A Brighton man is trying to find his “guardian angel” – the woman who saved his life when he had a stroke while shopping in Sainsbury’s.
Kieran Jones, 58, is also warning others to check their blood pressure before it could be too late.
Mr Jones is supporting the Stroke Association call for more awareness of the risks of high blood pressure on Stroke Prevention Day today (Thursday 29 January).
The charity is warning that nearly 414 people will have a stroke every day in the UK – that’s one person every three and a half minutes – by 2035 unless the public, NHS and the government tackle prevention.
Mr Jones’s stroke, which has left him with a range of physical and emotional difficulties, happened when he went to Sainsbury’s, in New England Street, to buy soup for a neighbour last March.
Mr Jones said: “I felt weak and so I went to the door at the front of the shop to get some air. I had just run up to the shop so felt it was weakness due to that.
“Someone suggested that I sit down and advised me I could be having a stroke and so she was calling an ambulance which came quickly.
“I was in denial – I was too young and fit to be having a stroke. However, she was adamant as she said she was a nurse.”
Mr Jones is hoping to find his mystery “guardian angel”. He said: “I would love to know who that woman was to thank her for saving my life. I’ve not been in that Sainsbury’s since. I can’t bring myself to go in.”
Despite being a keen body builder and boxer, Mr Jones had a phobia of having his blood pressure checked.
He had previously been warned several times that his blood pressure was high, though doctors thought he may have “white coat syndrome” which is when someone’s anxiety in a medical setting can cause higher readings.
Mr Jones said: “I would panic if they came near me with the machine. I couldn’t put the cuff on my arm. The GP would say: ‘I’m not going to take your blood pressure because you’re going to panic.’
“Even when I was at home and taking my own blood pressure, it kept spiking. I could feel myself getting anxious. It’s the fear of a high reading – I always have a fear of something going wrong.”
Mr Jones said that when his blood pressure was tested it was found to be “outrageously high” at 210/106.
Blood pressure is considered high when it’s 140/90 or higher when checked by a healthcare professional, and 135/85 or higher when checked at home.
The effects of Mr Jones’s stroke – and the second one that he had at home seven weeks later – include weakness in his left arm and poor dexterity in his left hand, attention and problem-solving issues, severe fatigue, leg weakness and blurred vision.
Mr Jones said: “I cannot run or swim any longer – my brain has lost the ability. I also have depression, anxiety and inappropriate emotions such as laughing and crying at the wrong things.
“I was doing weightlifting. I was doing bodybuilding and boxing – I won two belts for boxing. But I had to give it up – which, for me, was the most hurtful thing about having a stroke.
“The consultant said my stroke was clearly caused by uncontrolled blood pressure, nothing else. So my advice to people is don’t do what I did and ignore it.
“When you hear stories about high blood pressure being the silent killer, they’re not joking. It’s real. It can creep up on you.
“My life story is the perfect example. Everybody, even if you’re as fit as a fiddle, should monitor their blood pressure as something that simple can save your life.
“If somebody as fit as me can have a stroke, then anyone can, as I’m one of the lucky ones. Some people don’t get a second chance to be a survivor.”
Since his stroke, Mr Jones has made lifestyle changes including changing his diet to cut down on fat and sugar. He’s also gradually resuming exercise and hopes to return to work as a support care and housing specialist.
His blood pressure is now under control and he checks it frequently using an oximeter, a device that clips on his finger and is suitable for those suffering fear of taking blood pressure the customary way with an inflating arm cuff.
Mr Jones has also been supported by the Stroke Association’s Brighton and Hove stroke recovery service.
Mr Jones said: “They’ve been a total godsend. Without them, I would have been lost not knowing what direction to take.
“I’ve had loads of advice on lots of things including getting back to driving. Marie, my support co-ordinator, has gone over and above to help me.
“She put me in touch with the Brighton Stroke Survivors WhatsApp group. There’s always somebody you can reach out to and talk to – people who have been in the same position.
“I’ve had advice from other stroke survivors who went back to work, got back into to fitness and sports and managed fatigue and anxiety.”
The Stroke Association is urging more people to attend NHS health checks for people over 40 in England and Wales because currently around two thirds of those invited to an appointment don’t attend.
The charity also wants the government to reform the appointment, so they are more effective and provide targeted support for people who need it, including education on the risk factors of stroke.
Nick O’Donohue, the Stroke Association’s associate director for the south east, said: “High blood pressure is the biggest single risk factor for stroke. It plays a part in about half of all strokes.
“As the nation’s health declines, the risk of stroke rises. Already one in four people who have a stroke are of working age.
“Without preventative action, alongside improvements to stroke treatment, care and recovery, this will only get worse.”
The Stroke Association supports stroke survivors and their families by phone, at home and in the community. Find out more about how to reduce your risk of stroke at www.stroke.org.uk.
