The Stroke Effect: Life after a Stroke
The Stroke Effect: Life after a Stroke
“Stroke is New Zealand’s leading cause of disability. ..it’s the third largest killer of New Zealanders, yet 85% of strokes are preventable… we interview Mike, Mary, and David ”
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Content
0.334 -> ♪ (music) ♪
4.848 -> On average, 17 New Zealanders
will have a stroke today
8.422 -> and six of them will die.
12.283 -> Mary Brown was a badminton player
14.729 -> and an Irish dancing teacher.
16.826 -> At 51, she was starting to travel
19.912 -> and then she had a a massive stroke.
23.246 -> David Hoeck's memory was like
a computer with a super hard drive.
27.536 -> Now, it's an effort to retain information.
32.987 -> Mike Brown was in a high powered meeting
35.406 -> when a blood vessel in his brain burst.
38.046 -> It was a stroke.
40.807 -> Lee Wakefield was a detective,
and barely 40.
44.304 -> She was confident,
and self-assured.
47.396 -> Every year nearly six and a half thousand
New Zealanders will have a stroke.
51.791 -> They're devastating.
53.699 -> Depending on the part
of the brain affected,
55.782 -> they'll cause physical, emotional
and intellectual changes.
59.972 -> Long term or short term disability.
63.475 -> Research into stroke is rapidly advancing
66.328 -> with scientists looking
for both causes and cures.
69.743 -> But what they already know
is that we could prevent
72.548 -> 85% of strokes.
79.999 -> They have started
calling these brain attacks.
83.572 -> And that's to emphasize the importance of,
86.204 -> this is a serious thing.
87.961 -> Most people don't know what a stroke is.
90.48 -> As I said, only a better third of people
can name symptoms of a stroke.
93.963 -> And it's the usual suspects:
95.815 -> high blood pressure,
not enough exercise,
99.709 -> high cholesterol, diabetes, smoking.
103.052 -> Ten years ago my dad had his stroke.
105.653 -> I see how it affects him
physically and emotionally,
109.14 -> but I still don't really know
what it means to have a stroke.
112.924 -> Auckland University has a brain bank,
115.076 -> with tissue from more than 400 brains.
117.765 -> Neuroscientists are gradually
uncovering the secrets of the brain.
122.066 -> A stroke is caused by one of two things:
124.463 -> a bleed within the brain, or a blood clot.
128.045 -> The brains stored here give us
a clear idea of what can happen.
133.203 -> Neuroscientist Alan Barber is ranked
one of the world's experts on stroke.
138.509 -> Here we have some stroke affected brains
141.128 -> and this is a normal looking brain?
143.309 -> That's a normal-- was a normal brain.
145.935 -> He's researching ways to limit
the impact of a stroke
149.556 -> but he's equally passionate
about educating others of the risks.
154.651 -> The brain needs to get blood.
156.373 -> To get blood from the heart
up to the brain
159.501 -> you've got arteries, and you've got
two big arteries here and here.
162.23 -> These are the carotid arteries,
163.528 -> and you've got a couple of arteries
that come up the back.
165.921 -> This is one of the ones
that comes up the back.
169.04 -> You can see it.
It's pretty difficult to see.
171.105 -> Can you see that there?
172.505 -> And then it comes up here,
and you can see little ones branching off.
175.754 -> Each time an artery, or the hose,
branches into two,
179.97 -> it gets smaller.
181.354 -> Those tiny arteries can stop
receiving blood if fat blocks the line,
186.101 -> and that's why you need
to keep your cholesterol low.
190.133 -> The part of the brain that's affected
by that loss of blood flow stops working,
195.153 -> and it stops working
within a couple of minutes.
197.384 -> That part of the brain will die.
199.562 -> That's that sort of stroke.
201.538 -> That's about 85% of strokes.
That's called an ischemic stroke.
204.789 -> It's what happened to Mary Brown
eleven years ago.
208.356 -> One of the cruelest aspects of stroke
is that it can deprive many of speech.
212.666 -> It's called aphasia.
214.243 -> You've found your own way
to communicate without words,
217.706 -> with lots of photos and--
219.927 -> Or yeah, sometimes--
222.701 -> So you write things down for people?
