Bartek was 32 years old when he survived a stroke. He was a strong, he althy man who realized himself in a huge banking corporation. Although he de alt with enormous stress and a terrible headache every day, he was convinced that his he alth problems did not concern him - until “that” day arrived.
Marcelina Dzięciołowska: What was your life like before the stroke? What were you doing then?
- For many years I worked in a large corporation, where I was the head of a team responsible for the so-called basic products, i.e. those without which the customer does not exist. It was quite a demanding area - quite a key one for businesses and banks.
It was quite a stressful period for me, because some changes began to take place in the company. The first was the change of organizational structures, where one was made of two twin structures, i.e. the so-called synergy effect and doubled positions have been combined into one. Automatic - half of the employees had to leave.
Have you stayed in the company?
- I was in a favorable position to cover these two areas. There were also reshuffles in management positions. My boss, with whom I worked very well, left and I took his place. My job was to report to the "big boss" who was a very difficult man. He was an extremely intelligent person, but he had a difficult interface, he was an alien, he received on completely different frequencies and it was difficult to make any contact with him. Only a few people in this company knew the key to his mind, I couldn't find it.
You have been put in a new role.
- Yes, it was a lot of responsibility, but I also got a team of people who weren't entirely happy about the situation we all found ourselves in. It was all stressful and it was cumulating inside.
What do you think caused the stroke?
- I think it was that in a situation of strong and permanent stress, I functioned for a good year and a half, maybe two years. The doctor in the hospital told me that if the body is running on boost all the time, all the weak points are dormant and it works somehow. But when the moment comesrelaxation, these weak points are effective. She also added that according to statistical data, all strokes, heart attacks and all emergencies most often happen at the weekend or during the first week of vacation.
The body is shocked!
- Yes, then the body lets go and everything that was "burned" with adrenaline makes itself felt. This was probably the case for me. I was also a freshly baked father at that time - Antek was less than a year old. Therefore, all the attractions related to a young child have joined this - first illnesses, first hospital visits and other stories. It all stacked up and spoke. It is impossible to do something without effect - sooner or later the body will communicate that a given situation cannot last forever. And that's what happened in my case.
I was told that a stroke is a time bomb sitting inside you and you don't know it. The head physician from the hospital Copernicus in Lodz said that the clot that formed in my body has probably been floating in my body for several months.
Have there been any signals from the body before - mental or physical - that something was wrong?
- That's a very good question. Now, in retrospect, I know that these alarm signals were there, but I did not notice it then and did not associate them with anything specific.
For example?
- For example, systematic headaches - appeared out of nowhere. Initially once a week, then it happened 2-3 times a week, and then the headache did not stop at all. Sometimes, as I walked up to the fourth floor, I could feel the pressure pulsing in my head.
A person thinks that he is young, busy, maybe tired and he is not affected by he alth problems. There are always more important things, so nothing is done about it.
Have you been struggling with a headache?
- When the pains bothered me a lot, I took painkillers - ibuprom, apap and others. However, it was often the case that I took the pills off - I rested, played with Antek, relaxed and it actually helped sometimes.
Didn't make you think?
- Often, when a person is in a hurry, he starts to ignore various symptoms, he thinks to himself that I'm only 32 years old, so nothing will happen to me. Now I know it was a mistake because I thought I was immortal.
Did you go to the doctor, did you stay with the pills?
- Basically I didn't even think about it. The work was very demanding, with household chores and various stories connected with it - it was all thereabsorbing that I was ignoring these pains.
- I didn't even consider that I should pay attention to it. The more so because I thought that everyone has a headache from time to time, everyone lives under stress, and this is what life is like. I haven't thought about whether I live in a toxic world that is killing me. At least the headache, which was actually the only symptom, didn't make me think of it that way. The awareness that you are young, because you are only 32, deceives you by itself, lulls you to sleep.
The day has finally come.
