Nick from Stockport in Cheshire was in his forties embarked on the biggest journey in is life after 10th September 2012.  Nick a would be joiner by trade tried to follow in his Dad’s footsteps as his parents have always been an inspiration providing guidance and support along the way. Nick always wanted to be a professional footballer and he almost achieved his dream by playing for Stockport County, donning those famous dressing rooms with greats such as Frank Worthington, Danny Bergara, Kevin Francis, Mike Flynn, Lee Todd, Jim Gannon, Andy Thorpe and even George Best…It wasn’t the first time he would be stepping on George’s famous wizardry feet as Nick also graced Craven Cottage, the home of Fulham FC and believe it or not,  also dabbled at Old Trafford even to face the fear of knowing what it feels like to take penalties at both of these premiership football grounds.

Nick, a family man to his Wife & 2 children, (names not mentioned to protect the innocent) realised he was never going to make it in the game so he decided to listen to his Wife’s advice and get some computer skills behind him and worked for large companies such as the AA, Pipex, Cable & Wireless,  aspired to be a property telecoms professional who did things a little differently and always had time for his fellow colleagues either above or below him, Nick never approached anyone with the ethos that anyone was better than the other, moreover that everyone had a place in this life, again building on the respect that his close family had taught him so well.

Despite being a strong family there was never emotional struggle to far away with the loss of his grandparents, aunties, uncles and cousins and a few friends a long the way, all gone to soon but never forgotten, Nick’s sister who was born deaf in this emerging world where deafness was not a common disability as always the family moved on with great strides and ready to face whatever was thrown upon them, well that was until the morning of Monday 10th September 2012……When the Stroke Struck…..and a new challenge lay ahead.

As wells Nick, the founder of the charity, we are able to do what we do by having a great team of directors / trustees of the charity,  Susan, Peter, Margery, & Tim.  We have a FREE weekly drop in facility which is open to anyone to attend.  The location is in the centre of Stockport, 23 High Street SK1 1EG, to be exact.  Every Monday (Except Bank Holidays) 10am – 12pm.   It is a fully accessible building and the kettle is always on.  The drop in is exactly what its meant to be, a drop in facility, i.e no appointment necessary.  So come along, you would be very welcome.

Official Patrons announced ……..Actor and Star as BOB in Nativity and Nativity 2 Ben Wilby, Gordon Hill ex Manchester United Footballer (Other teams are available) & Liz McColgan, the former BRITISH Commonwealth & Word Record holder- Michelle Wheatley a Stroke Survivor who became locked in at the age of 27

RS – Story….It was a normal working day and I booked a few hours off work in the afternoon to get myself ready for the football as I was going to the pub with my friends. It was absolutely glorious weather in June 2018. I drove home got showered and ready, my friend who lived with me got back from work and came outside into the garden with me for our first drink when suddenly ( and I mean suddenly) I started to feel very unwell like nothing I’ve ever experienced before and I recall a severe shooting pain in my head. I was instantly unable to speak fluently and I was sick everywhere. Then about 20 minutes later I fell totally unconscious. The next few months were a massive blur. I ended up on a ventilator for two months and in hospital for almost a year. My stroke affected my whole body but much more severe on my right dominant side. I was completely suicidal after being told after just three months that it was very unlikely that I would be able to walk again or speak fluently again. Once I was discharged from the hospital and saw an outpatient physio with over 30 years of experience in neurological physio and telling me that there is a possibility that I would walk again with lots of hard work and determination my mindset changed dramatically, then Covid hit and it was ‘do or die’ for me. I knew that I had to do all the work alone and just chipped away every single day ( initially with my dads help) and my right leg suddenly started to move! I was ecstatic! A year later I had tendon lengthening surgery to make my walking more normal and now currently I walk with my quad stick but I’m still a part time wheelchair user, and eventually I won’t need a stick! I still to this day do all of my exercises and walking as a ritual as I can’t work anymore so my recovery is my full time job and I fit in seeing my friends around my recovery, my life has improved so much in the past few years but still got a long way to go.

This was my initial brain scan, the huge white blob is blood and the little white blob is part of the same clot hence why both sides of my body were affected.   I had psychological help for 2 years and that really helped, I only take one sleeping pill now……Small steps…so true……thanks for sharing RS

 

My Stroke journey by MC

My  Stroke 

A little bit about me – I am a single parent bringing up my granddaughter under a special guardianship order. I was working full time (31 hours) in secondary education. My life was busy, used to walk to work, on average daily I would walk between 15,000 to 20,000 steps a day especially when at work. I loved my job. 

October 23rd 2021 the day my life altered. 

It was the start of half-term holidays, a break from work and to do things with my granddaughter, who was 12 at the time. I was going to meet my daughter, Cassie, who was 21 years old, in Bristol to watch a show with her at the hippodrome. I woke up that morning not feeling 100% but put it down to being busy at work. 

I got up done my breakfast and made a cup of tea, went to the bathroom and experienced double vision. I took some paracetamol and double vision eased and no longer experiencing double vision but just didn’t feel that special. My balance was a little off, but I just thought I had the start of a headache.  

I got showered, dressed and made sure my granddaughter was ready and started to drive from Taunton to Bridgwater to drop off my granddaughter at my friend’s house as she was looking after her so I could meet my daughter in Bristol to watch the show. My granddaughter told me to pull over as she could see I wasn’t well and my friend phoned me to say ‘your running late’. I said I know I was but could she come and get me as I didn’t feel 100%. She came out to me with her partner, and I got out the car but couldn’t really walk, left side didn’t feel right. She got me back to her house, where she called 999. 

