Ruth Lyle

Ruth Lyle was 58 when she suffered a stroke whilst on holiday in Spain. Here Ruth shares her story with Different Strokes to highlight her stroke was not a sudden bolt from the blue, rather a series of symptoms over 6 days.

“I awoke one morning and felt as though someone had twisted my head around the wrong way, I saw lots of different coloured lights, I just thought I was overtired. I went off to work with a very fuzzy head and struggled through the day, as I was going on holiday the next week, I thought the rest would do me good. By the next again day my voice was monotone and I felt very dizzy and driving was very difficult as my vision just did not seem right.

The next day I was taken to A and E to be checked out, I was given a thorough neurological examination which did not show anything untoward, however my blood pressure was very high but that did not concern the doctors. I explained I was flying to Spain the next day and was told to enjoy my holiday and get a CT scan in my return. By the next day my left arm was dangling at my side but I was still using it, however during the flight I could not hold anything in my hand and kept dropping things.

At the resort, I fell whilst carrying lemonade and still felt dizzy. After a nap, I tried to have a shower fell into the bath and then had great difficulty dressing.  A doctor was called and he immediately spotted my face and left side had drooped, checked my blood pressure which was very high and diagnosed a stroke. I was taken to intensive care where I got a CT scan and monitored. The hospital in Spain were excellent and thankfully my travel insurance paid for all my treatment and were very helpful (as I was being wheeled into intensive care, my son David Holmes was being asked for €3000) -credit card to the rescue. He didn't get much holiday as he came by taxi each day to see me and has gone above and beyond in his care for me.

Four months later I am recovering well at home. I have really persevered with my left arm as I could not lift it very high after the stroke and as I sometimes lead Book Bug sessions  in my local library, I really enjoy these and my left hand would just not get high enough to do the actions for "Incy Wincy Spider" and "Twinkle, twinkle little star"  I worked very hard to be able to do this, so you could say that my left arm mobility is thanks to a spider and a star! The fatigue gets me down; however, I have learned to pace myself- very hard as I was always very busy. I now do yoga and practice meditation as the brain seems to still think at the old rate and the body cannot keep up.

I came across Different Strokes through reading Mike Ripley’s excellent book "Surviving a stroke" which resonated strongly with me. I have found the online forum to be useful and feel inspired to want to help others, I am treating the stroke as an opportunity to do different things and accept new challenges.

Clare Page

I was 50 and very happy until I had a stroke on 12th march 2015, I was a top project manager in print and mail spending a lot of my time working in Dublin. I was also training for the London marathon for Alzheimer’s UK as mum has Alzheimer's and it was my way to do something useful.  

I was up to 22 miles and went to London weekend before stroke for a training day. It’s almost two years since life changed forever. I had collapsed at home and was not found for ten hours, I really am lucky to be alive. My best mate William found me, I never thought I'd walk again, but walking I am… very slowly, but walking.  

I feel very happy to be alive and walking, life can be hard that for sure but I'm here and living alone in a council flat I have carers to shower and dress me and I'm fundraising to buy an electric wheelchair to ensure I can have access to my community, so far we have raised £2500, so we are doing well. 

I am also going to be walking the London Marathon in September to raise money for Different Strokes to help them help younger stroke survivors. My stroke was caused by a hole in my heart and last week I underwent PFO closure operation on the NHS. I'm back home recovering now and my operation was successful and PFO closed. 

My job now is to rebuild my life and next week I'm starting to go to painting classes in a local pub I'm left handed and lost right side to stroke so painting could be for me!

Stuart Tattersley

Stuart Tattersley life was turned upside down when he suffered a stroke at just 28. The father from Halifax, was paralysed down the right side of his body, suffered memory loss and lost part of his vision.

Almost 9 years ago, when I was just 28 years old. I suffered a major stroke that would tear away the person knew. In just a few minutes the blood clot to my brain was ripping all my memories away. Destroying my personality and having a damned good go at shutting down my mobility, more importantly my ability to live and there was nothing I could do about it.