- Yes, it was a fairly ordinary day. My parents came to us from Silesia because of Antek's birthday. After lunch, when the guests returned home, we decided to take a nap. I remember that I had a lot of headache then. We lay down on the couch, Antek also fell and we all fell asleep. After we woke up, it felt like I hadn't fully woken up.
What does this mean?
- It feels as if someone in the middle of the night has suddenly woken you up, or you are waking up from deep sleep because of some noise. I didn't quite know what was going on, although I was awake. I was as if taken out of this dream, I felt as if in limbo. Usually, this state after waking up passes when you come to your senses, and for me it stayed that way. Not only that, I started speaking Russian then.
Where did the Russian language come from? Do you know this language at all?
- Yes, I was fluent in Russian, but that was a long time ago, in 2004, when I was living in Moscow. Later, for almost 10 years, I did not use the language, so secondary illiteracy took root there. I started to speak Russian to Marta, to Antek, and at first Marta thought that I was fooling around - she doesn't like it when I speak Russian. She asked me to stop fooling around, but I couldn't. Later it was getting harder and harder to say anything. It's a bit like being drunk - you know what you want to say and convey, but something inside isn't cooperating. The mumbling began, i.e. the so-called aphasia.
This is a symptom that quite clearly indicates a stroke. When did Marta realize that you were not kidding?
- Probably at the time when I wanted to put on socks to Antek, which I was totally wrong with. It was almost impossible that a human would not be able to put socks on a child. Plus the Russian one, plus my (I think) serious face, and then Marta realized that something was wrong. I didn't fully respond to stimuli all the time, I didn't quite know what was happening around me, like after leaving the carousel.
What happened next?
- I was wandering around the house, my head is still thereI was in pain and that was probably when Marta called the ambulance. I even had time to throw up before they arrived. I remember that some people were walking around the apartment, I was taken to an ambulance. When I realized I was in the ambulance, I asked the rescuers to turn on the roosters. This was the first time I was driving an ambulance so I wanted them turned on!
Have they turned on?
- They turned it on! I also remember the blue lights that circled the ambulance. I think it was then that I went out in that ambulance, it turned off my power, audio and vision.
What did you see when you woke up?
- This was one of many awakenings as this awareness came and went. I was lying on some bed in intensive care or SOR - I don't remember exactly. It was some kind of a transition room, it looked terrible. I was naked, it was freezing cold, something was sticking to me.
What did you think then?
- That this is probably the end of the adventure in this valley. I began to wonder what to do here to make it warmer. I was cut off again.
The next picture I remember is the corridor, the lights on, medical equipment and my bloody hands. My friend Wiktor was standing next to him, I was tugging at his clothes and I remember throwing up on him.
Where did these bloody hands come from?
- Wiktor later told me that I was plucking drips because I wanted to leave. I was tossing on the bed, I had a sudden rush of consciousness, so I was ripping it all out.
How did your friend react to your behavior?
- He grabbed my forehead and put my head against the pillow. I was cut off again.
The next moment I remember was regaining my full consciousness. It was 8:00 am Monday morning when I woke up and decided to leave because I have to go to work.
How is it?
- I found that enough aging is enough, you have to go to work. However, I started to wonder how to handle it, because I didn't quite know how to get out of there and what to do. Finally, I asked Marta to let my boss know that I was in the hospital and would not show up for work.
How did your boss react?
- He got worried, said I didn't have to rush.
What happened next?
- During the morning round, the head physician, an exceptional woman, came to me. Then I thought to myself: "People, how fun it is!" She told me what happened that I had a stroke without a stroke, so no blood had spilled into my brain.
After a stroke, a person has roughly two hours to die. If thrombolysis can be performed during this time, the person can be saved, independing on how big the blockage is. There may be complications after thrombolysis, but not necessarily.
What is it about?
- They inject something into the blood that dilutes it. The thrombolysis released blood, the embolism released, and I began to function normally. I had a series of tests of various types: ECG, tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound, and the flows were examined. The cause was searched and checked for side effects.
