Hi Pds
I’m sure like yourself regardless of what degree of stroke you had . You had a stroke & like myself & many others on here to share stories be it recovery or what right now is getting on their mammary glands these accounts of other peoples lives & how there dealing with day to day living is for me wonderful knowing I take things away from these readings with a positive smile that with my stroke/struggles I’m able to share gain knowledge tips even
I hope your enjoying the festivities & stay strong Pds . Always happy to chat as is this wonderful group of people here on this site
An IPad a great tool & it will able to to have a larger screen rather than a smart phone I usually put my reading glasses on when doing anything with my phone such a small screen
Stay strong
Your very welcome David3
Since my stroke & leaving my job as a social worker there is one family I’ve kept in constant touch with not as a Sw but as a supportive/family friend there son a 27 year old young man who has sadly been probed/assessed all his life owing to his Autism/psychosis it was only a week b4 this very Christmas that they sectioned him this being the 4th time in his life he found himself in a secure mental facility as his behaviour over the past few months had become more dangerous for himself/family this was all due to him knowing better than the Dr’s and for months on end had not taken his psychotic medication the mother now a very delicate woman & I’m sure you can fully understand why so for the past year although I have left my job this family is like a 2nd family to me & phone the son everyday sadly can’t visit owing to this C-19 . ( the scaremongering continues) so daily contact with himself/mother via phone for now . & I think of the journey I’ve been on granted 2 years & it’s getting easier The son with his problems it’s been a life time and for that reason I’ve kind of stepped in as a father figure to do what I can to make son/mother life just a little more bearable shall I say
Hi Jordan what a job being a social worker !But sounds like you loved it & can’t leave it, in your blood . Worked for two years @ Centre for mentally disabled adults , enjoyed my time there but exhausted me. Social Workers never get the praise they deserve & flipping newspapers only report their failings. Yet to start using my iPad, always been a technophobe & having been stoked , not a good time to start but I’ll get there .My disability is loss of periferal vision on left side from both eyes & as I’ve worn glasses since I was knee high to a grasshopper was a bit of a whammy , but grateful to be still here & not with the Angels. Marvel at recovery some survivors make & the hard work they have to put in. I cope pretty well with what vision I have but it’s the mood swings that get to me . I’m sure your career & experience as a social worker will be a great asset here !
Bless Pds :))
I too have these mood swings due to depression which has blighted put a stopper on my progress as I keep going back to my loss granted we all with head injuries to whatever degree have far more challenges on a day to day basis because of it . & that I’m slowly learning to accept but there’s always subconsciously that question why give me after almost a year of corespondent/test-/assessment my driving licence back which is an a amazing (trophy) to have & have the ability to drive (automatic) only & thanks to the mobility scheme have a brand new cooper - British Racing Green in colour 
why not go that extra mile & give my my PPHL back I spent a lot of money over the years to obtain that Helicopter Pilots licence & that is my biggest list to be honest I’m reminded when wobbling to my car as to why that is I guess way to much brain activity to fly such an aircraft & my brain sadly no longer has that % which would allow me . Sorry I’m ranting again . I really must stop doing that going of topic & making it about me …
you mention a greater loss of sight owing to your head injury Pds ( Pds. Short for …? ) is that being partially blind or wearing a more focused pair of glasses .?
Love that word Technophobe keeping up with technology eh I try to but no matter what phone/computer/house appliance you buy 1 day it’s old school within 6 months . Crazy I know . I have an iPhone 8 & it’s a great smart phone dose all I need it to do & as you know takes great photos now in the shops there’s the IPhone 13 a better lense they say but still the very same battery life I have on my iPhone 8 . Keeping up with the Jone’se I say … lol 3-4 years ago I was in the underground tubes & was this city gent talking @ great volume on his phone blah-blah to the rest of the carriage & sadly a passenger had taken an epileptic seizure & his phone was grabbed off him so Emergency services could be alerted it was found out the phone battery life was no more & this idiot was being a typical annoying arrogant A/whole during his pretend phone call . I still laugh about that . & thankfully the passenger had started to recover as we neared the next station he was attended to by underground staff . Mr I’m important sat with this vacant look as other passengers made comment loud enough for him to hear . Hilarious!!
keep smiling Pds & chat again I’m sure
B/strong
Hi Jordan
It is understandable that we often become taken up by what we’ve ‘lost’ post-stroke. It is, however, so important that we learn to concentrate on what we can do (your return to driving a sporty mini sounds great!) and, indeed, learn to love the new person we have become.
The leaving behind of a life you loved and where you felt you were able to make a difference is very akin to a grief process. While life will never be the same again, the great news is that life can be different again! Look forward in hope.
Very best wishes for 2022 and richest blessings
Stewart
Hi Stuart
What a wonderful heartfelt message I thank you deeply for such kind words
& wish you a Happy Healthy 2022
Jordan , Be proud for yourself & happy new year 
. David.
