Imagine having a busy Tuesday morning. Phone calls, emails to reply to, customers to see and then you get to the mail and notice that you’re nominated for Australia Day Citizen of the year!

That is what happened two weeks ago. I was busy tending to our little carpentry business and Tania sent me a picture of an invitation to be present for the Citizen of the Year of the Central Highlands in Queensland.

It is truly an honor to say the least. I am an Australian Immigrant of 14 years and to be given such recognition in this category is beyond comprehension.

This award to me is a major verification from our local government that Dan’s Fast Run has made a huge impact on our community here in Emerald. Our local Mayor has told me personally that he is now starting to exercise after watching the events unfold from last year.

Dan’s Fast Run is and always will be a story for everyone suffering from stroke. The message is one of ‘Hope, Thanks and Awareness’.

In the future I am looking forward to participating in many different ways to assist the National Stroke Foundation. Their work is ongoing and requires all of us survivors new and old to raise awareness among our communities. Together we can all make a difference.

I believe in miracles and this award is just that. This is one of my proudest accomplishments and will cherish it forever.

Kind regards, Dan

We are currently looking for StrokeSafe Ambassadors in the Sydney area to apply StrokeSafe Ambassador.

The StrokeSafe Ambassador program is a Stroke Foundation initiative where stroke survivors, carers and health professionals spare their time to participate in community-based stroke awareness and education talks.

Our volunteer speakers, who are trained by stroke foundation staff to deliver their message, speak to a variety of people in a broad range of community settings.

We have found this program to be extremely well-received and participants have passed on feedback that shows the stroke prevention messages are being heard. Here is some recent feedback sent to us after StrokeSafe Ambassador, stroke survivor and Stroke Foundation supporter Karen Bayly volunteered her time to speak at the Melbourne War Widows’ guild:

“Last year I organised for Karen Bayly, StrokeSafe Ambassador, to address a meeting of members from the Melbourne War Widows’ Guild. Karen’s talk was educational, informative and inspiring but most importantly it was effective.

One of the attendees was at home late in December when she experienced the signs of stroke. Because she was aware of the FAST message she acted quickly and this in turn minimised the impact of her stroke. The member regained speech within days and had one month of rehabilitation to restore muscle strength before returning home.

We live in a world full of acronyms and abbreviations however not many of them can be accredited with preventing the severity of a stroke or indeed perhaps the saving of a life. I congratulate the National Stroke Foundation, its ambassadors and all connected with the FAST campaign.”

Jill Wilmott, War Widows’ Guild of Australia – Victoria. Karen says: “We all like to think that every time we speak we might save a life or assist in preventing dependent disability.

“I spoke to a community group of about 20 women in their 70s and 80s. The organiser of this talk contacted the NSF to let us know that a lady who heard me talk had a stroke a few months after hearing my presentation.

“The good news is, because of the strokesafe Ambassador presentation, she recognised the signs of stroke, called 000 and has made a strong recovery.

“The key thing I’ve been reminded of is that every life is important. The quality of life of every stroke survivor matters. Stroke recovery is a difficult and lonely journey for all stroke survivors and those close to them, regardless of age”.

“I have had so much help from so many people I want to give back to others.”

Via: Neurology Update 29 Nov 2011 written by Michael Woodhead.

An “in the field” stroke screening tool used by ambulance staff may boost thrombolysis rates from the typical 3% to around 50% of patients with ischaemic stroke, an NSW program has shown.

The pre-hospital stroke triage protocol developed by the John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle has been successfully adopted for use in other hospitals to help alert and prepare a stroke team and improve “door to needle” times, a study (link) in Journal of Clinical Neuroscience shows.

The protocol known as FASTER (Face, Arm, Speech, Time, Emergency Response) is based on pre-hospital checks of arm function and speech in patients who have had onset of stroke symptoms within the last two hours.

This allows an on-call stroke team to be alerted, and the patient is fast tracked through the ED for stroke evaluation.

In the first six months following the introduction of the protocol, 42 patients were referred via the FASTER pathway, and 50% of them received tpA.

The study authors say the protocol not only resulted in significantly faster ED door-to-needle times, but also patients were admitted to the Stroke Unit over an hour faster than those receiving tPA prior to use of the protocol, due to rapid clinical and radiological assessments.

The stroke screening protocol also had a high accuracy of stroke diagnosis with only two of 42 referrals (<5%) found to be stroke mimics.

