Stroke survivor Toomas Jürgenson urges others to make time to rest

Toomas Jürgenson, who wrote a book about his long recovery from a stroke, says people need to make time to rest, even if they have to force themselves. He spoke to Vikerraadio, an Estonian radio station, in an interview reported by ERR.

Jürgenson was 33 when he suffered a stroke on Christmas Eve in 2013. He said he suddenly could not understand what was wrong or speak. The ambulance took a long time to arrive, and it also took time to reach hospital. A doctor later told him he had been in a coma for too long.

He spent two months in hospital and had to learn to speak, walk and write again. He said he had no memory loss and remembered everything, though there were periods when he did not want to do anything. Having a child motivated him to keep going.

It took two years for Jürgenson to regain his speech with help from a speech therapist, and three years before he could drive again. He now works as a driver. One side of his body is still different, he said, though it is not noticeable and may not recover.

Jürgenson said he is now a completely different person from before the stroke and has to do everything calmly. He tries to exercise every day and goes for walks, as he can no longer run. His book, The Other Side of Stroke, recounts his recovery, and he said he hopes to help others by sharing his experience.