Anthony Nguyen thought he simply had a bad headache for a few days in September 2024.
However, when his wife Emily saw him having difficulty walking down the stairs in their Regina home, she convinced him to see a doctor. He visited a medical clinic and was admitted to Regina’s General Hospital later the same day.
Anthony’s headache was revealed to be a stroke. The 33-year-old learned he was living with two serious conditions that had gone undetected until then: type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. This surprised Anthony as he had almost no symptoms that would make him think he had either condition.
After spending two weeks in the Regina General Hospital’s Neurosciences Unit to stabilize his blood pressure and have tests done to identify the cause of the stroke, Anthony spent another three weeks at the Wascana Rehabilitation Centre undergoing physiotherapy and occupational therapy to address the weakness he experienced on the left side of his body.
Furthermore, following an appointment at our Eye Centre at the Pasqua Hospital, Anthony found out about another undiagnosed condition: diabetic retinopathy. It is caused by damage to the blood vessels of the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye where the retina is located, and is a leading cause of blindness.
Early on, diabetic retinopathy may cause no symptoms. Using the special technology of the Eye Centre, his ophthalmologist, Dr. Raul Garcia, detected that Anthony was experiencing this complication. Anthony had not sensed any change in his sight so he didn’t seek medical care. He later learned how fortunate he was to receive the diagnosis.
“Dr. Garcia said if I had let my diabetes go uncontrolled for a few more years, I would have gone blind,” says Anthony. He was treated at the Eye Centre with injections, which can slow or reverse diabetic retinopathy, and laser procedures that can shrink abnormal blood vessels or stop them from leaking to reduce swelling in the retina. Anthony continues to have follow-up appointments with Dr. Garcia to monitor the condition of his eyes.
Months after his stroke, Anthony is back at work in information technology and has even travelled to Japan. Physiotherapy has allowed him to regain about 80 per cent of his strength on the left side of his body. “I’m in my early thirties. I thought I was relatively healthy,” says Anthony. “I had no symptoms, but I also wasn’t going to the doctor regularly. Sometimes, though, you can’t see or feel things that can creep up on you.”
Anthony is grateful for the treatment that saved his eyesight. Technology used by our Eye Centre medical professionals is crucial in detecting and diagnosing diabetic retinopathy and many other conditions. That is why Hospitals of Regina Foundation has committed $375,000 in 2025 to invest in critical technology priorities needed by our team in the Eye Centre. These include an Optos Retinal Imaging Camera, which provides ultra-wide field retinal imaging to allow our eye care professionals to discover, diagnose and treat diseases of the eye that may first present in the outer limits of a persons’ vision. Such conditions may go undetected using traditional examination techniques and equipment.
“Our Eye Centre is crucial for southern Saskatchewan patients who receive important diagnoses and treatments that help them live better lives. Thanks to our generous community’s support we will continue to invest in the most advance technology and best patient care possible,” says Dino Sophocleous, president and CEO of Hospitals of Regina Foundation.