Paul

Paul's Story

“Three years ago, life was beginning to look hopeful, my 14 year old son was nearing the end of 8 months chemo for bone cancer.

It started with a headache, I had set off to collect the car to take my family home from the hospital. To get to our car I had to go up lots of stairs, by the time that I had completed the stairs and got to the car my head felt like it was exploding. I got into the car and drove round to the front of the children’s hospital, which is only about half a mile away.

I managed to reverse the car into a parking space, get out of the car and then I found myself going down on my hands and knees, I started to be sick. Luckily someone found me and then my wife, who took me into A&E. When we got there the vessels in the back of my head burst and I collapsed.

After a couple of days hallucinations and absolute nightmares. I came around, I was on the stroke ward. I was then transferred to another hospital due to catchment area and physio started, we worked on sit to stand and bike and then one day they got me to walk a few steps, I wept a river, couldn’t stop myself.

They let me home early as the depression and being on the ward was becoming too much, I got 5 weeks of physio and then was left to fend for myself. Different Strokes was recommended to me by a physio, she actually badgered me into it.

To any stroke survivors in those early days, I would say stop fighting your demons and give in.

You have to do this to be able to get strong again I am walking and driving again now and the hand and arm are progressing well. But, I am here and life isn’t so bad."

Ms Isabel Ham

Isabel’s Story

“I had a very bad stroke at 48 and I have never recovered but I have upgraded myself although that took about five years. I had a very dense right hemiplegia and sensory deficit on the right side. Also I had expressive dysphasia and was dependent for all activities of my daily living. My speech was gone but I could hear it all in my head though I couldn’t speak it! After a week the odd word came back although very faintly but that continued to date so I can know speak about 75%. My reading age was about 11 years old but I brought that up to date in the five years.

I was in rehabilitation for 4½ months having all sorts of help.

I lost most of my computer skills but I was determined to get them back. I started College for a couple hours a week for the first year, then more the second year until full time the last three and I even took the HND in computers. I was so proud. The College provided me with someone to take notes and push me around. Did I say I was right handed! It took a year but I can now write with my left hand although I can write much better on the computer than with a pen!!! And it is easier to write things down rather than try and speak them.

After three years I found the courage to start driving again so I found a disabled learner driver who gave me lessons. I had to have an automatic car with adaptions for my hand and foot pedal. Although difficult at first it soon became easier and then I was off!

I am 65 years old now so I have had the stroke for 16½ years and I still become frustrated because I can’t do many of the things that I liked doing although I have found a way of doing many of them another way but some of them I will never do. Still, look on the bright side. I help many people with their Ancestry and I do various things on my computer as a volunteer for several groups. The things I used to like to do I can’t so I make the most of what I can do. C’est la vie!