During a stroke, brain cells become oxygenated and die. The risk is therefore high.
- Due to the fact that an embolus forms in the head, that part of the brain is ischemic. The longer this condition persists, the greater the side effects. Depending on where it is located, the consequences can be different - you may lose your hearing, your eyesight, your balance may be troubled, you may become paralyzed, and so on.
What did the research show?
- I reportedly had a blockage in my posterior lobe, which was not crucial for vital functions. The studies did not indicate any side effects. All senses were fine, there were no complications.
What happened next?
- The head physician set herself the goal of finding out the cause of this incident. It was a mystery to her. Her theory was that it was a life situation, constant stress, that made it happen by itself. She tormented me to quit cigarettes, even once found me smoking in front of the hospital. Additional examinations, in particular heart examinations, have been ordered. I also got a referral to a neurologist.
Leaving the hospital, I asked: “Doctor, how to live? What's next? Such an adventure does not happen every day. It was fun here. "
What did she say?
- To live a normal life, but find things, activities that make me happy. She also admitted that work, yes, is fun and gives satisfaction, but you need to find a way to relieve tension, that is to do something you like. It does not have to be physical activity, but something that gives you joy. She also recommended large doses of sport, mainly to chase the body away, so that the blood would quickly bubble in the body, to achieve a high pulse, and to get tired.
In addition, she recommended taking Acard, which dilutes the blood. I have been taking this drug every day since then. After leaving the hospital, I was constantly running around the doctors, but the cause was not found. I also heard that the stroke could come back. I would like to add that within two years of thrombolysis it cannot be repeated.
Why?
- It's such an invasive procedure.
So if the stroke did recur again, it wouldn't be for yourescue?
- No. Then the chapel.
What about other stroke patients you met in the ward?
- The patients with whom I was lying in the ward were twice my age. During the 9-day stay, someone died every day. Three patients have left my room to the land of the eternal hunting.
A man who was a chef in a pastry shop where he was making cakes was lying with me. Every day he talked about how to make a semi-French cake. The second one was unconscious for three days, maybe 90 years old. One day he woke up and wanted to borrow 10 zlotys from another friend, and another told him not to borrow him, because he would not live until tomorrow. The same patient managed to confess his love to the nurse and then died.
At least he has managed to confess his love to someone.
- Some of these events were quite traumatic … I held on because I was already feeling well. I did not feel sick, I felt sorry for myself that I was taking the bed for someone who might need it more, but the head physician insisted that they had to monitor me.
Despite the seriousness of the situation, you keep your distance and tell me everything with a smile.
- I've never made a tragedy out of it. It just happened, I learned a lesson from it, I started taking more care of myself. I started to focus my attention more on my family than on work, I gave up on it. It occurred to me that there is only one life and that you can lose it very quickly.
Have you found in your life what the doctor said - the thing that gives you joy?
- I started my sport. Marta has always been active in sports, so I tried to imitate her and get involved in runs, Runmageddon - we did it together. I bought a bike and started to ride at night, then skates and rollerblades appeared, so I returned to an activity that I hadn't had so much before, because work was the most important thing. Thanks to Marta, we managed to get into this sporting activity.
Have you started making your dreams come true?
- Yes, a little later I started to pursue my dreams related to the automotive industry. Old cars, sitting in the garage, breaking down and repairing - all this gives me great satisfaction. It is also such a safety valve under stress.
Are there any traces of the stroke?
- Sorry. Now, when my head hurts, fear sets in. Then thoughts run through your head that maybe there's a repeat of the entertainment coming again, maybe it will happen again. It is this awareness that it can happen again. I try not to paralyze me, that fear does not dominate my life, but it does appear. Sometimes when I put it downI go to bed and have a headache, I'm afraid that I won't wake up in the morning or that no one will call an ambulance. Especially now, when I live alone, so in order for someone to find me, someone from Poland would have to come to me, or someone from work, if I hadn't come to work for a few days.
