I’ve always been what most people call a “normal” bloke. I grew up on a farm and there were eight kids in the family. I left school at thirteen and went to work on the family farm. I got my first job away from home on a farm when I was sixteen years and nine months and after that working on farms and truck driving became my career.

I married and divorced twice, had six children and I have sixteen grandchildren. Heather and I have been together for the last eight years.

On 8 November 2007 I was paving at my daughters and came home early in the afternoon because I had got the virus that was going around. By 10.30am on Friday 9 November I was on my way to Dubbo Base Hospital and within an hour the Doctors confirmed that at the age of 58 ½ years I had had a stroke that has affected my left side.

While at Dubbo Base I was allowed to use an “arm support walker” but when I was transferred to Lourdes for rehabilitation they put me in a wheelchair. The doctors had said that I was a “good candidate for rehab” so I felt down when this happened and thought “I’ve gone backwards - Lourdes is where you go before the end!”

The physio came to see me and explained that they had to do a full assessment of my stroke before they could start the rehab to get my left arm and leg working again.

When you can’t even get your finger to touch your nose it makes you realise how much your control and movement has been affected – it’s like being a little kid and having to learn everything again.

Heather came to visit and I said “I can walk out the front door or go out the back door.” She told me she knew I would walk out the front door even if I had to have a walker or a stick to do it.

I knew then that I would give it 110%. It was the biggest challenge I’d ever had but I knew I could do it. I thought, “I can beat this, I know I can.”

I decided to look for positives – no matter how small!  Some days were “downers”, nothing seemed to want to work and I’d feel useless.
I’d look for positives, pick myself up and then get into it again. A sense of humour is a bonus!

I’d tell myself that Heather, my kids, grandkids and family all needed me  and I’ve got a lot of friends that care for me too.

For someone who had always worked outside and never had a sick day being inside “four walls” was pretty hard to handle. I found that “escaping” to the gardens at Dubbo Base (Kids Fairy Garden) and Lourdes helped me deal with these feelings. Most visitors found me in the gardens and my grandkids liked being out there too!

A week after I started Physio I could see the difference but I always thought that everyone else was doing better than me.

I still had times when I felt like nothing was improving so there were lots of “down” times when I had to look for the positives and pick myself up again.

The staff seemed to know when to give me extra support – sometimes just by being able to say something at the right time.

My left side has been affected. It’s like someone drew a line straight down the middle of me. My leg, arm and even half my face has pins and needles ‘twenty four seven”.

Both my eyes have been affected. I've lost the sight of the left half of each eye, which has made life very “difficult”.

My first “leave” from Lourdes was for four hours to go to my granddaughters christening.

A week later I had my first “day leave” and it felt so good when I went out the front gate on my walker. I had the day relaxing at home and walking around our gardens. That leave went quickly!

Physio the next week seemed so much better and I felt good. I still had a few “down” times but they were easier to get over. I had friends, family and Heather visiting so when I wasn’t doing Physio and Occupational Therapy I had things to keep me from getting bored and down. 

Some people feel that when they have a stroke the Physio, O/T and Speech Therapy is like being a kid again and they don’t want to do the work but if you don’t put in the effort you won’t improve.

Little improvements became very important to me in the weeks after my stroke and there were times when I’d look around and realise that there were others worse off than me.

Positive attitude makes a big difference although sometimes it doesn’t feel like it’s helping.  When I got discharged from Lourdes, I walked out with my walking stick.

I’m at home now doing my own exercises and working at getting back my mobility, movement and a good quality of life. I figure if I don’t put in the effort I won’t get any better.

Seven and a half weeks after my stroke, I mowed the back lawn and when Heather took the mower to do the front lawn I was supposed to take it easy but I kept doing other things! I did too much and was exhausted and it took two days for me to get back to where I was before. Everyone had said, “You’ll know if you overdo it.” It was a good lesson!

Eat in moderation, physio in moderation, jobs in moderation. Yes, everything in moderation!

When you have worked approximately 12-15 hour days all your life, don’t have high blood pressure, cholesterol or weight problems and thought you were quite fit having a stroke is a shock.

Having a stroke has meant a different kind of “hard work” for me but the rewards are worth it.

The medical people said “Six to twelve months and you’ll be back to normal”. I don’t know if I was “normal” but I’ll wait and see what happens!

After a few days at home I started to realise what problems my eyesight loss could cause.

When I was at Lourdes the staff were there to remind me if a door post or wall was too close. Eating meals in the dining room using my left hand I would lose sight of the spoon and because I didn’t have a lot of control over my hand I would hit my face with the spoon or throw the food on or over my shoulder! That was so frustrating!

I was determined to feed myself and after a few days practice I could control my hand a lot better. I learned to bring my left hand around to the right side of my face so that I could see the spoon coming.
(A big thankyou to the staff that cleaned up the mess, while I practised this task).

Around home or going shopping I realised how much I’d taken my eyesight for granted. Something as simple as getting things off a bench, out of a cupboard or a drawer just was not easy. From a distance I could see an object but when it was within reach it was out of sight. It used to drive me crazy! Things that were so easy can be so frustrating.

I learned to move my head around and by looking along my arm and concentrating on what I was doing I could pick things up.

Heather took me to meet with Vision Australia assessors. They told us that I was adapting well to my vision loss and told Heather “It’s not whether Vic can do things but whether he wants to do things”. Shed jobs are still better than inside chores!