Hi Jordan
Stewart is right you should grieve for the person you were, you should also allow yourself to enjoy the things you can do now. Both my husband and I have had strokes, Bill was ok physically but lost his ability to speak and write, and is slow in understanding. He gets very frustrated and consequently bad tempered when he can’t do the things he used to. My stroke caused temporary loss of sight in right eye but op to remove offending clot in carotid artery caused temporary loss of use in left hand. It is very difficult to come to terms with any disability, I have benign shakes too but there is always someone to carry my Sherry for me. We joined a U3A petanque group who have been invaluable in our rehabilitation even if I do play leaning on a stick and Bill can’t say what he means. It is ok to have down days but keep getting out and about in your mini. I had a lovely pale blue mini with a dark blue roof. There was just enough on the back seat for the carry cot and one toddler beside it.
Marylin
Bless Thank you Marlyn
Yup I know all about the shakes after my stroke I had this almost Parkinson like Symptom especially on the right side where my stroke had affected me . Thankfully with medication it’s more controlled. It’s funny but when I drive holding on to steering wheel I don’t have this tremor . but getting out of the car bingo one shakes again . I’ve even now when filling the car up ask the attendants if they could fill car for me i’d hate to scratch I … given up on the writing altogether now holding any scribe is almost an impossibility & the last time I put pen to paper was b4 the head injury e/mailing is a task what with hand/eye coordination a slower process with lots of errors but it’s a punch in the air when eventually sent …
My very best wishes to yourself & Bill ohhh and it’s a sherry glass remember not a pint glass 
B/safe B/strong
Hi Jordan
So good to read your positive post.
Like many stroke survivors,I have lost many aspects of my previous life but have managed to push the boundaries to still do many things.I suffered permanent damage to my eyesight and had to stop driving but it is amazing what you can do using public transport and a senior citizen travel pass.
Good luck on your journey.
Tony
Hi Tony Like you , have some loss of vision but escaped other problems. Was Stroked October 2021.Always wore glasses, being short- sighted ,could , read perfectly well without & still can in small bites but have to be careful of over doing it. Still fit (I’m 73) & can still do a lot of pottering & enjoy walking . Live on Sussex/Hampshire border.Surrounded by woods which I love & apart from two minor adventures have kept safe.First mishap was going to close to a badger sett & not scanning far enough & putting my foot down into their latrine. Badgers dig these around their setts very civilised. & they act as territorial boundary markers. Was 2’ deep , was lucky I didn’t break leg. Just limped home with a soggy smelly foot . Badgers being omnivores wasn’t that bad . On second occasion my sons dog who knew woods well took me off footpath then disappeared. Realised I may have problem when I found myself going down a steep slope. Brain clicked into gear for once ! & managed to find path & dog 20 minutes later . “Where have you been ?” he asked silently. I have enough vision to confidentially stride out in this environment but towns are a different matter as I found when I visited Eastbourne. But on second visit coped better.Loss is permanent they said but we have to live in hope. Grateful to be still here & able to stumnble into woodland lavotries would be good to hear of your limitations/problems. Keep positive & dare I say….focused , having a sense of humour helps me Happy New Year to you. Pds
I suffered my stroke whilst driving out to the french alps in late 2009,although it wasn’t diagnosed until may 2010.
I was running a ski chalet for the season.I noticed that I was a little clumsy and that my vision was different.
Back in UK my doctor referred me to a Neurological Consultant who diagnosed a stroke and confirmed this with a brain scan.
I had an operation later that year to close a hole in my heart ( PFO) that was thought to be the source of my stroke-a blood clot had found its way through this hole and had been sent via the vertebral artery to a part of my brain that affects balance,coordination ,eyesight and fine detail like handwriting.
I had to surrender my driving licence and have been unable to get it back.
This is less of a problem in London as my old crock’s travel pass gives me 24/7 travel on bus/tube/train within M25 .
I had a difficult first year but have managed to adapt and overcome most of the limitations that I have.
I still ski to a good standard having adapted to my reduced field of vision and balance,I undertake several trips a year using coaches and buses to a wilderness area of NW Scotland where I hike for several weeks at a time with a backpack,tent and a fly fishing rod.
It has been a long journey,with numerous setbacks but I have over time increased what I am able to do .
Tony
Hi Tony ,You’ve made remarkable progress!. I have to keep reminding myself that no two strokes are the same & you have to take into account what the persons life was like before stroke. At the moment I’m finding getting motivated a stumbling block, but reading your text shows what is possible. Packing a rucksack & heading for the Scottish mountains at the moment is a long way off for me but as the South Downs are near , you’ve inspired me ! To think about planning a stroll along them to Eastbourne. Now that is a Target. But baby steps first ! Let’s not get carried away .Thanks very much for that inspirational post. Love Scotland & one of my best ever experience’s was watching a pine marten feeding from bird-table for several nights in midsummer high up in N/W Scotland . Hope your trips out this coming year just as eventful. Stay safe Pds
It is difficult for us all and I know we all have a different story to tell. I had my stroke at age 45. I was (still am to a certain extent) a high band Safeguarding Children Nurse. I would be going around London, here, there and everywhere doing something which I loved, feeling I was making a difference.
