"They were kindness itself"

We recently had friends round. My wife was in full flow, when suddenly her voice slowed as if the spring was winding out on an old gramophone record. I picked up that something was wrong right away. I asked her if she could raise both arms - only one went up. She was obviously having a stroke. Called 999 Ambulance. They came within 15 minutes and carted her off to Crosshouse Hospital with blue lights flashing. 

I followed in the car. When I arrived my wife was already being scanned. Right enough, there was a clot on the right brain. The consultant, appearing from home on a big TV screen, told us they had an injection that could disperse the clot in some though not all cases. There were adverse side effects in 1 patient in 60 which could be very serious. It was entirely our decision whether to have it. 

I asked my wife is she wanted it. She said no.

I turned my back on my wife to face the consultant. I’m thinking, my wife’s in the middle of a stroke and can’t think this through. It’s gotta be on me. I told the consultant we wanted to go ahead.

Just over an hour later, my wife recovered full movement in her previously paralysed left arm and leg, and her speech was normal. 

They kept her in the next day for monitoring, and she was discharged the next day. The next day she was hoovering and dishwashing. She has a bunch of medicines to take to reduce the chances of it happening again. 

My wife and I are eternally grateful to the medical and nursing team in the Stroke Unit. They were kindness itself, and their treatment worked. To all potential stroke patients out there remember the golden hour - 999, Ambulance Service, please. It gives the NHS a chance to make a big, life-changing difference!