226.303 -> No, because... nothing. (laughs)
232.242 -> No, no...
236.01 -> and speak and sometimes laugh.
241.545 -> Laugh, laugh.
244.003 -> Because sick and tired of--
247.985 -> Mary's stroke was massive.
250.473 -> She has a small collection of words,
252.82 -> but she never quite knows on any one day
255.354 -> what thoughts she'll be able
to organize into speech.
258.495 -> That's just part
of the random nature of stroke.
261.824 -> ♪ Now is the hour ♪
265.081 -> ♪ When we must say good bye ♪
269.11 -> ♪ soon you'll be-- ♪
271.309 -> It's amazing to me that Mary can sing,
273.639 -> yet she can't speak.
275.734 -> But doctors can explain why.
278.163 -> The music part of the brain
is in a slightly different area,
281.823 -> so that's why she can express
herself through song,
284.855 -> but she can't necessarily express
herself through spoken language.
289.242 -> It's the same with writing.
291.003 -> Some people, when they have an aphasia,
294.611 -> can't write, but some people
can still express themselves by writing.
297.945 -> What were you doing
when you had your stroke?
303.974 -> You were sitting at a table, and you--
306.693 -> Playing. Playing here, so--
310.374 -> - Poker.
- Yes! (laughs)
313.307 -> And (spurts) death. Bang.
337.392 -> What's the next thing you remember?
339.3 -> Was it waking up in the hospital?
341.055 -> Yes. And every time
348.442 -> just pills, and nothing.
351.598 -> And slowly, slowly,
356.63 -> 'cause nothing.
358.13 -> So, you slowly became independent,
360.712 -> and now you live here, alone?
363.161 -> Yes. Nothing. Me and me and me. (laughs)
369.98 -> ♪ Carry, carry on now ♪
377.984 -> Much of Mary's former life is gone,
380.576 -> but she's had the courage since her stroke
382.912 -> to put herself out there
and build a new life.
385.948 -> Because she can sing,
she's joined a choir.
389.093 -> ♪ (singing) ♪
392.09 -> Mary knows she was lucky
to survive this stroke.
395.544 -> One third are fatal.
397.616 -> ♪ (continues singing) ♪
402.324 -> (soft guitar music)
404.806 -> Soon after her stroke,
Mary managed to return home
407.95 -> and live independently.
410.176 -> When she first had her stroke,
her right side was completely paralyzed.
415.776 -> She couldn't so much as roll over
418.212 -> and she had no speech.
423.432 -> Hello! How are you?
425.631 -> Her right arm is still paralyzed,
but Mary's learned ways to manage.
433.279 -> Twenty eight dollars and--
439.496 -> Bye!
446.768 -> ♪ (guitar music ends) ♪
451.728 -> Hello!
457.913 -> Oh! Hello! How are you?
462.291 -> Mary's brother and sister
call by every week.
465.568 -> She's also supported by volunteers
from the Stroke Foundation.
473.002 -> Nice day?
474.505 -> Yes, beautiful day!
476.339 -> I was going to ask you
whether your nails needed doing, Mary,
479.37 -> 'cause I have brought my clippers,
if you need them.
482.535 -> They're not too bad, are they?
484.078 -> Yeah.
485.143 -> I'll do them on the weekend.
486.497 -> Okay. Alright.
487.696 -> Okay, folks.
I'll make you a cup of tea.
489.789 -> Alright, I've got
some papers for you to sign.
493.219 -> Okay. Alright.
495.672 -> I come and see her every week
and we talk about her bills
499.795 -> and the money.
501.758 -> She's our sister, first and foremost,
504.177 -> and to me, it's just normal.
505.778 -> She's our sister who's had a stroke,
507.337 -> but she's got the same
character and personality
510.437 -> so it's just being part of a family.
513.169 -> Actually, I see more of Mary now
than I did before,
516.41 -> because before she was busy
and I was busy,
519.921 -> and now that Mary is in need of more help,
524.507 -> we need to be around there for her.
527.892 -> ♪ (serene music) ♪
539.659 -> Everyday tasks are much more
of an effort than they used to be.
543.729 -> Yet, Mary accepts where life's at.
553.189 -> How do you cope with life's frustrations?