Response to article from Kelvin Hill Manager of the Clinical Guidelines Program “Improved ambulance and acute hospital processes lead to stroke patients getting best practice care recommended in the National Stroke Guidelines.”

Image Via: Sunshine Coast Daily.

BY a stroke of much more than luck, I find myself staring at my computer screen instead of at a hospital ceiling.

I had been rushed to the Nambour General Hospital, and my release in good shape after only three nights could suggest I had suffered only a mini-stroke. In fact, it was a full on ischaemic stroke … a blocked blood vessel in the brain.

Why am I telling you all this? Because it is a cautionary tale, and a timely one at that.

Why timely? Because my narrow escape has coincided with media publicity for the F.A.S.T. program telling how to recognise the signs of stroke and stressing that there is only a small window of time for treatment After this has elapsed, the affected brain cells die.

F.A.S.T. stands for Facial weakness; Arm weakness; Speech difficulty and Time .… time to act fast and dial 000.

On that Tuesday morning, after my usual brisk walk, I sat down to breakfast, reached across the table for the Daily, and found to my astonishment that it seemed to keep slipping away from my outstretched hand. Actually, it was the hand that wasn’t doing its job.

I then decided to eat my breakfast, but the first spoonful went nowhere near my mouth, so I knew I was in trouble. Reaching with my left hand for my mobile phone, I speed-dialled my son Ross, who lives nearby.not far away.Although what I said was unintelligible – or maybe because it was – he was here in minutes and called for an ambuilance via 000.

After a rapid but careful diagnosis by the stroke team at NGH,, Dr Tony Tampiyappa CORRECT had to decide whether to risk an aggressive treatment that might diffuse the clot causing the blockage, but could also cause a brain bleed, which would be disastrously damaging.

After explaining this, and with my agreement, he went ahead and all went well, so much so that I am back where I was before I noticed the first symptoms. I will always remember the smile on his face when he told me the procedure had been totally successful, and I’m told mine was pretty wide, too.

After three days, I ticked all the boxes for discharge.

I find it hard to adequately express my gratitude for the expertise and care of the stroke team, and also to the ward staff who greatly helped me through an anxious time until my treatment was shown to have been successful.

Thanks, too, to my daughter Laurel for programming a speed dial facility into my phone only a few days before the incident, and to my son Ross for getting here so fast, dialling 000.and giving clear directions to the ambulance.

I doubt that I would have even been able to dial 000 …just the one number was hard enough, but as things turned out, mine was not up.

Peter Richardson is a columnist for the Sunshine Coast Daily, in which this article first appeared on October 16 2011.

Article by Michael Slezak in Neurology Update

Despite limited funding, the National Stroke Foundation’s public awareness campaigns have successfully changed behaviours, potentially saving thousands of lives, an independent study published in Stroke finds.

Examining the monthly proportions of ambulance dispatches in Melbourne that were designated for strokes between 1999 and 2010, researchers found the proportion increased since 2004 when the NSF began its public awareness campaign. The increase became significant since the ‘call an ambulance’ message was added to the campaign in 2007.

Over the period of the study, the proportion increased from 2.1% of dispatches to 2.95%. Prior to the start of the campaign, the highest proportion of dispatches for stroke was in winter, the wellknown peak season for stroke. After the campaign started, the highest proportion moved to spring, following the yearly campaign push during National Stroke Week.

The program still relies heavily on individual donations and pro-bono advertising, even in Victoria where the state government provides the most funding of any state ($200,000 to $300,000 annually).

“Given the level of funding the program received we were surprised just how big an impact the program had on calls to ambulance,” said lead author Janet Bray, senior research fellow at Ambulance Victoria.

“Campaigns like this do appear to be successful at directing appropriate behaviour,” she said.

Pleased with the findings, Dr Bruce Bolam, divisional director of prevention and awareness at the NSF, said the Foundation was already planning on running the FAST (Face, Arm, Speech, Time) message year-round and focussing on a new message during National Stroke Week.

During this spring’s stroke week the message was going to be “one in six”, he said. “It’s saying one in six people world-wide will experience a stroke at some time in their lifetime, but most of those strokes are preventable… People need to know more about it and how to prevent it.”

Dr Bolam said the study results provided a good case for the program to receive more consistent government funding around the country.

Summit 4 Stroke (February 2012)
Cycle 4 Stroke (March 2012)

The National Stroke Foundation has just launched two new amazing Inspired Adventures to raise money for stroke and experience a trip of a lifetime. Climb the world’s highest freestanding mountain, Mt. Kilimanjaro or cycle your way around beautiful Vietnam and Cambodia
- all for a worthy cause!

