my bedroom. I couldn’t talk and was helpless for hours. I was found by one of my daughters who came to my bedroom and found me unconscious.â€
Her daughter called a nearby nurse who helped take Ntege to Mulago Hospital.
The former women’s LC3 councillor for Kawempe division, says she was unconscious for two weeks and people thought she was dead.
“I could not eat or do anything. I slowly started regaining some of my senses. I would feel pain in several parts of my body. This is when I came to realise that I was in hospital,†Ntege says.
The doctors advised her husband to take her back home. At home, she suffered a setback and became unconscious again for two months. They brought a physiotherapist from Mulago who counselled and treated her after she recovered from the comma.
Her husband bought a wheelchair because she could not stand on her own.
“I couldn’t even help myself. My children would help me go to the toilet, bathroom and move around the house.†Ntege adds that she regained some strength after the doctor counselled and made her do exercises on the affected parts of her body, since recovering from stroke is gradual and needs patience.
After this, Ntege started regaining feelings in her legs and in other parts of her body which were paralysed. The doctors advised her to be patient and told her to go back to Mulago Hospital for further treatment, which she does every two months.
She can now move around with a walking stick.
What is a stroke?
According to medicinenet.com, a stroke is the sudden death of brain cells due to a problem with the blood supply. When blood flow to the brain is impaired, oxygen and important nutrients cannot be delivered.
The result is abnormal brain function. Blood flow to the brain can be disrupted by either a blockage or rupture of an artery to the brain. A stroke is also referred to as a cerebrovascular accident or CVA.
What causes a stroke?
Dr Dennis Nyanzi of Kibuli Hospital, says there are two types of strokes with different causes — Ischemic and haemorrhagic stroke.
“Ischemic stroke is caused by high blood pressure, vulvular heart diseases, lukaemia, blood cancer, sickle cells, HIV/AIDS and arthrosclerosis, especially in old people whose blood tissues are worn out,†Nyanzi says.
He adds that haemorrhagic stroke is caused by loss of blood in an individual due to accidents/head injury, hypertension and bleeding disorder.
The figures
The statistics from Mulago Hospital, show that 3,780 people were diagnosed with high blood pressure (hypertension) last year from January to December. Hypertension and other blood-related diseases are the leading cause of stroke among people in Uganda.
Joan Kyogabiire of AAR Health Services Kampala, says a stroke can be caused by arteries getting older, high cholesterol levels in the blood, excessive smoking, eating fatty foods, being overweight, diabetes, old age and having a family history of stroke.
“Stroke can be generational, for instance if one of your grandparents had it,†Kyogabiire says.
Dr Rashid Mutebi, a researcher with Rakai Herbal Research Clinic, Kibuli Hospital, says a stroke is caused by the blockage of an artery in the brain beacuse of a clot (thrombosis).
This is the most common cause of a stroke. The part of the brain that is supplied by the clotted blood vessel is deprived of blood and oxygen.
Mutebi adds that a person is more likely to suffer stroke if he does not eat a balanced diet or do physical exercises.
Effects of a stroke
According to Americanheart.org, the effects depend on the type of stroke, the area of the brain affected and the extent of the brain injury. Brain injury from a stroke can affect the senses, motor activity, speech and the ability to understand speech.
It can also affect behavioural and thought patterns, memory and emotions. Paralysis or weakness on one side of the body is common. Most of these problems can improve over time. In some patients, they will go away completely.
Strokes can also affect sight, the sense of touch and thought, so a person’s perception of everyday objects may be changed. Stroke survivors may not be able to recognise and understand familiar objects the way they did before.
How to recover from a stroke
Kyogabiirwe says a person recovers from a stroke through medication, rehabilitation and changes in lifestyle.
“Rehabilitation includes therapy, so that the person becomes as independent as possible through exercises and counselling.
The patient has to be taught certain basic skills afresh,†she says.
However, Kyogabiirwe says that improvement after stroke can come in the first weeks, but in other cases, it might take as long as a year or more.
“Many stroke survivors report that they slowly continue to regain function for years after their brain attack, therefore, it is very important for stroke patients not to lose hope after the attack,†she concludes.
BEATRICE Ntege has spent four years in her house after being diagnosed with stroke, a disease that has become common among many aging individuals. Sitting in her dinning room in UEB Zone Mulago, Ntege narrates how the symptoms began, before she got a stroke.
