I was 53 when I had a haemorrhagic stroke.  I was on my 3^rd length of a swim fit warm up when I felt as though I’d been hit on my head with a crowbar. It was the most excruciating pain I’ve ever had the misfortune to experience. It was relentless. I hauled my self out of the swimming pool. I approached the lifeguard & he suggested I sit on the side for a while. He later suggested I sit in a room on my own. I was still experiencing the worst headache to the extent that I actually thought my head was going to explode. My son had driven me to the swimming pool, fuelled by his desire for a Macy Ds, so I struggled back to the changing room to get my phone to call him & by the time I got dressed he was in the car park waiting for me. 

I threw up several times on the way home. At no point did it occur to me that I was having a stroke. I didn’t have a drooping face, I could raise both my arms, I had no problem speaking and I didn’t know that time was of the essence. In short I didn’t experience a single symptom of FAST or BEFAST. Not, that is, till the following morning, the headache had disappeared. I tried to move my right arm and whilst I could move it, it was definitely not doing what I intended. Based on my right arm’s non responsiveness I mentioned stroke as a possibility to my husband, who dismissed it out of hand.

I decided to my phone my GP practice anyway. I explained my symptoms including myself diagnosis of a potential stroke, to the receptionist, she gave me short shrift & said I could come along if I wished but I’d have to wait till the end of surgery to see if a doctor would agree to see me. She phoned back a few minutes later to say the doctor would see me the minute I could get to the surgery! The doctor also thought stroke was a possibility & referred me to my local hospital. They did a CT scan, that confirmed I’d had a brain haemorrhage (10cm x 4cm). The consultant said I’d have to return in 10 days time for an MRI and not to drive for 4 weeks or fly for 6 weeks. I was then discharged.

Fast forward 24 hours. I was in the shower, I’d just put shampoo in my hair, when I felt the same headache returning. What to do? I could either turn off the water & try to get back into bed or I could rinse the shampoo out of my hair. I decided to turn off the water & attempted to get back to bed. Crawling now, such was the intensity of my headache, I’d almost gotten halfway across my bedroom floor when I threw up & collapsed. My husband discovered my unconscious body on the floor of our bedroom. I was air ambulanced to Kings. I awoke two and a half week later having had brain surgery and completely paralysed on my right hand side, with a straw sticking out of my head..

I was then transferred to a (different) local hospital for a further 5 weeks. And eventually to a specialist brain injury unit about 30 minutes from home where I spent the next 3 months. I began my rehabilitation in earnest here. I had physiotherapy twice a day, occupational therapy twice a day, speech and language therapy once a day, hydro therapy 3 times a week and massage therapy once a week. I was in a wheelchair for 4 months.

I was admitted to Kings at the beginning of July 2017 and I
walked out of the rehab unit at the end of November 2017.

I understand I was born with an AVM which just happened to
burst in July 2017. My grandfather died of a brain haemorrhage, I hadn’t known his cause of death.

The absolute worst thing I have had to do was retake my driving test. My GP had said that so long as my insurance company were happy he didn’t see any medical reasons why I couldn’t drive. However my consultant overruled him & said I’d have to have a driving assessment at the local driveability centre. It involved a physical examination by an OT, a psychological assessment. An eye test. And last but not least the driving assessment. I was sooooo stressed I thought I’d have another stroke. However I somehow managed to pass.

I was profoundly affected by my stroke. I even had to have Hypnotherapy to manage my anger. Why me? Why not some fat person? My BMI was 25. I weighed 9stone 7Lbs. A friend said to me when I was eventually released, why not you? 

It just seemed so unfair.

I had a lot of issues with balance initially. I latterly discovered
Optokinetic Therapy which involves looking at multicoloured wavy lines whilst performing a series of exercises. This was a gamechanger for me. I did it 3 times a day for 2 years. 

In 1999 my son Archie was scalded when he pulled a just made cup of tea over himself resulting in 60% burns. He was taken by Air Ambulance to the Conquest. He was 18 months old at the time. He too was intubated & on life support for several days. He is now a very annoying 25 year old!

I am running the London Landmarks Half to raise money for KSS Air Ambulance. Please give what you can.

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