Imagine waking up touching the clouds with the vast Tanzanian plains beneath you and the smells of the rainforest intoxicating your senses. You’ll climb past fields of maize and potatoes, pine forests and ice fields, glaciers and caves.

You can challenge yourself acclimatising to the altitude as you come closer and closer to reaching the top of the magnificent Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa in 2012.

The second Inspired Adventure is in March – cycling one of the world’s most beautiful routes through Vietnam and Cambodia. Have you ever started off the day shopping at a floating market in the river, cycled across sand and dirt roads in rugged Cambodia, or walked along rice paddies and small fishing villages?

The Cycle 4 Stroke Challenge will take you into the heart of Vietnam and Cambodia, as you learn about its evolving Khmer history, French colonialism, and uniquely Southeast Asian culture. You’ll see some of the best-known structures on the planet at the famous world heritage Angkor Wat near some of the most commonly forgotten peoples and histories.

Join us on the adventure of a lifetime as you raise money for the National Stroke Foundation’s mission to provide better support and treatment to stroke survivors.

Simply go to www.strokefoundation.com.au/nsfchallenges to find out how you can help make a difference while experiencing a life
changing challenge.

Each Inspired Adventure includes a physical activity for at  least seven days eg. a trek or a cycle. Your challenge is to train, fundraise and prepare for this physical activity!

Image via tasteofhome.com

A stroke can affect parts of the brain that control your arms and legs resulting in paralysis or weakness. It is important to understand that stroke affects the brain and that the problem is not primarily in the muscles.

Although most improvement usually occurs in the first six months after a stroke, recovery may continue for several years.

Physiotherapy assessment

If you are having problems moving and balancing, it can be frustrating and sometimes devastating. Therefore it is important you receive a full mobility assessment.

Physiotherapists are specially trained to identify movement problems that may be caused by a stroke. They can provide therapy to help improve activities such as walking, keeping your balance and using your arm.

Recovery

Recovery after stroke can be slow and it is difficult to predict the level of recovery that will occur. Generally most recovery occurs during the fi rst six months but can continue for years after a stroke, especially if you keep active and use your affected arm or leg the best you can. The more you practice the more likely you are to stimulate your recovery.

Changes after stroke

Difficulties moving after a stroke can be caused by:

Weakness (paralysis) in leg and/or arm muscles.

Loss of sensation or feeling. Sometimes there can be a loss of feeling in the skin or the joints themselves.

Poor coordination or balance often as a result of weakness or loss of feeling.

Muscle or joint stiffness. Muscles and joints easily become stiff if not used normally. Spasticity (increase in muscle tone) may also limit movement.

Shoulder pain or subluxation (bones moving out of normal position) caused by weak shoulder muscles allowing the shoulder bone to move out of joint.

Lack of energy (fatigue) If you have difficulty moving you will need to put more effortand energy into moving, which may lead to increased fatigue.

Therapy

Movement problems affect each person differently. Your therapist will work with you to decide the best program to meet your personal needs and goals.

Different therapies may include:

Practising tasks/activities that you have difficulty doing. This may include rolling over in bed, sitting or standing up, walking and using your hand or arm.

Exercising to improve your strength, sensation (ability to sense or feel things), coordination, balance or fitness. Often this can be done as you practice normal activities such as standing or walking.

Exercises that use electrical stimulation and other equipment (eg. treadmills) may also be used as part of your therapy to help improve your ability to move.

Joining a fitness centre, club in the community, or exercise program at your local community health care centre to keep yourself fit.

Often after a stroke, fitness levels drop, so it is important to keep yourself as active as possible in the long-term. Talk to your therapist about whether this is right for you.

Stretching or supporting your muscles to reduce their stiffness or pain. Often when muscles are not being used normally they get stiff and can also become painful. It is important to keep the muscles flexible.

Teaching you how to safely walk which may include the help of certain aids like a frame or stick. Never use a frame or walking stick without getting advice first. Some people should avoid using these supports early after a stroke as it changes the way muscles learn to move again and limits recovery. Your therapist will help you work out if you need them.

Limiting the use of your good arm to encourage use of the affected arm. Research has found that by forcing you to use your affected arm, you can improve the extent of recovery. It is important to seek the advice of your therapist first.

What can you do?

