Michael Smithers

Michael Smithers (58), Cork city

I worked in Irish Steel in Cork for 18 years. When I had a triple by-pass in 1994, I decided to leave my job and started working part-time driving a van. Then in 2000, I had a heart attack. I think I decided to go for a treble because I had a stroke in 2007.

On the morning of my stroke I went out for a spin in the car. When I came back around ten o’clock I felt very tired. I lay down on the couch with my head facing the wall, trying to rest. My daughter, who was 19 or 20 at the time, was going into town and asked me if I would give her a lift. I turned around to answer her and found I couldn’t speak; all I could do was mumble. She knew something was wrong and got my brother-in-law who lives down the road. He called an ambulance immediately.

I heard a voice saying, ‘Michael, can you feel my hand?’ The ambulance man was holding my hand and asking me to squeeze it. I couldn’t feel a thing. I wanted to sit up but I couldn’t. In my mind I felt ok and I was annoyed they wouldn’t let me sit up. Of course, they knew I had suffered a stroke.  I was confused, disorientated and annoyed with my daughter and brother-in-law for calling the ambulance when actually their actions saved my life.

I was brought by the ambulance to A&E of the South Infirmary Hospital. It might sound scary now but while it was happening I didn’t have time to think about it. I was in a daze for a few weeks. I must admit that at the time I didn’t really know what a stroke was. As I lay in my hospital bed and talked to the nurses and doctors, I began to realise that my recovery wouldn’t be easy.

The first thing in my mind was to get out of bed and run a marathon. But I wasn’t able to move and had to be hoisted from the bed into a wheelchair when I needed to go to the bathroom. As the weeks went by, I gradually reduced my goal to running a half marathon, then to doing a six mile walk. Eventually, I was happy just to get out of bed and wheel myself to the bathroom. Thanks to the help of a wonderful physiotherapist called Marian, I was finally able to walk to the bathroom and have a shower and walk back to bed again. I never thought of setting my goal to just getting out of bed.

I have trouble setting my mind to small goals because I want to get to the finish line as quickly as I can. But I don’t see the harm, because if you work hard and get half way there it is better than having no goals.
I was a heavy smoker – 20-a-day easily – and a drinker for most of my life. I kept smoking after my bypass and after my heart attack. I finally felt the need to give up after my stroke when my neurologist told me I really had to.

I spent three months in the South Infirmary hospital. They were brilliant to me. Unlike a lot of people I was actually able to walk into the National Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH) in Dun Laoghaire.  The NRH is a long way from my family and life in Cork but I knew if I didn’t go there and spend time doing therapy that I would always wonder how much I could have improved. When I was discharged from the NRH, I continued to get some physiotherapy in the South Infirmary for a time.

I would have to say that once you leave hospital you don’t get the same treatment. They seem to forget about you. I still need physio for my left arm. I contacted my doctor to arrange it, but I haven’t heard anything for a year. To keep exercising I have joined a gym. But it is hard to do it on your own; you haven’t got the same motivation.

I wanted to talk to other stroke survivors, so I had set up a Facebook page called ‘Stroke Survivor Support Group’ for people to discuss their progress and recovery. I’ve made a lot of friends through the group and have gotten useful information. Two of the best books I ever read about stroke were recommended to me by members of the Facebook group.

I went along to the first meeting of the Cork Stroke Support Group last year and I was delighted and shocked to see how many people were there.  Up until then I hadn’t actually met any stroke survivors living in Cork City.

Four years on, I walk with aid of a stick, although I still have foot drop. I have no use of my left arm or hand, but I am working on it and I am still very motivated to get some strength back. I take inspiration from other stroke survivors and know I am a lucky guy.