O

ne ring in the dead of a night, I was struggling to shake off my sleepiness. Half awake, my sister hysterically informed us that our father had a heart attack and had been rushed to the intensive care unit (ICU). He was in critical condition.

Panicking, I booked an early flight to my hometown with my brother. Our father has never been diagnosed with any heart problems. His health, to our amazing surprise, despite his 75 years of age, was robust, except for his hyperuricemia (asam urat) that makes his level of uric acid in the blood abnormally high.

On his 63rd birthday, he went so far as to drive a motorcycle from Solo (Surakarta) to Jakarta alone without prior notice.

Later, it turned out that our dad suffered a hemorrhagic stroke, in which a defective artery in the brain burst and filled the surrounding tissue with blood (cerebral hemorrhage) due to his uncontrolled high blood pressure. It resulted in a lack of blood flow to the brain and a buildup of blood that put too much pressure on the brain.

The doctor said my dad was lucky he had been admitted to hospital just in the nick of time. The hemorrhage was categorized as medium. If treated correctly, the blood build up could lessen without getting brain surgery.

However, it took longer to stabilize his blood pressure to its normal level due to the hemorrhage. The condition meant our dad was in a state of delirium when we got to the hospital. One leg and one arm had begun flapping uncontrollably. He was put under thorough observation in the ICU, and given an oxygen tank to help him breathe. An IV was attached to him along with other tubes to deliver food. It was a heartbreaking sight.

After four days, my dad was out of ICU. His life was no longer in grave danger. However, like most stroke victims, he would require rehabilitation after the event, generally dependent on the area of the brain and the amount of tissue that was damaged. The left side of my dad was paralyzed.

'€œFamily support is vital for his recovery. You have to brace your family to be patient no matter what the circumstances,'€ the doctor said.

Surfing on the net, I found that a stroke does not just hit the elderly. Nowadays, regardless of age, a stroke can attack anyone. It can also be genetic related to family history. Making some inquiries while my extended kin gathered, I learned that my great grandfather and my grandmother died from a stroke. I also have one aunt who suffered the same fate, and lived out her days paralyzed.

A few years back, my cousin had a transient ischaemic attack (TIA) or mini-stroke caused by a temporary disruption in the blood supply to part of the brain. Unlike my dad, my cousin'€™s attack was partly due to his unhealthy lifestyle. He'€™s been constantly working hard until late at night, often until morning again. He drank lots of coffee and smoked to keep him awake and fresh.

Following the attack, my cousin started to maintain a healthy lifestyle to prevent a full, life-threatening stroke. He knows that a healthy lifestyle is the key to avoid a more serious and harmful attack. He now maintains a healthy weight, eats healthily, exercises regularly, limits coffee consumption and has stopped smoking.

Regardless of age, the sudden appearance of any numbness or weakness in the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body, trouble seeing in one or both eyes and difficulty walking should prompt a trip to the hospital as quickly as possible.

Yuni Herlina
Depok, West Java