I was assessed over the telephone and they suspected that I had had a stroke, I had to say a sentence about blackbirds I think but couldn’t really manage that and hold my arms out in front of myself, left arm dropped. I was tired, but managed a cup of tea with sugar in, and managed to get myself to the toilet. 

Paramedics arrived and checked me over and suspected a stroke and I was blue lighted into Musgrove Park Hospital, where I was taken straight to the CT scanner and the stroke team were waiting for me. I was asked to move my left leg and left arm, but they wouldn’t cooperate. I was given a CT scan then I had another one with dye put into me. I can remember saying to one of the nurses please don’t let me die, she assured me I wasn’t going to die. I was then transferred to the stroke ward.  

I had had a stroke, a blood clot in my thalamus. I was 57 years and 7 months old, a young one really. I was worried about my girls and what life would be like for us now. At the same time it was confirmed that I had a stroke they also suspected a tumour on my pituitary gland. I had an MRI on the Monday, and this was confirmed, so as well as being under the stroke team I would also be under the endocrine team.  

I needed to go to the toilet, and I wasn’t allowed to go, they got me a commode! I felt so embarrassed using that, I was determined that I would be walking the following day. So, on the Sunday morning I was assessed by the stroke physio for walking, I walked but wasn’t my normal walking, but I walked, no more commode I could use the bathroom.  

The stroke affected my walking, and struggled to text, my texts were gobbly glook! I was lucky as I could walk, talk, and feed myself, not like I was doing but I was doing it. There were other ladies on the ward that had had strokes and they were incapable of feeding themselves and were bed ridden.  

I got discharged on the Tuesday 26th October, with my discharge paperwork and medication, and was verbally told I would have a follow up appointment six weeks later. No guidance of what I could expect etc. I know compared to others this was a short stay in hospital and I get that, but I was lost. No reason as to why I had the stroke, not sure about the tumour either and the outcome.  

I went to my friend’s house to recuperate after the hospital, but I went back home on the Saturday, I wanted to know what I could or not do for myself, plus I needed my things around me.  

The stroke has affected me sometimes I struggle to find the right words, I struggle to walk any distance and was using a stick to walk. I still use the stick on my bad days. Walking on uneven ground was difficult and certain types of flooring used to make me wobbly. I was walking with my left foot at the ten to hour position, more like shuffling. I contacted the stroke rehabilitation team to come and do an assessment inside my home, it was recommended that I had a bath board, and a handrail on the right-hand side of my stairs. As most days I would struggle to go up and down the stairs, I went up like a monkey using my arms to balance me on the steps and then shuffle down on my bottom.  Couldn’t have the handrail fitted as my house was less than 10 years old, so I persevered walking and managing the stairs. Some days still can’t do, so monkey stature it is lol. I also had to re-educate myself with walking by saying to myself heel, toe, heel toe. My walking is progressing but still struggle to walk distances but I’m not giving up.  

Stroke fatigue, oh that’s a buggar when it stops you dead! I think that is and still is the worst thing about having the stroke, you have to find a way to manage it, to be able to do. And if you don’t it knocks you for six and you have to rest. If stroke fatigue is bad, then my left side plays up. I find that I still can’t do the level of activity I used to be able to do. I describe stroke fatigue as my brain needs to be still and my body needs to stop so I can recharge. I really get annoyed when people, so they understand this as they are tired. Stroke fatigue isn’t just being tired it’s not being able to think, do or function some days. And stroke fatigue doesn’t just disappear after a quick power nap.  

I also never asked ‘why me’ but accepting the stroke and liking the new me wasn’t easy but I’ve had to learn to accept it so that I can recover. As my own doctor said to me, I needed to allow myself to grieve the old me to be able to accept the new me.  

My stroke didn’t just affect me, it affected my family, friends. I lost a friendship due to my stroke, some family members haven’t been that supportive, but it taught me as to who are there for me, when life certainly knocks you down. 

My stroke really affected my granddaughter, and education really have not been that supportive of her, which also affects me as she attends the school where I work! It’s been a difficult and long journey and I’m still on the recovery journey striving to do better and get back to work.  

Education is beginning to be better for my granddaughter, but it’s been a fight, a battle of over 19 months, should I have had to battle? Yes, I battled for her as the education system had failed her. But with the constant stress and battles re school and her not attending hasn’t helped my recovery but it’s what it is, I can only move forwards now and concentrate on the present and future.  

One major high for me last year, 2022, was that my daughter graduated at Swansea University in Law and Criminology, I watched her graduated, I cried but oh my didn’t it exhaust me for a few days but worth it.  

My tumour was removed on March 25th, 2023, so now tumour free and that’s another story. I think this has helped my granddaughter to start to go to school again, she still on a part-time timetable but that’s an achievement. 

My aim is to try to get back to work, will I achieve it? You will have to wait and see and will my working life be different to what it was before my stroke. 

My life is different since my stroke, calmer, and I enjoy doing things like puzzles now, just chilling is also good. My life was rush, rush before stroke. Not anymore because I can’t, and I have to plan days out with rest periods in between or not do days out consecutively. 

So, to all stroke survivors don’t give up, keep trying, celebrate your achievements no matter how small. Life is for living and I’m grateful for every day I wake up.     Thanks for Shar