556.304 -> Well, sometimes--
563.603 -> that no, no, no, I'm sorry.
569.734 -> (blows) Okay.
572.795 -> So what? So what?
575.71 -> I'm going to--
Yes! Fine.
582.003 -> Nothing. Because--
587.582 -> I'm going to laugh, laugh, laugh.
593.67 -> Our brains are a mysterious
and complex filing system.
597.6 -> Memory is kind of like a book,
600.035 -> and after a stroke, sometimes
the chapters are missing.
604.008 -> I used to pride myself on having
a fairly honed computer for a brain.
608.214 -> I was always an appalling note taker.
610.265 -> Very seldom took notes.
612.338 -> It was just all in here.
614.402 -> I had been a journalist, so I'd written
for magazines and web sites,
618.555 -> so I was an information person.
621.235 -> Quick absorb, process it, spit it out.
626.967 -> David was 53 years old
when he had his stroke.
630.291 -> He knew nothing about the symptoms.
632.845 -> At first he ignored the signs
that something was wrong.
638.492 -> I couldn't sit up right.
640.489 -> Like I got on the bed,
but my center of balance
644.024 -> I sort of couldn't find it!
So what I was doing was,
646.483 -> I'd try to sit up and I'd fall over.
649.035 -> And then I'd try
to sit up again and fall over.
651.254 -> I don't know how long
I was doing that for.
653.299 -> That was quite some time, and I was doing
all these sort of weird things,
657.745 -> like concentrating on gravity
and my center of balance
661.409 -> and stuff like this,
662.848 -> trying to actually get
my center of balance right
665.423 -> while totally ignoring the fact
that this really weird thing
667.843 -> is actually happening to me.
676.058 -> What is happening is that a blood vessel
is actually bursting in your brain.
679.858 -> And it's letting blood out,
so what happened was,
684.717 -> I sort of got the first inkling of,
"oh, this headache
689.686 -> is a bit more severe than I thought."
693.382 -> There's something really going on here.
696.563 -> ♪ (fearful music) ♪
698.533 -> All of a sudden, what appears to be
just a minor headache,
703.785 -> or a minor hangover,
ramps up to stadium volume.
708.775 -> It was just like unbelievable.
713.357 -> It was really, really painful.
716.337 -> Then it was a period
of a wait in intensive care
720.862 -> where you are cradled
in medical science, really.
725.337 -> It's all warm and fuzzy.
728.055 -> You're actually rocked
on medical technology.
732.686 -> You don't know how fast
the human body will recover,
735.852 -> so you're stuck there in this place
that's not like it used to be.
740.453 -> But you don't know that you're ever
going to recover from it.
744.068 -> And it can be a very dark
and unpleasant place.
747.639 -> Then, what happens, the human body
does its little marvelous things.
752.36 -> You actually start
this process of recovery
754.632 -> with things, tools start coming back.
757.395 -> Bit by bit you regain bits and pieces,
and you re-learn how to use them.
763.737 -> What-- one of the things
that I've found recently
766.636 -> was a notebook that I kept when--
770.458 -> or tried to keep. I'd always prided
myself on my handwriting,
774.271 -> so it's sort of quite nice
that I can look at this person
777.361 -> who can't, who can't really write.
780.303 -> In fact, you can't read quite a bit of it,
782.437 -> and then you go from that to my sort
of nice, neat, anal handwriting--
785.752 -> (laughing) --again.
787.422 -> Sort of like you can see
your whole progress there,
790.021 -> but I couldn't read.
792.248 -> My eyes would move
over a sentence and I'd start it,
796.336 -> but by the time I got to the end,
I had no idea what was happening.
800.031 -> The words in your mouth
can sometimes feel like rocks.
802.746 -> They just won't go out,
804.318 -> so you're busy trying to push them
out from the inside,
807.723 -> and they just aren't coming,
or they aren't going,
811.204 -> or they're very hard to push,
813.088 -> where your tongue moves differently
815.032 -> and your mouth moves weirdly
that you can't control.
818.558 -> It can be a very long way
between the inside you
821.894 -> that's doing the thoughts
and the outside you
824.143 -> that's actually speaking them.
827.826 -> (narrator) David's involved
in a new research project
830.769 -> that's helping him rebuild his mind.
