My story 

its at times like this i wish i had a ghost writer because my brain runs faster than my one finger allows. the beginning of this story comes from the people around me because, luckily, i have no memory of that night.

i  could start with , it was a dark and stormy night, but i thought, no, keep it real. i was 29 years old when my life changed. i hadn’t been around to collect my birthday presents . so my friends eventually called the police to break into my flat . 

they found me lying against a radiator. ( i was burnt down one side of my body ) i don’t know how long i’d been there but my friends say they had been knocking on me for 3 days. 

i don’t want this to sound like a sob story, believe it or not it does get better.

Anyway that was my 29th birthday back in 1991.

I had had a brain haemorrhage. i’m lucky i had a birthday. i’m lucky i had a good friend to care for me. and now,one husband and a hand full of kids, i still live with her.  i have put her through hell , but she never gave up on me.

i went from a normal young working woman into a wheelchair bound woman who could barely speak and had a “ funny “ face . i didn’t recognise myself, and i wasn’t offered any counselling. don’t get me wrong,i had all the “apys “, physiotherapy , speech  therapy occupational therapy etc.

i remember all i wanted to do was to  “ get well “ . one thing the doctor said to my friend was, “ she’ll never be able to sit upright or talk” , well that was like a red rag to a bull. i now self propel myself in my chair ,speech is more difficult but i can make myself understood. after 20years of sitting at home waiting to get “ better “ , i went to a stroke group . it was the best thing i ever did, meeting like minded people   who i didn’t have to be scared of. I’m now 59years old. The best advice i can give someone is don’t be a chump like me go out and grab life no matter what it throws at you. i’m the happiest i’ve ever been i just wish i had done it sooner .

now some 10 operations later, yes ,  believe it or not, i did use to look worse. and i’m sorry to say i’ve become that old woman in the chair. but don’t ignore me there is woman inside.