Luckily the odds were on my side that day I received the all-important quick response. From my work colleagues, who directing the ambulance to my location. The clot busting drugs I needed, from the paramedics. Who zoomed me to Addenbrooke's Hospital. When there the National Health Service was worth every penny of my well-earned tax. Their help gave me my best chance to survive this ghost like injury. I take my hat off to them all.

The start of my new life. It felt like I had to put my old self to rest. But who is lucky enough to get a second chance at life. 28, I am young. Young, I can rehabilitate . Rehabilitated, I can return.

This brings me to my challenge. I have decided to take part in the Manchester 10 kilometre on the 28th of May with my brother at my side. we will be raising money for Different Strokes. For the young stroke survivors who are given another chance. Rehabilitation is vital and having someone and somewhere who understands exactly what a survivor is going through. All the ups. And downs and downs and downs.

It wouldn't be fair not to include my amazing Wife Elaine who stood by me all the way throughout and to this day is my rock. And also my 2 boys Ewan who is 9 now but nearly 1 at the time of the stroke and Logan who is 6 now  but didn't come along until 2 years after. They both played a part in my rehabilitation and still do today my goal was to be a father they are proud of.

Even though we seem the same, our life path has taken a detour from its destined route. This charity gives amazing support in many ways to a young survivor with their new lives ahead of them. So please support me and my bro through this challenge. Dig deep and give generously. we will be aiming to complete in under 50 minutes.

Amit Amin

I'm 36 and work in Corporate Banking for Barclays as a Relationship Manager. One morning I woke up at about 2am feeling hot and bothered, got up to visit the loo and I just fell over. I managed to get myself to the spare room and stand in the window before falling asleep there. 

A few hours later, my fiancé came in to wake me and see where I was and I couldn't speak or stand. I had weakness on my left side and couldn't raise my arms. Immediately she called the emergency service and then decided to take me into hospital herself as it would have been quicker. 

NHS were brilliant and I was seen to and had my scans within a couple of hours. I had Physio in the hospital and help from stroke specialists, nurses, psychologists etc. My Occupational therapist told me about Different Strokes and I thought it was great as I had nobody to talk to that had been through the same thing as I had. 

They have been great support and I've made some good friends so far. The only residual issue I have is vision field loss and the loss of my license. I have regained my motor skills and ability to speak which is amazing. I have had issues with memory but that is getting better. 

It's 24 weeks this week! Can't believe how quickly the time has gone.

Ranj Parmar

I had my stroke aged 39. It was a subarachnoid haemorrhage, therefore it wasn't a traditional clot, but rather a bleed. I actually had it while walking around in John Lewis on a Sunday afternoon. When it happened I thought I had been hit at the back of the head with a golf club. I touched the back of my neck to see if it was bleeding only to discover no blood at all, and that I hadn’t been struck.

I was rushed to hospital and the scan revealed the bleed. This was an extremely scary time for me; as far as I was aware strokes only happened to old people!

After some time, I overheard a friend having a conversation with my consultant. It went something like this: "How serious are things? Is it as bad as a heart attack?", said my friend. "Heart attack??? A heart attack is a walk in the park compared to what he has had..." When I heard this I broke down. The seriousness of what had happened had finally hit home. I was devastated.

I will never forget the words of the consultant: "You have two choices my friend, either carry on living the way you are and when you come back you will not be leaving here or you will be leaving here but in a lot worse condition...OR...learn from this and make some changes - you have been given a second chance".

This was the beginning. I was lucky enough to have the skills to manage my own rehabilitation. Working with my GP, a neurologist and a health trainer, I constructed a mini project plan. Whilst going through my rehab, my mind thought about others in my position. I couldn't be the only 39 year old to suffer a stroke, right? I contacted Different Strokes and now help to run the local Southampton group. I am also vice chair of the board of trustees.

