STROKE
‘My stroke is the best thing that happened to me’ H av i n g s u r v i ve d t h r e e s t r o ke s a n d m a j o r b r a i n s u r g e r y, B i l l G a s i a m i s n ow r u n s t h e Re c ove r y A f t e r S t r o ke p o d c a s t , w h i c h i n s p i r e s t h o u s a n d s o f f e l l o w s u r v i vo r s a r o u n d t h e wo r l d f r o m h i s base in Australia. NR Times learns more about h i s j o u r n ey t o g l o b a l l y - k n ow n p o d c a s t e r a n d s o o n - t o - b e p u b l i s h e d a u t h o r, a n d w hy h i s t ra u m a t i c e x p e r i e n c e s h ave h e l p e d h i m l i ve a b e t t e r l i f e Considering the huge trauma Bill Gasiamis has experienced as a result of stroke, the fact he hails it as a life-changing event in a positive way is something he admits is often questioned. “My stroke was the best thing to happen to me, definitely,” says Bill. “I’m looking at it from a post-traumatic growth place, because I’m not the same guy I was before stroke. “I’m a completely different version of myself upgraded and enhanced, even though I have deficits and neurological problems as a result of what happened. “I think it comes down to mindset. I’ve always been a ‘glass half full’ kind of guy, even as a young kid, I found the silver linings and always believed things were achievable. “But when I had my stroke, I realised now I have a lot of problems, a lot of challenges to overcome, and if I start to think negatively them I’m probably a goner. “And that inspired me to discover my purpose had it not been for my stroke, I would never have been doing what I do now.” And now, having cheated death three times in as many years since his first haemorrhagic stroke in 2012, aged only 37 - and surgery which left him having to learn to walk again Bill is helping to inspire countless other people and families around the world who themselves have experienced stroke and are dealing with its impact. The Recovery After Stroke podcast has over 5,000 downloads every month, from survivors and family members in countries across the globe, all looking for somewhere to access much-needed information and support on stroke recovery and how lives can be rebuilt in its aftermath.
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“It's mainly about showing people who are going through the very acute phase of stroke, that there's a middle and an end to the journey,” says Melbourne-based Bill. “Even though you might have deficits, or where you might be struggling or your life has changed, there is still some way that life becomes routine and normal again, down the track. “While the podcast started off for quite a selfish reason, in that I couldn’t find the support or resources I needed for myself and my family, I never imagined it could have led to coaching and supporting people in the way it now does.” Back in 2012, being a podcaster based on his own traumatic experience and recovery from stroke couldn’t have been further from Bill’s mind. As an entrepreneur with his own property maintenance company, Bill, a father of two then-teenage children, enjoyed a busy and action-packed life. So when he experienced numbness in his left big toe one Sunday morning, he resolved to get on with his day.
“I noticed the numbness, but it just went out of my head,” he recalls. “I had this routine on a Sunday morning, I would go to the gym and run on the treadmill for 5k. When I went there, I felt unstable on my feet, because by then the numbness had spread from my toe to my entire foot. “But I still didn't think anything of it, it was just a weird thing. I had a regular appointment with my chiropractor, because I was always doing silly things and lifting things the wrong way at work, so I spoke with him. “He said he couldn’t find anything from my spine or back that might be causing this numbness, but told me to keep an eye on it. I took an anti-inflammatory and went back to business as usual.” However, over the following days, Bill’s wife remarked on his new and ‘strange’ walking style, and by the Friday the numbness covered the entire left side of his body. While stroke and its symptoms have a higher profile now than back in 2012, Bill remained unaware such a thing could be happening to him. “I just got on with it, I went to work. I tried to get on a ladder but my left leg wouldn’t lift and stay on the rung. I thought the ladder must just be wet and slippy, so I picked up my leg and placed it on the rungs of the ladder. I proceeded to climb up,” he says. “I probably knew it wasn’t quite right, but when I went to the chiropractor for another appointment, he said I should go straight to the hospital. “I didn’t want to as I wanted to get back to work, and didn’t see the need, but my wife persuaded
