Our Stroke Blog
My husband Terry’s brain haemorrhage in 2013 was the impetus for writing Joe Faber and the Optimists. We were able to find information and advice online about the immediate effects of stroke, but very little about the long term realities of rehabilitation. So, between 2020 and 2022, we collaborated on ‘Our Stroke Blog,’ with a deliberate emphasis on the long haul. Archived here!
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May 31, 2020I’m a notorious Pollyanna, but right now, I’m checking our privilege. Make May Purple, they said. Well, it may have been purple somewhere, but of course, we haven’t been out and about to see the evidence. Apart from memes. There’s a poetic irony to the fact that many people’s best laid plans for Stroke Awareness Month have been thrown into disarray…
May 23, 2020Early Supported Discharge Reflections on a tricky transition Discharge from hospital is probably something that sticks in the memory for most people. Terry had been in hospital for four weeks when he was allowed home under the local Early Supported Discharge scheme. Panic and delight in equal measure! We’ve since met other stroke patients who’ve spent much longer in hospital. I…
May 9, 2020Improvements over time – 2013-2020 When we started this blog we subtitled it “then and now”. So far, we’ve focused on the first few weeks. From now on we’ll dodge around a bit and update to stop you getting bored. Regaining hand function has proved a big challenge. 2013 – Terry At times it’s good to have no feelings. Gill regularly…
April 30, 2020When you’re watching someone being ill, there are things that fuel your energy and there are things that deplete it. I’m going to add my two pennyworth on the AVERT trial which Terry mentioned in his last post (Staying Alive), which may be of interest to others who find themselves suddenly thrust into the role of Next Of Kin. Which up until…
April 23, 2020Saturday 20th April 2013 – the day after my stroke Gill came to visit me in hospital; for some reason she hadn’t slept much. Apparently, the study she had enlisted me for was AVERT (A Very Early Rehabilitation Trial). This was developed in Australia and taken up by many countries, including the UK. The principle was to start the patient on…
April 19, 2020Posted on my 7 year Stroke Anniversary I loved my job. It involved visiting business executives all over the country, at their request. The down-side was spending hours in the car. I rationalised this by telling myself my employers paid me a lot of money for the driving. The actual selling job I happily did for love. The day before my…- April 7, 2020Hello. Thank you for your interest in our blog. This is our first post, on Stroke Survivors Day 2020. I’m Terry and my wife is Gill. I suffered a severe stroke in April 2013 which changed our lives. We decided early on to be grateful for the good things, help each other cope with the bad, and celebrate even the…