What do you do when anxiety arises?
- First of all, I watch my body, I try to guess what it wants to tell me. If my head starts to get a lot of pain, I wonder why it is. Now I know that the main cause of my headache is lack of sleep. When I go from Łódź to Frankfurt it is 10 hours by car non-stop. So there is no strength that a person after such a route would not have a "hangover". The body has to react, so the head will hurt the next day. Then I know it must hurt, because I struck a night and spent it behind the wheel.
If I don't have to, I don't run around doctors, I'm not a hypochondriac type, it must be very bad for me to go see him.
Did the doctors have any advice for your headaches?
- The doctor told me an important thing - not to wait for the head to stop hurting, but to take a pill right away, preferably something that dilutes the blood. And of course drinking water. Dehydration thickens the blood. In addition, from time to time, the physical activity I mentioned earlier.
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Thrombolysis: indications, contraindications, complicationsAlcohol is not recommended in this situation?
- I asked! The doctor said it was better to stop smoking than drinking alcohol. I am not a fan of alcohol, but you can drink 2-3 beers and go dancing - a double benefit, because the blood will flow faster, and dancing is also a kind of physical activity.
Would you like to add anything else?
- I don't know how it ends in this case, but I think it would be appropriate to draw a moral, so these will be the advice of a former stroke. The first is listening to your body and thinking about what may be causing your ailment.
Another thing - don't think that man is indestructible. First of all, you should live a normal life, not be afraid that it will happen again. After all, you can stumble on the stairs, hit your head on the dance floor and that will be the end.
It's true, people also die in car accidents every day.
- That's right. You have to live wisely and not go crazy with our world. In Poland, I worked in large corporations for 20 years. Now I work in an even larger - German corporation. The comfort of work strongly influences the comfort of life. From the perspective of the last two years, since I have been living in Germany simplyI feel sorry for people who have to work in Polish corporations.
What does this result from?
- In Polish corporations, there is still an Anglo-Saxon model of work, consisting mainly in the rat race, and at a high level. This is not the case in Germany. There is great respect for work-life-balance. In Germany, none of the employees will let anyone know what to do, and they will not pretend to do more than they can. There is also no such pressure as in Poland. In Poland, I worked non-stop on such a "yellow or red alarm" - everything was late, in short supply, there was more work than we were able to bear.
How is it now?
- Now I have time for everything, I'm not chasing, people are reliable and honest, which gives me a great comfort of work. I am happy with where I am, the stress has gone away. I made friends with the thought that I might have another stroke, but I understand that my lifestyle and way of thinking will have a big influence on whether or not this will happen.
Professionally, I am in such a place that I am no longer under permanent stress. This is the hygiene of life. If someone, after reading this conversation, feels that he is in a similar situation, let him think about what he can change, because it will not take long. The body will always fight back for its own, and the delay bomb will go off.
The most important thing for everyone to know is how to recognize the first symptoms of a stroke and what to do. Quick response is essential. In my case, Marta reacted quickly, thanks to which there were no intellectual dysfunctions. She saved me from death or permanent handicap.
What would you like to say to the readers?
- I would like to tell everyone to think about whether they can rest. Not everyone has this ability. I know people who are at work all the time. You have to learn to spend your free time, vacation. It's not even about going on vacation and lying on the beach. You can rest in the garden nurturing the carrot. If only this activity helps to distract from professional life or personal problems, it is also relaxation. For me, such a form of rest is the time spent in the garage with my old cars.
It's almost like meditation!
- Yes, but it's not that simple. This has to be learned.
About the author
Marcelina Dzięciołowska Editor for many years associated with the medical industry. He specializes in he alth and an active lifestyle. A private passion for psychology inspires her to take up difficult topics in this field. Author of a series of interviews in the field ofpsycho-oncology, whose aim is to build awareness and break stereotypes about cancer. He believes that the right mental attitude can work wonders, therefore he promotes professional knowledge based on consultations with specialists.