“Before suffering stroke, I would get tired quickly after walking a small distance and I would sweat a lot. At home, I would remove all my clothes to get fresh air.â€
Beatrice says one day, as she was returning from having a drink with colleagues, something abnormal happened to her in the bathroom.
“It was like something struck my head and I lost control instantly. I lost strength and crawled to my bedroom. I couldn’t talk and was helpless for hours. I was found by one of my daughters who came to my bedroom and found me unconscious.â€
Her daughter called a nearby nurse who helped take Ntege to Mulago Hospital.
The former women’s LC3 councillor for Kawempe division, says she was unconscious for two weeks and people thought she was dead.
“I could not eat or do anything. I slowly started regaining some of my senses. I would feel pain in several parts of my body. This is when I came to realise that I was in hospital,†Ntege says.
The doctors advised her husband to take her back home. At home, she suffered a setback and became unconscious again for two months. They brought a physiotherapist from Mulago who counselled and treated her after she recovered from the comma.
Her husband bought a wheelchair because she could not stand on her own.
“I couldn’t even help myself. My children would help me go to the toilet, bathroom and move around the house.†Ntege adds that she regained some strength after the doctor counselled and made her do exercises on the affected parts of her body, since recovering from stroke is gradual and needs patience.
After this, Ntege started regaining feelings in her legs and in other parts of her body which were paralysed. The doctors advised her to be patient and told her to go back to Mulago Hospital for further treatment, which she does every two months.
She can now move around with a walking stick.
What is a stroke?
According to medicinenet.com, a stroke is the sudden death of brain cells due to a problem with the blood supply. When blood flow to the brain is impaired, oxygen and important nutrients cannot be delivered.
The result is abnormal brain function. Blood flow to the brain can be disrupted by either a blockage or rupture of an artery to the brain. A stroke is also referred to as a cerebrovascular accident or CVA.
What causes a stroke?
Dr Dennis Nyanzi of Kibuli Hospital, says there are two types of strokes with different causes — Ischemic and haemorrhagic stroke.
“Ischemic stroke is caused by high blood pressure, vulvular heart diseases, lukaemia, blood cancer, sickle cells, HIV/AIDS and arthrosclerosis, especially in old people whose blood tissues are worn out,†Nyanzi says.
He adds that haemorrhagic stroke is caused by loss of blood in an individual due to accidents/head injury, hypertension and bleeding disorder.
The figures
The statistics from Mulago Hospital, show that 3,780 people were diagnosed with high blood pressure (hypertension) last year from January to December. Hypertension and other blood-related diseases are the leading cause of stroke among people in Uganda.
Joan Kyogabiire of AAR Health Services Kampala, says a stroke can be caused by arteries getting older, high cholesterol levels in the blood, excessive smoking, eating fatty foods, being overweight, diabetes, old age and having a family history of stroke.
“Stroke can be generational, for instance if one of your grandparents had it,†Kyogabiire says.
Dr Rashid Mutebi, a researcher with Rakai Herbal Research Clinic, Kibuli Hospital, says a stroke is caused by the blockage of an artery in the brain beacuse of a clot (thrombosis).
This is the most common cause of a stroke. The part of the brain that is supplied by the clotted blood vessel is deprived of blood and oxygen.
Mutebi adds that a person is more likely to suffer stroke if he does not eat a balanced diet or do physical exercises.
Effects of a stroke
According to Americanheart.org, the effects depend on the type of stroke, the area of the brain affected and the extent of the brain injury. Brain injury from a stroke can affect the senses, motor activity, speech and the ability to understand speech.
It can also affect behavioural and thought patterns, memory and emotions. Paralysis or weakness on one side of the body is common. Most of these problems can improve over time. In some patients, they will go away completely.
Strokes can also affect sight, the sense of touch and thought, so a person’s perception of everyday objects may be changed. Stroke survivors may not be able to recognise and understand familiar objects the way they did before.
How to recover from a stroke
Kyogabiirwe says a person recovers from a stroke through medication, rehabilitation and changes in lifestyle.
“Rehabilitation includes therapy, so that the person becomes as independent as possible through exercises and counselling.
The patient has to be taught certain basic skills afresh,†she says.
However, Kyogabiirwe says that improvement after stroke can come in the first weeks, but in other cases, it might take as long as a year or more.
“Many stroke survivors report that they slowly continue to regain function for years after their brain attack, therefore, it is very important for stroke patients not to lose hope after the attack,†she concludes.