Doctors did not suspect stroke in 20-year-old Jan

Jan Joonas Tuuna was 20 when he suffered a stroke two and a half years ago, and doctors did not suspect it at first, ERR’s Ringvaade programme reported. Now 23, he says recovering from the fear took time, even though he avoided serious lasting effects.

Tuuna said his vision began to blur while he was travelling home from Tallinn on a Friday. After he got home, he developed severe nausea and an intense headache. Alone at home and unable to ease the symptoms with water or painkillers, he eventually called his mother. She called an ambulance after he told her he could not go on.

At the emergency department, doctors did not initially suspect a stroke. Tuuna said it was still not suspected after several days and medical tests, until a doctor eventually told him what had happened. He said doctors could not say for certain what had caused it.

During treatment, doctors found a small opening between the chambers of his heart. They decided to close it as a precaution, using a procedure through a vein, about six months later. Tuuna said he was shocked at the prospect of a heart procedure at age 20. He said he is now healthy.

Doctors told Tuuna he was fortunate that his body continued to function normally after the stroke. His age and the plasticity of his brain helped him avoid serious consequences. But the experience left him frightened. “I felt as if I had gone from the beginning of life to its end in 24 hours,” he said, adding that it took time to manage those thoughts and fears.

Tuuna later began training for a triathlon, despite his mother’s misgivings. He completed a half-Ironman, but said the race was neither enjoyable nor good for his health.