A mother-of-two who called an ambulance for her husband ended up having to use the services herself after she had a stroke while talking to the emergency workers outside her home.
Tina Doran is urging everyone to get their blood pressure checked after she suffered a second health scare caused by the sudden death of a relative just two years later.
"I had suffered a fall when I missed a step coming down my stairs during lockdown in 2020 and the pain from a metal plate and 14 screws inserted into my ankle was horrific," said the 51-year-old.
"The pain was overwhelming at times but I had to struggle on.
"Then my husband Ray had a fall at our house and hurt his back in 2022 and he was in such agony that he couldn't get off the ground so I called an ambulance.
"They had trouble finding our flat in Bettystown, Co Meath, so I ran down the stairs to meet them. I was pointing up to the apartment to show them where Ray was and I felt a whoosh in my brain and a tingle in my body.
"I felt really strange. My leg started to drag and I lost my balance. I knew instantly what was happening. I told the lady, I rang this ambulance for my husband but I think I'm having a stroke.
"I was placed inside the ambulance and my blood pressure was 219 over 120. The EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) took my phone and rang Ray to tell him what was going on and that another ambulance was on the way for him.
"I had a bleed on the brain and so I spent nine days in hospital. A cat scan also revealed that I had an artery dissection on the left-hand side of my neck which can cause a stroke too."
But illness struck again in April this year when Tina discovered a loved one had died suddenly.
"My blood pressure shot through the roof again and I had a horrific headache and started getting really sick. I thought it was a migraine but it stayed with me and my blood pressure wouldn't go down.
"I was nervous about going back to the Beaumont Hospital with high blood pressure but I wanted to make sure I wasn't having another stroke. After two days of tests, I was told that I didn't have another stroke but I did have another dissected artery which is apparently very rare to occur twice in a lifetime.
"I'm doing ok now. I have a blood pressure monitor and I am on tablets. My hand is still weak but I do puzzles to hold a pen and help the muscles get stronger.
"It was a horrific time for me and I'd just say to everyone out there – go get your blood pressure checked regularly. It really was almost a silent killer for me."