833.12 -> Slowly, he can feel
his memory being restored.
836.484 -> (winding sound)
838.344 -> I think I am quite lucky to come out of it
841.631 -> with what I came out of it, you know.
844.126 -> My brain still processes
at a million miles an hour.
847.038 -> It's increasingly got better,
849.167 -> and I can talk and I can move
and I can sort of control my life
854.713 -> in lots of ways, so I feel I am very lucky
to have come out of my stroke
860.798 -> the way that I've come out of it.
862.612 -> (narrator) If you can recognize the signs
of a stroke as it's happening,
865.926 -> you can minimize the damage.
868.863 -> Scientists have developed
a clot-busting drug,
871.577 -> but it needs to be given
within four and a half hours
874.325 -> of first seeing the symptoms.
876.95 -> Face, get the person to smile.
879.009 -> One side doesn't move, that's a clue.
881.731 -> Get them to lift their arms up.
883.454 -> If one side drops away, that's a clue
that someone's having a stroke.
886.829 -> Get them to say something, they can't
get their words out or it's slurred,
891.364 -> that's a clue that someone
might be having a stroke.
894.76 -> (small waves breaking)
900.905 -> Lee Wakefield was successfully
given the clot-busting drug.
905.189 -> Her clot could have killed her.
907.903 -> I just had such a bad headache,
909.438 -> and my flatmate rang for an ambulance,
911.887 -> 'cause she was really worried about me,
913.543 -> and I remember telling her off
because I thought she was overreacting.
916.361 -> All I wanted was some pentothal,
918.334 -> but apparently she gave me a pentothal
919.936 -> and it was sitting on my lip.
I couldn't actually feel it.
922.287 -> That's when she knew something was wrong.
931.141 -> We spend our lives discovering who we are.
933.745 -> But what happens when the person
you thought you were is no longer you?
938.134 -> I'm a police officer.
I'm a detective in Auckland City.
940.842 -> What that means
is that I investigate serious crime
943.832 -> that happens within Auckland City.
947.425 -> (narrator) Physically, Lee looks well.
949.766 -> She's even back at work,
but psychologically,
953.057 -> she's changed.
954.633 -> I feel like I had a personality change.
957.231 -> It was like one day I wake up,
had a stroke, and I'm not the same person.
960.38 -> It was really hard to get my head
around the fact that my confidence,
963.516 -> my ability, the things that I sort of do
and like doing, I couldn't do.
975.139 -> I thought it would be just,
I'd be better and it was all over with,
979.452 -> and all of a sudden I'd get
my normal life back, and you don't.
983.161 -> I guess I had never really considered
depression a lot
986.048 -> because I've come across it a lot
with my job and with other people,
990.332 -> but I never thought
I would be affected by it.
999.564 -> (narrator) Applying the principles
of a hardened detective,
1002.347 -> she buckled down and worked
to recover her strength,
1006.789 -> but she was stumped by the way
the stroke changed her, emotionally.
1009.852 -> (Lee) People would just start
to talk to me and I'd start crying,
1012.514 -> and it wouldn't even be
anything that they'd said,
1014.569 -> it would just happen,
and I found that very overwhelming
1016.963 -> and quite embarrassing,
and I didn't want to go back to work
1019.684 -> until I could get that under control,
because I didn't want to be at work
1022.565 -> and then all of a sudden be in tears
and feeling like a basket case
1025.521 -> 'cause I just got really
self-conscious about it.
1031.116 -> (narrator) She'd always prided herself
on being organized and in control.
1035.738 -> Her stroke was so unexpected,
she's terrified it could happen again.
1041.998 -> (Lee) That really, really worried me.
At the beginning I was so scared of that,
1045.144 -> that it might happen again, and that
I'd have to go through all of this again
1048.239 -> and I just didn't know if I'd be able
to cope with having it all happen again.
1051.827 -> I actually still don't know if I could,
1054.258 -> because I just don't, you know.
1056.345 -> The thought of it
happening again worries me
1058.211 -> and every time I get a headache
I get sort of a bit panicky
1060.654 -> and I mean, there's a little bit
of a difference between a headache
1063.35 -> and a migraine, and I felt like I had
a migraine the day I had a stroke.
