406. Sent Home Mid-Stroke: CEO of Optometry Canada on Vision Loss and Recovery - Francois Couillard

François Couillard is the CEO of Optometry Canada the national body representing every optometrist in the country. When he had a stroke, his symptoms were dismissed at the ER. He walked home alone in the middle of the night. He woke up the next morning having lost the right visual field in both eyes permanently. What followed was a masterclass in adaptation: riding 100km on his bike one week post-stroke, navigating a fatigue nobody could see, and returning to lead a national health organisation all while living with a blind spot his brain works overtime to hide. François talks openly about stroke symptoms dismissed, the link between his life's work and the stroke that changed it, and what recovery really looks like when the damage is invisible.