A 65-year-old man surnamed Hsu from Miaoli County was embracing retirement, planning to hike and travel to enjoy Taiwan’s beautiful scenery, but unexpectedly suffered a stroke. Fortunately, after emergency medical treatment and rehabilitation, he returned to normal life.
Mr. Hsu recalled, “I initially thought I was just overly tired, but then I couldn’t move half of my body at all. No one was home, so I used the last of my strength to call an ambulance, then crawled to the door and opened it. After that, I lost consciousness. When I woke up, I was already on a hospital bed at Dachien Hospital.”
After diagnosis by Dr. Cheng Chih-wen, head of the Department of Neurology at Dachien Hospital, it was found that bleeding around the brainstem had caused hemiplegia. It was assessed that although he could walk slowly with the aid of a walking device, his balance, coordination, and physical strength would be greatly affected, making future mountain climbing activities unlikely.
After Mr. Hsu’s condition stabilized, the stroke case manager arranged for him to receive professional treatment and rehabilitation training in the acute post-stroke care ward. After more than five months of balance and coordination training, as well as strengthening of cardiovascular endurance and muscle strength, Mr. Hsu no longer needed a cane to walk. He was able to complete a one-day hiking trip up a small hill, and he recently planned a trip around Taiwan with his wife, hoping to fulfill his dream of climbing Taiwan’s 100 Peaks.
(China Times)