Wayne Martinez

My name is Wayne, I'm 40 now but in 2009 I had FOUR strokes and lost 90% of the use in my left side. I stayed with my family in Wareham until 2012 then moved back to Bournemouth to live by myself.

Before my strokes I weighed 9 stone and was in reasonable shape. When I moved back to Bournemouth I was very depressed as a result of my condition because I couldn't work or do anything else. I started coming to the gym and as I'd lost so much weight and could hardly talk, I quietly trained in one of the rooms where I could be by myself.

All the staff and management have helped me so much as it's hard for me to do things with 1 hand and I get very tired. I've now got a lot of my balance back and as I have to speak to the staff my speech has improved too.

The feel good endorphins have literally changed my life as I could see no point in going on before.

“If you see me limping around; as I'm here most days; feel free to ask me anything. If I can go from 9 stone, cook, live, eat and train with 1 arm, anyone can...unless you've got a list of excuses.

Thanks to all the staff, and I hope this helps nervous joiners”

Julie Lesslie

My stroke happened at 6.00 am on 2 July 2012.  I'd got up to go to the loo and as I was going back to bed I collapsed.  I was drifting in and out of consciousness but I didn't try to call for my husband, who was downstairs, For some bizarre reason I was just incredibly happy!  My husband found me about 15 minutes later and immediately called an ambulance.  I was taken to Watford General Hospital where I was to stay for the next 7 weeks and they told my husband that I'd had a major stroke and it turned out after having an MRI scan that I'd had a clot and a bleed!.  The main thing I remember is wetting myself when I had my MRI scan because I couldn't talk, but I thought I could!  It was very embarrassing for me but the nurses were great and just dealt with it.  The doctors couldn't find why I'd had the stroke so I had some tests done on my heart, which were awful and they sedated me first but it was still horrible!  They discovered I had a large hole in my heart which they think might have caused my stroke, but they'll never know for sure.  I hated being in hospital because I was the youngest person there by about 30 years. I can remember one day seeing the Doctor and being told that I would never walk or use my right arm (and I'm right handed!) again.  I remember crying a lot.  I was 48 years old.

After 7 weeks I finally left the hospital and was taken by ambulance to rehabilitation  in St Albans Hospital where I stayed for 8 weeks.  They managed to get me walking using a walking stick but my arm was very limp and I couldn't move it at all.  I had some extra bannisters fitted in my house and after making sure I could manage the stairs I was able to come home for weekends.  Because my toilet is upstairs I had to have a commode which was a godsend.

I had my heart fixed in the November 2012 and then I had NHS physiotherapy for six months.  When it finished I thought "now what?!".  I was very isolated, I couldn't drive and I had to give up the work which I loved, I was a PA to the Headmaster in a large comprehensive school, and all my friends work.  I then found a lady quite by chance who is ARNI trained and for about 2 years I saw her twice a week.  I then found a lady called Farsideh Bondarenko who's a neuro physiotherapist and I'm now seeing her twice a month.  She tells me that I'm her best patient and she can't believe I've come so far!

I'm currently training to become a counsellor and I'll qualify in July 2017.  It's very hard work but I'll get there.  I'm about 90% better. I've got an adapted car which has got a "driving stick" on the steering wheel and the pedals have been swapped round so that I drive using my left foot.  I'm still trying to write and next week I've got 3 weeks of intensive physiotherapy on my arm and shoulder.  I think that now all the muscles work but they're very weak so fingers crossed intensive physiotherapy (about 6 hours every day!) will do the trick!  My speech isn't what it used to be, but I've had a lot of speech therapy and I've got mild aphasia but I've got used to it and speak much slower than I used to.  In a way, whilst I can't say I'm happy that I had my stroke but before my life was very stressful, and now I don't get stressed about anything and I certainly wouldn't have become a counsellor!