It has taken me just over two years to phase return to work, (started phase return in May 2021) currently working 2.5 days a week with reduced tasks. I am thankful as I thought I would not be returning to my post at all many a times. However, I am struggling with not working in the same way. It isn’t easy and the fatigue is debilitating, causing severe head pain and weakens my already weak side even more. At times I display stroke like symptoms and have ended up in ED thinking ‘here I go again’.
I also struggle with no longer being me any more. I use to be a social person, fun!! Covid has changed how we socialise but the stroke has completely changed me as a person and that is difficult to accept. Life changing, it certainly is. I am lucky that I did get my driving licence back after a year but I can not drive for very long due to concentration, fatigue and cognitive issues. I can not drive the 100 miles to get to see my family. This makes me feel isolated and frustrated.
I smiled at the ‘mini’ as I too had a mini. A red one with white stripes on it!! I loved it. The car reflected my personality. I do not have a mini at the moment but maybe will have one again, one day.
It is interesting reading stories from others, as it really does make me feel that I am not the only one and the ongoing stroke life is ok, I am not experiencing anything that is worrying but it is sad that stroke has affected so many of us.
Thanks for reading (if you have read this!)
Hi Loopyj. I feel for you younger victims but pleased you can still work partime & it sounds like a very rewarding job. Never been mad about cars & but loved my white van, essential if you live out in sticks. Moving bee hives, collecting apples for cider making & so much more ( would you believe once used as hearse for a green funeral) My driving days are gone & not bothered . But has created lot of problems. Good Luck for future & getting that Red electric Mini. Pds
Hello & welcome LoopyJ
I to have found my social circle has in many ways become non-excitant owing to own abilities in not keeping up with that pace of life & I personally feel why they should slow down for my sake or always think subconsciously ohh it’s Jordan . Grandpa mode, yes I try to be a part of that once circle of friends but it’s always are you ok . Do you mind . how do i feel ect . Way to many violin strings being played for my liking so have in essence put that aside & living @ my pace . I hope that doesn’t sound like I’m a total loner though I do enjoy my own company a lot at a pace my body knows without being part of something bigger that slows everyone else down ….
Another once mini owner Red with white striped sounds . “ groovy baby”
My mini that I have being on the mobility scheme is BRG in colour “automatic” which makes sense being a driver here in London stop/start and you can cover almost 7 metres in 30 mins Id have no clutch left & would be to easily tired out
I hope you too find this site as helpful as I do in finding people who can relate to your specific stroke & take away some suggestions that may help .
Stay strong & nah you don’t want an electric mini do you 
when that day comes perhaps getting another Mini petrol .
Hi Jordan,
You sound just like me, in that you get frustrated by lack of progress. I used to do yoga and pilates before I had my stroke and was quite good at it. Now it takes me about 15 seconds just to get down onto the mat! I had to learn to be patient. I know I’ll probably never be able to walk/run/cycle/dance/swim like I used to, but I’m progressing bit by bit and when I look back to what I was like 7 years ago, I know things are looking up. I’m now in a position where I can take holidays on my own and travel on public transport. It’s all exhausting, but I feel my life is getting back on track.
Hang on in there and be patient!
Best wishes,
Minnie
Hi MinnieB
yes it’s frustrating & how angry I get with the autonomy of the body I once had to this no not debilitating in any sense of the word it’s more about (to me that is) time,effort, to do such simple of tasks of course I remind myself constantly the task in hand be it a cup of Tea . Opening a door ect what with my imbalance/tremor takes more effort/time where many I time I fail to even bring a hand to a cup without spillage or totally missing the cup handle which enrages me . Yes of course we now take things at a more concentrated pace as which our stroke demands perhaps I’m just to impatient & do get myself sweating @ inanimate objects ect . Granted it’s all very well hearing friends/dr’s ect mention of adjusting & boot being that once 100% self . Yup I get all that & im sure yourself & others on this site get angry/frustrated & what they are dealing with now from the days of being whole . We all know this is how it is now & yes some get percentages back after pushing their own abilities
Acceptance is the hurdle I struggle with Minnie daily & yes small steps is the way forward but I would like to think many more people on this site gets as frustrated as me of what we were to what we are now with differential strokes
I completely get frustrated. Mine is mainly over Social events. Just sitting speaking with my family can have a huge impact on my fatigue levels. This then impacts on my physical ability. I too remind myself of small steps and just how far I have come but I still get angry at it and want to shout ‘it is not fair’. I have lost friends, I am missing out on family things and I have lost myself! Ok, rant over.
I do understand where you are coming from Jordan.
Hi LoopyJ
chin up my friend it’s a difficult one to balance frustration/small steps in getting better & im sure like all on here can relate to that … enjoy your day & keep smiling . It dose I’m told get better where things eventually smooth out . Stick in there fella 