1068.499 -> I would just get,
if it worried me, and I do
1071.541 -> have headaches and things,
and hope it's not happening again.
1078.632 -> (narrator) Mike Brown's stroke
resulted in a paralyzed left arm.
1083.065 -> He's frustrated that 18 months on,
he still can't easily manage things
1087.554 -> like dressing himself.
1090.519 -> Get it up and over your head.
1093.9 -> The right arm in.
1096.74 -> There's always a bit of a twist
there in the end there,
1099.024 -> but you'll get there in the end.
1100.773 -> (narrator) He's been doing
as much physiotherapy as possible,
1103.48 -> and now he's part of a research project
at Auckland University.
1107.773 -> I made the decision that I was going
to recover as best as I could
1114.259 -> and not stop recovering.
1117.274 -> A lot of people who make
that decision just end giving up.
1120.974 -> That's not me.
1123.894 -> Especially initially.
Your family help you a lot,
1127.07 -> what you're doing.
1129.121 -> That puts some pressure on them.
1131.7 -> I think as part of my determination,
1133.802 -> I didn't want to be a burden
on them at all, you know?
1137.924 -> (narrator) Neuroscientists are beginning
to realize how much the brain can change
1141.897 -> and recover functions lost after a stroke.
1145.605 -> This New Zealand researchis a world first.
1149.02 -> It's testing a way to change
the stroke affected brain.
1153.04 -> I think it's been quite recently
in the last few years
1156.146 -> that neuroscientists like us
and others all around the world
1160.034 -> have realized the brain is capable
of huge amounts of change
1163.655 -> throughout your life,
even after big neurological injuries.
1167.311 -> (narrator) This device gives off
a safe magnetic field.
1170.654 -> Kathy finds a small part of Mike's brain
that controls his paralyzed hand.
1175.372 -> When she finds it, she delivers
a brief magnetic field,
1179.252 -> stimulating his brain to move his hand.
1182.127 -> I don't feel anything at all, in terms of,
it doesn't hurt or anything like that.
1187.451 -> The only thing that I do find is that
maybe the next day I'm quite tired.
1194.358 -> (narrator) Now they've found
those brain cells, they can begin
1197.038 -> the process of waking them up.
1199.936 -> This is called priming, and this
is a form of magnetic stimulation
1204.849 -> so it's safe and painless
and non-invasive.
1209.384 -> What it does is that it uses
a very weak magnetic field
1212.937 -> to activate the cells
near the top of the brain,
1215.662 -> and in this instance we use them
to activate the part of the brain
1218.72 -> that controls Mike's left hand.
1221.072 -> So, we increase the activity levels,
let him sit quietly for a few minutes,
1225.454 -> and then he goes and does
therapy with that hand
1228.472 -> to sort of capitalize on the way
that the brain's been pre-activated.
1233.07 -> Now as he's sitting
nice and quiet, relaxed,
1236.242 -> here we go!
1237.473 -> (device buzzes rhythmically)
1240.875 -> When we do this,
it takes a couple of minutes,
1244.332 -> and then we sit quietly for five
1246.45 -> and then Mike goes
and does his therapy.
1248.265 -> In the study we're currently running,
we do this every day for two weeks
1251.866 -> to see if we can produce a good,
long-lasting benefit.
1255.112 -> (narrator) The equipment
isn't new technology,
1257.562 -> but it's the first time
it's being used this way.
1261.196 -> So this is an intermittent protocol,
so it's on for two seconds
1265.238 -> and then there's an eight second gap.
1268.408 -> (device buzzes)
1271.438 -> So for this protocol,
it's important just to sit quietly
1274.184 -> to let the effects on the brain
settle, if you like,
1277.403 -> and then go and do the therapy.
1283.126 -> Okay. I'm going to time you.
I want you to do it
1285.305 -> - as quickly as you can.
- Alright. Okay.
1288.273 -> And, ready, set, go!
1292.702 -> (narrator) The brain cells needed
to perform this task
1295.404 -> were the ones targeted
by the magnetic stimulation.
1302.301 -> Oops!
1306.878 -> (narrator) Mike's applying
every bit of concentration.
1309.984 -> That helps stimulate
the brain even more.
1320.82 -> His determination makes him
an ideal candidate for the study.
