I would like to share a piece of writing with you that was written by one of my patients, Mr C.G. He’s a 42-year-old man who currently lives in Durban. Just over a year ago he had an unexpected large stroke on the left side of his brain. At the time, he was a healthy, fit young male working in Johannesburg. He went to the gym every day and went annually for a check-up with his GP. On that fateful day, he just felt dizzy and had a headache and then blacked out. He was taken to a Johannesburg hospital and found to have a bleed on the brain. As the bleeding (haemorrhagic stroke) was on the left side of his brain, the entire right side of his body was paralysed. He also could not speak, and he struggled to express himself. He was diagnosed with aphasia. Aphasia is language disorder that affects a person’s ability to communicate. It is usually as a result from a stroke on the left side of the brain. It affects a person’s ability to express and understand written and spoken language.
Mr C.G. wrote an e-mail to me recently. This is no small feat as 9 months ago he could barely say one sentence let alone write a whole passage. I asked his permission to publish the contents of his e-mail. This is what he wrote (sic):
Good afternoon Dr Anrie Carstens
On 17 April 2020 – 17 April 2021, 1 Year and coming stronger and kind.
This is what happened. But just now, I would write more perfect as well, sorry about that.
On 17 April 2020, in JHB. In the morning at about +- 05H30 AM, I had a shave, shower and change for Gym. First, Pray and down stairs in the Gym. At +- 06H20 AM, full Gym, running and training.
At +- 07H35 AM upstairs, had a shower again, Prayed, replied on my E-mails and called people as well. Then, I went to our office in JHB. Just me, no one was there, because of COVID-19.
I was busy and working as well. In the afternoon, I drove to another Business at our office, everything was fine. At +- 18H00, it was late. I was driving my car, and something was wrong. I held my car, 7 times, when I came home, I know something is wrong.
My other Directors was there and called our Doctor and Netcare….
On 17 April 2020, Hospital. On 18 April 2020, Haemorrhagic Stroke, operations theatre. On 19 April 2020, I had to go in aging, operations theatre, on my Brain…..On today, on 19 April 2021…………..
Now. In Durban, I am always learning, reading, running, training, working and much more to be 100%. I will go to JHB and see them as well.
I am much stronger, and the first time, I drive my car, it was perfect and road as well. But for now, I only drive inside my Church and just now 100% right.
I train at home, on myself. I use 18.5 KG on my arm. Just before, in the Gym, I used 25 KG on my arm, but I stopped because of COVID-19. On my leg, much better and just now to run as well
On my Apraxia of speech and on Aphasia, much better and more appropriate. It’s not the best for now, but just now, be perfect.
On Friday and before, money fun booklet, values, numbers, coins, rand, lines, cost, multiplication, addition, subtraction, and division. they were shocked. I did it at the same time, with no calculator.
On my Brian, already strong and better.
I can’t wait to help the World and work.
God bless you, Jesus Christ bless you and Holy Spirit, Amen.