Mike Druce

On 22nd December 1995, 20 years ago, I had a massive subarachnoid haemorrhage out for the count for 10 days. I lost my speech, paralysed down the right hand of my body, eyes filled up with blood and memory shot to hell.

On 24 April 1996 I had the operation removing part of my skull and Mr Lindsey clipped the aneurysm with a titanium clip. I had a skinhead haircut and I looked ‘kin ‘ard, so I believed.

My former wife found the DS advert in the Sunday Times 19 years ago for Different Strokes. “A practising barrister, Donal O’Kelly was in full wig and gown, defending a client who had allegedly been caught shinning down a drainpipe wearing a black and white striped jersey and a mask, with a bag marked "swag" over his shoulder. Donal was midway through establishing his client's total innocence when the stroke struck. Rushed off to A & E, Donal was immediately identified as a drunk in fancy dress and left in a corner to sober up!”

One stroke charity Donal, according to him, was trying to convince him it’s “basket weaving” would help him! So Donal set up a charity called Different Strokes was founded from Donal's flat in Hackney in 1996. Donal’s philosophy was “Empowering younger stroke survivors, their families and friends to reclaim their lives and ambitions through active support.”

I was heavily involved with DS until I had Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) 2008 which was an irritant which stopped me volunteering for DS. Once again I looked like a Chelsea football fan due to the chemotherapy.

I met Vanessa, my second wife, in 2007 she persuaded me into pursuing cycling. We, friends down the pub, cycled from Land’s End  to Oxhill for DS and I been cycling ever since (2000 miles per year) with a modified bike.

Three months ago, 2015, I met Eileen she entrusted me with giving them a hand on SoDS facebook, twitter and pinterest which is called ‘Social Media’ - so I found out. So 3 months now I am eating watermelon, drinking green tea, taking naps in the afternoon like Sir Winston Churchill, doing Qi Gong

exercises, mediating, beer drinking in the local (that’s a vice of mine) and more importantly exercising my right hand. I been lazy with my hand with the fine motor skills but it’s improving, in my wife persuasiveness, at a gradual rate but better than the 19 years 9 months.

5 to 6 years into the recovery I accepted the stroke. I know this is going to  sound strange ‘the stroke was the best thing ever in my life’ (barring marrying Vanessa). I have become a far more empathic and kind man.

Be Happy