Caroline Myers

Those with peripheral vision who miss half of our food on plate.. Sussed it! 😁 just cooked my Sunday lunch used new plates. Saw everything. Happy lady only taken 6 years to suss 😛😵 square plates.

Derek Baker

I had my stroke 14 years ago, it happened during a medical procedure. The help and support given, initially to my wife was great. Often the partner of the stroke survivor is forgotten. The was someone to help her help me, and that I believe made the difference. 

My daughter has done a couple of fun runs and raised funds. At the time I was a coach for a boys football team (under 12s) my son organised a football match at his school and raised about £50 from the kids donation. 

Different Strokes made a big difference to the forgotten survivors of a stroke, the family, it's nice to know its not just you, you're not the only one it happens to others. Thank you for being there.

Donna Richardson

At 35 I was the creative director of Ralph Lauren Europe and at the top of my game. Married to a wonderful man and with a great career, the next thing to do was have a baby. I left work to go on maternity leave and at the end of my pregnancy developed a condition called preeclampsia, still I was told that preeclampsia was cured once you gave birth so four weeks later I gave birth to a wonderful baby boy and I couldn't be happier. 

Five weeks later I developed a pain in my neck and a terrible headache. Putting this down to the tiredness and stress of caring for a baby I didn't worry too much until one day I found myself unable to find the words for what I was trying to say and could not remember my cats names. I laughed it off and it went away but a few days later I found myself fallen out of bed unable to get up, terrified of the light coming in through the curtains. 

My husband called an ambulance and causing quite a scene on my street with 3 ambulances, 2 police cars and a helicopter I was carted off to hospital and put into an induced coma. I was in a coma for 10 days and after coming round was convinced I was fine because my brain could only recognise the right. The left being completely paralysed and suffering from Hemispatial neglect I couldn't understand what all the fuss was about and told the doctors all I needed was a hot bath, cup of tea and a kit kat! I realised the problem when I tried to get up and walk to the toilet, I couldn't!  

After 101 days in hospital I came home still in a wheelchair but able to talk eat and drink and very keen to take care of my baby. After another month or so I was up on my feet with the aid of a walking stick. No movement in my left arm or hand unfortunately but quickly learnt how to do most things one handed and most importantly back home with my husband and son. 

After such a devastating shock to our new family we reevaluate our lives and decided to leave our London jobs behind and start a new life in Devon where we met whilst at university. Our son is now five and has just finished his first year at primary school. 

Unable to return to work yet due to seizures caused by the stroke and severe fatigue I couldn't just sit at home doing nothing so I decided to fulfill a long held dream and begin a part - time masters degree in photography at Plymouth university. I have just passed my first year and with another year to go I am very excited to be taking my photography forward to a new and exciting place! 

Although I still have some difficulties as a result of my stroke I am very happy to be here and feeling positive about the future.

Glen Dawson

I was at work in July 2014 when my whole vision went grey. I couldn't see for about 10-15 seconds. When my vision returned I felt like my head had been punched several times by Mike Tyson.

After 2 days and many trips to the doctors having being diagnosed with a bad migraine. I was finally sent to the hospital. They cat scanned me and found nothing.

After about a week I noticed that I had a blind spot in my vision. Again after several trips to the doctors they referred me back to the hospital where I was eventually seen by a specialist who recommended a mri scan.

After a few weeks went passed a letter came through the post to say that the scan had come back as normal. This is now oct 2014. Fast forward to Feb 2016 where again I was at work when I had a seizure.

I ended up in Addenbrooke's hospital in Cambridge who cat scanned me again to find that I had had a stroke. BUT the specialist this time told me that the stroke was up to 2 years old and that the seizure was a direct result of the stroke.

I have had a 24 hour heart monitor. Echocardiogram and cat scan with the colourful liquid they pump in and found nothing really wrong. I am on anti seizure, blood thinning and cholesterol tablets. I have lost my driving license for 12 months.

I am now awaiting to go back into Addenbrooke's on Friday 13th to have a bubble echo and a scan of the heart from the inside where I believe I will swallow a probe. Nice.

But I am very lucky. I have no visible signs of stroke.

Gary Wright

I was only 56 and had always been healthy and physically fit, I was a committed cyclist (before it became fashionable). I guess I took my health for granted and saw no reason why I would ever lose it. 

I had joined the police when I was just 18 and I continued to serve for 32 years. Having always made full contributions into their very good pension scheme I expected to be able to enjoy a long and healthy retirement with my wife and young son and also be able to continue ticking things off the bucket list. I had already ridden Alpe D'Huez and Mont Ventoux next it was The Inca Trail and Atlas Mountains. 

Back home summer 2015 and back on my bike. I'm a little bit too big to be a pure hill climber but was planning to enter some hilly sportive events so set myself a training plan to improve my climbing. Worked hard on fitness and  spinning speed but by the end of summer was ready to start working on pure power. 6th September went out for a ride with my friend Andy McAllister with a set of hillclimb sprint intervals planned. This meant finding the steepest hill we could think of and sprinting up it full gas before circling gently round to the foot of the 2nd steepest hill in the area and sprinting up that then on to 3rd steepest hill and so on. Now at the top of the final climb I was a bit exhausted and starting with a headache. Climbing hard meant standing on the pedals, pulling hard on the handle bars and swinging head & shoulders.

So, enough of the background and my life story, now let me tell you about my survival. After my training ride I made it home but some time later I was feeling a bit odd and started having visual disturbances similar to what you would get before a migraine. Next thing legs went really weak and I slid to the ground, this was my stroke. 

I had survived it insofar as I had not died but my real survival journey was just starting. During the next few weeks in hospital I underwent a battery of tests and scans before being introduced to physiotherapists and starting the hardest work I had ever done. 

The stroke had disabled my left side vision, left leg, hand and arm. First job was to get out of bed and learn to walk again. I never actually fell over but I was very wobbly, eventually I started to get the hang of it and moved hospitals, into a rehab facility where I could get more intensive physio. My left leg started getting stronger and finally I was allowed home, still getting support from community therapists, but keen to move forwards more quickly I was doing additional sessions with a private therapist and personal trainer whom I was paying for myself.
Ability to walk and balance quickly improved but still nothing from my hand and not much from the arm. I felt pretty low for much of the time as I struggled to accept that my life was changed permanently. 

Reluctantly seeking chemical help, anti-depressants were able to lift my mood, also I was introduced to the Different Strokes community where I found friendship, support, advice and motivation. More exercise and the purchase of an electrical stimulation device for my left leg allowed me to increase my walking distance and become a little more optimistic  

We heard about a research project being run at The Royal Hallamshire Hospital where stem cells would be introduced over the damaged area of my brain with the hope that this could help create new neural pathways for my left hand and arm to exploit and improve their movement. I was lucky enough to be accepted onto the trial and have now undergone the procedure. 

It hasn't magically brought anything back to life but we have noticed some small improvements in my wrist and even fingers and thumb. 12 months poststroke I can walk reasonably well and am confident enough to do a bit without a walking stick use of an exercise bike and plenty of walking practice with ongoing physiotherapy has given me back enough strength and stamina for me to be considering getting back on a bike: an adapted 3 wheeler. 

Sweat, tears and the support of family & friends have all helped me to survive, the quality of my survival is more or less in my own hands and will depend on how much hard work I am prepared to put in. 

Full recovery is possible in time.

Emily Rose Draper's husband - Paul.

My husband back on the road today after suffering a hemorrhagic stroke, it was a very large and devastating bleed, never dreamed he would be able to drive again! But here he is almost 3 years later ‪#‎nevergiveup‬