RICHARD'S STORY
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For most people, Christmas is a day that makes them think of spending time with friends and family, eating together and sharing gifts. But for Richard Farquhar, Christmas will forever be a reminder of the day he had a stroke.
In 2021, then 48-year-old Richard was training for the New Zealand Ironman. He regularly took part in marathons and long-distance running events, and the Ironman was the next challenge on his list. He knew that as he got older, he may experience the occasional health condition, but on the other hand, he was so fit that he felt almost indestructible.
On Christmas Day, he and his wife Suz were visiting family in the Wairarapa. After returning back from a training run, Richard started feeling off.
"I was sitting at the dining table talking to my mother-in-law and I felt a tingle on my lip," Richard recalls. "I could see the words, but I couldn't get anything out of my mouth. Next thing, I lost all feeling down my right-hand side."
At any sign of a stroke, you should seek immediate medical attention. You can use the F.A.S.T. acronym to help you identify the signs: Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulties and Take Action - call 111. Richard's speech difficulties and loss of feeling on one side of his body were a sign that part of his brain was not receiving enough oxygen.
Despite knowing something was wrong, Richard thought his symptoms were due to going too hard on his run, so he lay down to rest. Eventually, he started to feel a bit better.
The next day, as he and Suz headed home to Hawkes Bay, Suz encouraged him to go to his doctors, who ordered a series of tests. The results shocked Richard: he had experienced a stroke. But it wasn't just one - the results showed that Richard has experienced a series of strokes throughout his life that he had been totally unaware of.
"I never thought I'd have a stroke," Richard says. "You think 'I hope I don't have a heart attack' or 'I hope I don't get cancer'. I never, ever thought anything about strokes."
It was discovered that Richard had a patent foramen ovale (PFO), or a hole in the heart. This allowed blood clots to travel to his brain and cause a series of strokes. Luckily for Richard, none of the strokes had a lasting impact. Doctors told Richard that his high level of fitness had saved his life.
Six months after his Christmas Day stroke, Richard had his PFO closed. Not long afterwards, Richard started training again. He completed the Rotorua Marathon six months after his surgery, and a Half Ironman in Australia a few months after that - though he did take it relatively easy, as he promised Suz he would look after himself.
Now, Richard considers himself fully recovered and credits his strong recovery to his fitness and the support from his family, especially Suz. He says that his stroke made him look at his lifestyle, encouraging him to switch gears and find a job he is passionate about. He also takes medication daily to reduce his risk of having another stroke.
"I'm on medication for the rest of my life," Richard says. "But if I've got to take a few tablets for the rest of my life, then that's a small price to pay."
Fitness remains a huge part of Richard's life. In November, he's running the New York Marathon and next year, he will finally be taking part in the Ironman tournament he started training for in 2021.
And while Christmas Day will always be a reminder of how stroke changed his life, Richard is less interested in looking backwards and is focused on the future.
"Live life to the full," he says. "There's no point thinking about your bucket list - you've got to get out and do it."