Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
a mother who suffered stroke and admitted to intensive care sepsis People are feeling “nervous rather than excited” this festive season on Christmas Day in 2024.
Holly Dougan, early years teacher liverpoolBegan to experience neck pain and headaches, but “didn’t think much about it”.
On Christmas morning, she collapsed, her speech became slurred, she felt dizzy, and she had “really sharp pain” on the left side of her head, down her left arm.
The then 27-year-old woman knew “something was not right” and was taken via ambulance to Aintree University Hospital, where a CT scan confirmed that she had suffered a stroke caused by a tear in the left coronary artery.
At first, she thought she couldn’t have a stroke due to her age, and she was “completely shocked” and couldn’t help but think that she was putting a burden on her family, including her husband, 29-year-old Gary, on Christmas Day.
Her condition rapidly worsened as she developed heart failure, lung infection and sepsis, spending Christmas Day in intensive care and was later diagnosed with takotsubo cardiomyopathy, meaning her heart muscle changed shape and she suddenly became weak.
Over the next few weeks, he had to re-learn to walk and regain his strength, eventually celebrating a delayed Christmas with his family in January 2025.
Despite Holly’s “trauma”, she is determined to make this Christmas “magical” for her two-year-old daughter Isabella.
She said, “I was struggling more with the mental side of things than the physical – it was a huge shock and the day before it happened I was completely fine.”
“It makes you realize how quickly things can change and I don’t like the feeling of being out of control in my body.
“I was worried that I was burdening my family and worrying them, and they even had to leave everything on Christmas Day.
“I didn’t know what was going to happen or whether I would survive or not, really – it was very scary.
“I think this year I’m feeling nervous instead of excited.”
Holly’s health troubles began before Christmas last year when she experienced pain on the left side of her neck, which she believed was causing her headaches.
She visited her GP on 12 December and was diagnosed with migraine – at the time, Holly “didn’t think too much about it” and continued taking painkillers.
On Christmas Eve 2024, Holly and Gary take Isabella to see some Christmas lights and “put carrots out for Santa’s reindeer”.
The family went to bed “very excited” to wear matching Christmas pajamas for the next day.
At 5 a.m. on Christmas morning, Isabella woke up, but Holly decided it was “a little early” to start the day and she sat back down.
Holly returned to bed and “felt fine” until she got up again at 8.30am to wake her daughter.
“I got to her bedroom door and my legs went out from under me and I felt really dizzy,” Holly recalled.
“I managed to get myself back to bed, but there was severe pain on the left side of my head and down my left arm.
“I said to Gary ‘I need an ambulance’ – I never thought I was having a stroke, but I knew something wasn’t right, and I was really scared.”
So, Holly called an ambulance and was on the phone for about six minutes, and about two minutes later, paramedics arrived at their door.
Holly said: “I remember my face looking a bit weird, and starting to droop at this point and I couldn’t swallow and my throat muscles weren’t working – I was trying to get sick but nothing was happening.
“My speech was quite slurred and I remember the paramedics saying my symptoms indicated a stroke.
“I remember I’m 27 years old – I can’t have a stroke.”
Holly was taken to Aintree University Hospital, where a CT scan confirmed she had suffered a stroke.
Doctors later confirmed that his stroke was caused by a tear in his left coronary artery, which supplies oxygen-rich blood to the left side of the heart.
“The doctors said my headaches and neck pain might be related – this might be the beginning of it,” Holly said.
“It goes without saying that if the GP had sent me to have some scans they would have known anything at the time, or that they would have been able to do anything to prevent it.”
Holly was then given thrombolysis – a medicine used to dissolve blood clots blocking arteries or veins – but she started feeling “very tired” as her parents and siblings rushed to the scene. stockport To see him.
She also noticed that she was “breathing really fast” before being surrounded by a team of medical staff as she was vomiting, meaning she was inhaling vomit or stomach contents into her lungs.
After further tests, doctors discovered that she had experienced heart failure, had a lung infection and was suffering from sepsis.
He was taken to intensive care on Christmas Day.
Holly was then diagnosed with Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, according to British Heart FoundationA condition where the heart muscle changes shape and suddenly becomes weak, usually caused by severe emotional or physical stress.
She said: “In intensive care, I was on 80 per cent oxygen, but they eventually managed to reduce it so I don’t need it anymore.
“It was all blurry and quite dramatic.”
While in intensive care, she also needed an NG tube – a thin plastic tube inserted through the nose and up to the stomach – as she was still struggling to swallow.
She remained intubated for about a week, and once her speech “returned to normal”, she began a pureed diet.
After five days in intensive care, Holly remained in hospital for observation for almost three weeks.
Throughout this period, his body was “weak” and he had to “re-learn to walk” using both a frame and a stick.
When she was finally discharged and returned home, she, Gary and Isabella celebrated Christmas on 21 January – by which time she was able to walk without assistance.
She said: “Gary had left all the decorations out, and we hadn’t even opened our presents!
“However, I found it hard. I didn’t want to go to bed because it reminded me of that day.
“I had to throw away my Christmas pajamas because I found them so stimulating.”
Due to her “traumatic experience” she underwent weekly counseling sessions and is currently on a waiting list to receive further support. Stroke Association,
Holly, Isabella and Gary will visit Gary’s family this Christmas northern irelandAnd Holly is looking forward to “living in a different house”.
Main symptoms of stroke
The main symptoms of stroke may include:
- facial weakness – one side of your face may droop (drop) and it may be difficult to smile
- Arm weakness – weakness or numbness in one arm may cause you to not be able to fully lift both arms and keep them there
- Problems speaking – you may slur your words or seem confused
The easiest way to remember these symptoms is the word FAST. This means: face, arms, speech and time to call 999.
There are other signs that you or someone else is having a stroke. These include:
- weakness or numbness down one side of your body
- blurred vision or loss of vision in one or both eyes
- difficulty speaking or thinking words
- confusion and memory loss
- feeling dizzy or falling
- severe headache
- feeling or being sick (nausea or vomiting)
according to Stroke AssociationFor another 85,000 people in the UK, this year will be their first Christmas after a stroke.
The charity’s new film shares stroke survivors’ experiences of facing Christmas after stroke.
Holly explained: “I think there needs to be more awareness about it (having a stroke) – when I was in hospital, I was in shock.
“I’ll keep Christmas magical for the kids, but I’ll probably need a few minutes alone on Christmas Day to cry.
“I think it’ll be a big milestone, that first anniversary, and I’ll think about what happened at that time last year.”
The Stroke Association is the leading charity in the UK providing lifelong support to stroke survivors and their families.
This Christmas, you can help the Stroke Association support more stroke survivors every step of their recovery.
Watch a Christmas movie and give the gift of stroke support by visiting www.stroke.org.uk/stillchristmas,