About 2 ½ months after my stroke I realised that getting back into the workforce with my vision problems would be difficult.

My movement and control on the left side was still improving with daily exercises, although the pins and needles still remained and I decided I needed to “Do” something.

I contacted Michelle, the Social Welfare Officer at Lourdes to find out what I needed to do to become a Volunteer at Lourdes.

I had been asked before I was discharged from Lourdes if I would like to return and speak at the monthly Stroke meetings. The 6th February 2008 I returned to give my first talk as a stroke survivor. After the session everyone said “thankyou” and that it helped them understand what was happening. The feedback made me feel so good and I have continued to speak at every monthly meeting.

After completing application forms I was accepted as a Volunteer at Lourdes and in mid February 2008 I started helping at the David Palmer Day Centre. Two weeks later my position was transferred to the Physio and Occupational Therapy area.

I didn’t realise how hard it would be to return to Lourdes. Memories came flooding back of my time at Lourdes and the hours of hard work I had spent there during rehabilitation. Seeing clients there and remembering that it was me 3 ½ months before was upsetting at times. I never thought that I was a very emotional person but after having my stroke I now find that I often get emotional.

While discussing problems with my own rehab with one of the Physio’s I told them I had slackened off on my work-outs because I thought I was doing enough exercise just moving around at home. I was told that if I didn’t keep up the daily exercises at home my progress would go backwards so every day I make time for my exercises!

It didn’t take long talking to other stroke survivors and their carers before I realised that it helped them to be able to talk to someone that had “been there” and gone through a stroke.

Now I help out by being available to talk to stroke clients, carers and staff three mornings a week.

We all need so much support to cope with a stroke. A stroke can just sneak up on you no matter if you are “fit and healthy, young or old”. It can happen overnight like mine did or in minutes without warning. The shock is so great! I try to explain how I felt to others so they can understand.

On 2nd April 2008 Guide Dogs had an information seminar at Lourdes to discuss eye conditions. After the session, Heather and I got to talk to the guest speaker, Ben, and arranged for him to contact us at home.

Ben came to visit at home on the 14th April to provide tips to help cope with my vision loss. I had walked into a carport post at home when not concentrating on where I was going and Ben gave me some pointers on “scanning” to help me avoid walking into the post or other objects again.

On 24th April Adrian from Guide Dogs came to visit me and took me to the shopping centre for a “walkabout”. He showed me the safe places to cross the street when there are no pedestrian crossings. We also walked through the shopping centre and supermarket as Adrian explained how to avoid accidents. When we got back home Adrian told me that I had handled the outing well. I was a bit cheeky and asked Adrian how he thought I’d cope on a “gopher”. He asked “why” and I told him “there’s one in the shed”, Adrian told me he’d come back and check on my “gopher skills” next visit.

On 1st May Adrian returned and I rode the gopher to Orana Mall with Adrian observing me from a distance. At the Mall we did another “walkabout” the supermarket before returning home. When we got home Adrian asked why I had “crossed the street where I did?” when I explained why I’d crossed where I had Adrian said I was “thinking about what I was doing and didn’t rush myself which was good”.

Ben still phones occasionally to see if I need any help or have any other issues that Guide Dogs can offer assistance to me.

Seven months after my stroke I went back to the Eye specialist to have my vision assessed. “Good” news my eyesight hasn’t gotten any worse. “Bad” news, my eyesight hasn’t improved. I’ve decided to make the best with what eyesight I’ve got.

While recovering from my stroke and regularly talking with other survivors and their carers I realised that the Dubbo area was in need of a stroke support group.

Everyone felt that the care and support they received while in Lourdes was excellent but that when they were discharged they were “on their own” and unsure of how to obtain information, assistance and support.

I discussed my ideas with Michelle, the Social Welfare Officer at Lourdes, and with her help we have now started a Stroke Support Group which meets on the second Wednesday each month at 10am and everyone who has had a stroke, their partners and carers are welcome. The group provides opportunities to meet with others who have ‘been there’ and understand the difficulties of living with a Stroke. We also aim to build confidence and friendships, share knowledge and experiences, provide encouragement and support for each other and enjoy social outings. Guest speakers attend often and provide presentations on a variety of topics. Michelle’s organisational skills and ongoing assistance have been invaluable in establishing the support group.

I can do most things now but I still “knock up” easily. I’m restoring some of the outdoor furniture from Lourdes with help from Heather. We clean all the old paint off the frames, repaint the frames and new boards, and then bolt the tables and chairs back together. I can do some garden chores like the mowing and edges but weeding and pruning are still difficult due to my vision loss. It frustrates me but I’m getting there.

I might not do things quite the same as I used to but when I look around everybody does things differently and the jobs get done. I’ve found determination and willpower will help do it! Don’t let it get at you, step back, smile and think about it and you will find a way to get the jobs finished.

Heather, my partner, gave me so much support. Without her I think I would have given up. She was there on my good days, my down days, at all times. A special thankyou goes out to her.

Down days still happen but not as often. I tell myself I had down days even before my stroke so I look for the positives because everybody has more positives than negatives. I think that half a glass of wine or beer is not half empty but half full!!

I’ve thought about the person who told me I’d be “back to normal in 6 months” and I decided you can’t go back 6 months even if you are healthy so I’m probably as normal as me!

I would like to thank all the staff at Lourdes. You have all supported me through a very difficult time in my life, and have encouraged me to keep striving and achieving my best.