Phil's story

Phil’s life was busy: on top of being an involved dad, including caring for his son with complex medical needs, he was balancing a demanding role as a travelling sales rep and prepping for his first body building competition.

"My life was hectic; I was waking up at 2.30 in the morning to train. My family and friends were telling me to slow down. But I was obsessive. I felt invincible."

Phil, who lives in Whangārei, experienced his first stroke in August 2023.

"I was at the gym when it happened. Everything started shifting in my vision. It was like vertigo and nausea. Nothing was steady. I tried to get up and walk around – that's when I lost my balance. I was trying to find my partner, but I couldn't see properly, and I couldn't even yell."

While Phil knew something was wrong, he didn't know what. He was familiar with the F.A.S.T. acronym (Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulties, and Take action - call 111), but because his face wasn't drooping, he thought it couldn't be a stroke. However, his struggle to yell for his partner was a critical sign that he was experiencing speech difficulties and could be having a stroke.

If you suspect someone is having a stroke, don't hesitate – call 111 immediately.

Eventually Phil's partner, Tanya, found him and took him home. He thought he was just tired, so he went to sleep.

The next day, Phil felt okay. He knew he had experienced something strange, and although he wasn't too worried about it, he thought he better get checked out. The hospital carried out some tests, which revealed nothing out of the ordinary.

"They said, 'You might have just had a bit of a bad spell', so they sent me home."

Two days later, it happened again – but this time, Phil's face started drooping too. He knew this was serious, but he was worried about how his kids would react, so he didn't call 111.

"I didn't even phone the ambulance because I didn't want my kids seeing me getting taken away in a stretcher. It was really silly."

Again, Phil went to sleep. When he woke up in the morning, he and Tanya dropped the kids at school, and then went straight to the hospital. This time, further tests revealed he had experienced two strokes – the first in the left side of his brain, the second in the right side. His strokes were due to a buildup of bad cholesterol in multiple arteries going to his brain. Phil also believes his busy lifestyle contributed to his strokes.

"I was overworked. I was pushing my body too hard. This was nature's way of saying 'slow down, otherwise you won't be around to look after your kids much longer'."

Phil spent six weeks in hospital, undergoing an intensive course of therapy. His first stroke affected his speech centre and his second stroke caused him to be semiparalysed on the left side of his body, so he needed to learn to walk and talk again.

Phil worked hard on rehabilitation during his hospital stay. But once he was discharged, he found services were hard to access. In particular, physiotherapy was critical so he could rebuild strength in his left side and walk properly again. Ideally, he needed multiple sessions a week.

"Because the services are so stretched up in the Far North here, I was only getting seen once every fortnight, only for 20 minutes."

On top of not being able to access the level of support needed for his physical rehabilitation, Phil was suffering from constant nausea and vertigo, which made every day a struggle. For a short time, his mother supported him but then had to return to work. Eventually, Phil's partner, Tanya, had to stop working so she could support him. All of this, on top of being a parent, made recovery a tough process.

"I just wish the services were more available, once I had gotten out of hospital."

"I felt like I was on my own."

Luckily for Phil, he had a strong support system around him. As well as family and friends, a worker from the Stroke Foundation helped him adjust to his new normal and connected him with a local stroke group. Phil laughingly says,

"I was the youngest one there by about 30 years! They helped me get back on my feet again."

As well as the support of his stroke group, Phil found an unconventional way to improve his walking.

"I kept drifting to the right every time I walked and I thought 'okay, if I get a dog, I'll hold him on my left and he'll straighten me up'. And it worked!"

Phil found his dog, Bailey, was instrumental in his physical recovery.

"He was my saviour, to be honest. I owe a lot to him."

Things started improving steadily from there. His nausea and vertigo eventually went away, and while an initial return to work full time didn't last, Phil is now working part-time in a different role.

"I work at a gym! I do a few hours a week. It's good for my mental wellbeing."

Full-time work is still off the table for now.

"I'm far from returning to work full time. I fatigue out. By the afternoon, I need a nap. I need to rest my brain."

Despite some limitations, Phil feels very grateful for where he is now.

"It's okay, we've gone through it and we're on the other side of it now. I've just got to make sure I'm here for a long time. If that means slowing right down, then so be it."