Hi there! I had a stroke aged 43, back in December 2025. It was completely out of the blue, I have a very healthy lifestyle and none of the common risk factors. I did have a weird experience a week before the stroke where I went completely deaf in my left ear which I don’t know if it is connected.
I was getting dressed one morning, had my left arm in the air and experienced crushing pins and needles from shoulder to fingertips. The left side of my head went dizzy and I thought I was going to collapse but fortunately didn’t.
I went straight to my GP as I didn’t feel right. She didn’t think it was a stroke as I didn’t have the facial/ speech issues and obs were normal, but recommended a&e. They didn’t think I’d had a stroke either but did the relevant tests and referred to the stroke team. The stroke team were quite dismissive until they saw the MRI which showed an “acute cortical infarction along with the right post central gyrus”.
They immediately put me on Clopidogrel and Atorvastatin and a few weeks later my GP added Ramipril which we’ve been tweaking over the last few months and now my BP is stable and at an acceptable level.
I had the usual barrage of scans and tests, all clear except the last one, a bubble scan which suggests I may have a PFO. This is still unconfirmed as the communication from the stroke team has been shockingly bad and I am waiting to be seen again at the end of April.
My recovery is going well but I’m frustrated at times. I don’t seem to have any major lasting issues. I have a loss of sensitivity in my left arm if I’m tired or I raise it in the air for too long. Some days I feel fit as a fiddle and capable of getting back to the level of exercise I was doing before, other days I’m exhausted climbing the stairs. Mentally I was in a dark place when it first happened but I have had counselling and I’m feeling a bit more positive.
Since I had the stroke I have had issues with balance and a feeling of lightheadedness that is not caused by positional changes so I dont think is related to my BP. When I first had the stroke laying in bed caused terrible dizziness and rolling over was unbearable. I have a constant woozy feeling which I’m wondering could be an after effect of the stroke? I’m off to the GP tomorrow to discuss it but I’m sure she’ll say its BP (I’ve been tracking over the last week and it’s spot on)
I am due to have an MRI on Saturday, assuming it’s to assess the brain recovery but due to the poor communication from the stroke team I have no idea what it’s for!
Thank you for sharing your story. Having read it, I feel that you doing all the right things and in the right way. There are a number of positives (I use the term cautiously) which are your age and the fact you seem to be accepting the treatment well i.e. not having adverse effects. All this is great as is the testing e.g. MRI and the follow-ups, which seem to good to me though I sense you might be a little frustrated about the level of follow-up from the stroke team - indeed you say it is “shockingly bad”. I would suggest you might want to contact them and ask any questions or raise any concerns rather than wait to be contacted. For example, if you feel you have waited a reasonable amount of time and no feedback, initiate by contacting either the GP or the stroke team directly. They will likely call you back to discuss. Don’t feel you have to wait but at the same time don’t over do it if that makes sense.
I really feel you are in a good place and on track for good post-stroke recovery. Please take care, don’t over do things, try no to rush into things especially returning to work etc. Make sure your health is in no way compromised - you have your whole life ahead of you and plenty of time to do things
Lovely to have you join this wonderful community and wishing you all the best.
@Sajara Welcome to the forum, seems like your stroke team are the same as I had and most others on here. I am stroke survivor and it changes your life completely. I am back at work and cope as best as i can. I never talk about my stroke cause no one is interested in my job. I have tried but it falls on deaf ears. I wish you well and good luck got the future
Hi @Sajara & welcome to the community. Sorry to hear of your stroke but it sounds like you are making some good progress.
In relation to the dizziness this could be stroke related. It was a big feature of my post stroke symptoms & still is although to a lesser degree than it was.
You are right to speak to your GP about it & don’t let them fob you off as it being BP related. You mention having the experience if going deaf a week before your stroke. Get them to check it isn’t an ear issue cauding your dizziness issue. An ENT referral may be prudent?
The fatigue you describe is pretty usual. You need to manage your activities to avoid the boom & bust cycle. On the days you feel full of energy reign things back in a bit so you don’t have days of exhaustion. You can then build things back up gradually.
HI @Sajara hope your feeling at least a little better, your story is similar to mines- no real risk factors, fit , healthy eat well then had my stroke. I realise now almost 1.5 years later we all experience stroke a different way ans the after effects are different too, just now your doing all the right things and do speak to your GP about feeling light headed or dizzy. Since my stroke my BP has been spot on apart from when I was re-admitted to hospital but after a few hours it was fine again- still no wiser but take your time, heal properly or as best you can , talk to people about how you feel .
You are in the best place here an amazing pool of talent as well as lived experience who will hear you better than most too, best of luck and have a continued recovery too.
Welcome to the community, I’m sorry to hear about your stroke.
You’ve mentioned a little bit about feeling woozy, we have some information on our website about the effects of stroke which may be helpful to have a read of.
We also have other peer support options which you may find helpful. We have Online Activities that you could take a look at where we run Zoom sessions for stroke survivors and carers. The sessions are a space where you can talk and share your experiences with others who have been through similar.
It’s great to hear you’ve had some counselling and have found that helpful. I hope you’ll also find this community helpful. If you need anything whilst you’re using the Online Community, please don’t hesitate to tag me using the @ symbol and my username.