Research has found that the more you do the better you get. You should try and do as much as you can during therapy time. Your physiotherapist should advise what is best for you to do by yourself or with the help of family or friends. You may also need to check with your doctor in case you have other medical conditions (eg. heart condition), which may limit the amount of activity you do.

Ongoing exercise will help maintain the movement you regain after a stroke and keep you as healthy as possible. You may consider joining a local gym or finding an exercise group (eg. walking group).

Remember exercising helps with your movement as well as reducing your risk of further strokes. Exercise is also known to help people feel more positive and have more energy.

More information

If you or your family have any questions you should ask your Physiotherapist.

Note: This fact sheet is number 8 in a series. For a complete list of fact sheets, click here.

Image via practicethis.com
Communication problems you may experience after a stroke.

Dysphasia (or Aphasia) is a language problem  caused by damage to the language areas of the brain.

Dysphasia may affect:
•    Talking
•    Reading
•    Writing
•    Gesture
•    Understanding others talking – You may not:
•    Recognise sounds
•    Understand the meaning of words
•    Understand what someone is saying to you

Talking – You may:

•    Say the wrong word
•    Repeat the same word over
•    Find it hard to put your words into a full sentence
•    Explain things in the wrong way
•    Swear when you do not mean to

Reading – You may not:

•    Recognise letters or written words
•    Understand long written sentences
•    Remember what you have read

Writing – You may:
•    Find it hard to write letters, words and sentences
•    Find it hard to write your ideas in order so they make sense

Using or understanding gesture or body language – You may:

•    shaking your head for “No”
•    Find it hard to use your hands or facial expressions to help explain what you want to say
Dyspraxia is caused by damage to parts of the brain that control speech. Dyspraxia can make it hard to say the right sound, start a word or make smooth changes between sounds. Dysarthria is a problem with speaking clearly due to weak or damaged speech muscles.

You may have:
•    Slurred speech
•    Changed speech loudness or pitch
•    Changed voice quality - your voice might sound croaky, harsh or weak

Thinking problems after stroke can make it hard to communicate.

You may have problems:
•    Concentrating or paying attention
•    Remembering
•    Planning, solving problems or doing complex tasks
•    You may also tire easily.
•    Studies show that communication problems affect people differently. A speech pathologist will help you with suitable treatment.
•    You may need to:
•    Re-learn how to talk or write
•    Re-learn how to understand words or sentences
•    Use drawing, writing or computer aids to help you communicate
•    You may find it helpful to attend a group with others who have communication problems
•    Get your family and friends to change how they communicate with you
•    The more you practice the more likely you are to recover.

For more information about communicating after having a stroke click here.

Last year famous musician and conductor Tommy Tycho suffered a stroke.

Following a fall at home, Tommy was admitted to hospital where a scan revealed he had suffered a massive aneurysm.

He was then taken to the operating theatre where the doctor inserted a drain into his head and saved his life.

Before his stroke, Tommy was highly successful in his career. His credits include thousands of orchestrations, composing and arranging over 1,500 pieces of music for movies and television, including the Medal Ceremony music for the 2000 Sydney Olympics and the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games, to name only a few.

Suffering from a stroke has temporarily put an end to his highly successful career.

Throughout his recovery he has had many breakthroughs, including the recovery of speech from a whisper to normal volume, being able to eat solid food and drink proper liquid, being able to sit up in my wheelchair, but most important of all he has started to write music again and play the piano.

After three months of rehab he was moved to a nursing home as he has paralysis on his left side and needs 24 hour care.

This is perhaps the biggest effect of the stroke on Tommy’s life as he is now living without his wife Eve, after 59 years of a wonderful marriage.

Tommy credits the exceptional work of staff at his nursing home, support of his therapists and his determination to his successful road to recovery.

He aims to one day become totally mobile and stand once again on the podium in front of his orchestra and conduct a two hour concert.

Tommy’s story is a powerful demonstration of what is possible in recovery after a stroke.

The National Stroke Foundation works tirelessly to ensure all people affected by stroke have the best outcomes possible.

This festive season we thank you for your support for this important work during a very difficult year and any donation you can make to the NSF Christmas Appeal is greatly appreciated.

You are an important person helping us achieve our life saving goals.

To make a contribution, please visit the donate page on our website.

Have you ever wondered what it looks like to have a stroke? Why do we keep saying it is important to learn the signs of stroke through the FAST test? We hope this video will help you to visualise a scenario where someone is having a stroke and what you should do. Please watch it and send it on to friends and family. Let us know what you think by leaving a comment.

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