1327.687 -> (therapist) Very nice!
1341.021 -> (narrator) Even this small achievement
means everything to Mike.
1346.105 -> (therapist) Good job!
1348.289 -> (narrator) His emotions have changed too.
1350.639 -> I suppose the first thing
that went through my mind was,
1355.204 -> how is this gonna affect me and my family?
1363.619 -> How is it gonna affect me at work?
1368.534 -> What are the long term
effects likely to be?
1371.204 -> Those sorts of things.
1373.211 -> Certainly you're not thinking
about your recovery at that stage.
1375.79 -> You're thinking about what's happened
1377.431 -> and then the blame starts.
1380.821 -> Like, you know,
could it have been avoided?
1383.886 -> Those sorts of things. Yeah.
1386.282 -> I was in a meeting at Middlemore Hospital
1390.484 -> with a group of engineers and architects
1393.78 -> and the client, and I fell over sideways
in the middle of that meeting.
1402.285 -> Ended up in ED in about
space of about five minutes.
1406.856 -> (narrator) An artery burst in Mike's brain.
1416.475 -> When you look at the brains
of people who died of a stroke,
1419.637 -> you can see the damage caused.
1422.157 -> This is the stroke here. Moderately big.
1426.095 -> This is due to a rupture
in one of the small arteries
1428.961 -> that penetrate the brain
to take blood into the brain,
1432.732 -> and what can happen is if you're a smoker,
high blood pressure, diabetes,
1437.224 -> years and years of that
can weaken the walls of the artery
1440.174 -> and they can burst, give up the ghost
1442.339 -> and you can get
this big blood clot forming.
1444.994 -> It's like a big bruise in the brain,
1446.521 -> and what happens is
that it actually damages,
1448.933 -> it's replaced the underlying normal brain.
1452.174 -> (narrator) Scientists are excited
by the discovery that parts of the brain
1455.787 -> might recover, more
than they once imagined.
1458.871 -> Alright Mike, so these are the pictures
that we took in the MRI scan,
1462.497 -> before and after you did the therapy
as part of this study.
1466.466 -> So this is basically just a picture
of the outside of your brain,
1469.951 -> and your nose would be here.
1471.625 -> That's the back of your head.
1473.344 -> This area here
is the primary motor cortex,
1476.572 -> and it's the part that specifically
controls your left hand.
1480.249 -> This is what you looked like
before you did the therapy,
1484.098 -> and this is what you look like
after the therapy.
1488.989 -> So keeping an eye on that spot,
it's now in a different color
1491.744 -> to show you it's afterwards,
and it's much bigger and brighter
1495.629 -> so this is a much more
normal pattern of activity,
1498.698 -> and that tells us that
after the therapy
1500.894 -> you were controlling this left hand
more normally and more efficiently
1504.221 -> and with a lot more activation
in the side of the brain
1507.672 -> that was affected by a stroke.
1509.339 -> So whatever improvements
you've experienced
1512.466 -> with the way this hand moves,
it's not because your hand has changed,
1515.693 -> it's because your brain has changed.
1517.694 -> Which is great.
1518.82 -> That's great! That's exactly
what we're trying to achieve.
1523.934 -> The past 18 months it's all been
about recovery, really.
1528.562 -> When you're recovering quickly
in the first three to six months,
1531.923 -> you think, this is great!
You're gonna get it all back.
1535.35 -> Your hand's gonna work forever
and all the rest of it,
1537.567 -> but it doesn't really.
1538.998 -> You get to a point when you realize
that disability is going to be with you
1542.984 -> for the rest of your life.
1545.902 -> ♪ (somber music) ♪
1552.303 -> (narrator) But having
taken part in the study,
1554.402 -> Mike is encouraged.
1556.06 -> He's determined to continue to work hard.
1563.506 -> Researchers will continue
to make new discoveries
1566.491 -> about the way a stroke
impacts on the brain,
1569.011 -> but experts working in the field
insist prevention is key.
1574.326 -> ♪ (music builds) ♪
1586.178 -> After all, 17 people will have a stroke
in New Zealand today.
1591.166 -> Six of them will die.
1594.568 -> But 14 of those strokes could be avoided.
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kS1fXjPPIJ4