Gisborne Herald reporter Murray Robertson’s warning after stroke

I called out to my wife, Kim, and the words came out slurred.

That’s when I realised: these were stroke symptoms.

It was a confronting moment.

I was alarmed, not frightened, and I couldn’t help asking myself: ”Why me?”

Kim drove me straight to the Emergency Department at Gisborne Hospital.

When I arrived, my blood pressure was very high – 225/90.

The doctors told me I had a transient ischemic attack (TIA), a warning sign of a potential stroke.

A CT showed no trace of a bleed or clot in my brain, and that was a blessing.

My condition gradually improved over seven hours, and by 2pm I was discharged home, relieved to have avoided serious damage.

I enjoyed a normal evening.

But as the night wore on, my face began to swell – a reaction, they said, to the dye used in the CT scan.

The next morning, my face still swollen, I called the ED to check if it was normal, and they advised me to return to the hospital.

Kim drove me again, but this time, as I waited to be seen, the full force of the stroke took hold.

I could feel my strength draining away and my balance failing.

They ran a second CT scan, this time without the dye. Again, it showed no brain damage.

But the stroke symptoms were unmistakable and they treated me as having had a mild stroke. I was admitted to the hospital.

Over the next 24 hours, I started losing my voice. My balance issues worsened.

I’ll be honest: it was a tough blow.

I’ve spent my life talking and broadcasting on the radio. I wasn’t sure if I’d ever get my voice back.

The thought of my broadcasting career ending like this was a bitter pill to swallow.

But from the outset, I was determined to get better and with the help of the excellent work of the nursing staff, physios, and doctors, I steadily recovered over the next 10 days.

They were all magnificent, and I can’t thank them enough.

I even managed to do my morning live news cross on Radio Ngati Porou in my second week in hospital, with slurred speech and all.

It gave me a big boost of confidence. Thankfully, my voice is gradually returning now.

I spent the second weekend of my hospital stay at home and tried writing on the computer. It was a further relief to know I could still function.

I’ve been back home for a week and returned to work on Monday on a measured, careful basis. Things are looking up.

I’m grateful for the support from everyone who reached out these past few weeks.

It’s meant a lot. But most of all, I want to thank my dear wife, Kim.

She’s been my rock through all this – magnificent and completely supportive.

I’m sharing my story because I want to raise awareness about blood pressure and stroke risk.

I was told in the hospital that I had elevated blood pressure for some years, but I didn’t fully realise the implications.

My advice?

Don’t ignore it. Get your blood pressure checked regularly.

Don’t take any risks.

You do not want to have a stroke, even a very mild one like mine.

The Neurological Foundation says 9000 New Zealanders have a stroke each year, 2000 Kiwis die from a stroke each year and 25% of stroke victims are under 65.

Stroke is the second-largest cause of death in New Zealand and the largest cause of adult disability.

The Stroke Foundation of New Zealand advises that joining a patient support group may help stroke sufferers adjust to life after a stroke.

“Talk with your health care team about the local support group or check with an area medical centre,” a Stroke Foundation of New Zealand spokesperson said.

“Support from family and friends can also help relieve fear and anxiety following a stroke.”

More than three-quarters of strokes can be avoided by making healthy lifestyle changes.

Stroke Foundation tips to reduce the risks of stroke:

Regular exercise helps maintain healthy blood pressure, and with high blood pressure being a major risk, this is one practical way of reducing the risk of a stroke.

Thirty minutes of exercise five times a week can reduce stroke risk by 25%.