My stroke was in February 2011 on a plane returning from Australia.  It was the middle of the night and I needed the loo so off I went.  When I’d finished I stood up and I had a strange feeling come over me I thought it was just jet lag, but as I walked back to my seat I struggled lifting my feet.  It was as if I was wearing old fashioned lead diving boots.  I then asked Jeannie if my face was OK as I had pins and needles.  She then called the flight crew who called for a doctor and thankfully there was one.

I remember him telling Jeannie that I was having a stroke.  Then my body started to shut down and I only remember bits after that.

It took four hours to get me to hospital in Dubai.  They put me in a drug induced coma for five days and my family flew out after they were told that I might only have a few days to live.  My son even arranged a cremation funeral and jar to carry me home in!

On the fifth day a tracheotomy was carried out as my family had organised a MEDVAC to Norwich.  This happened on the ninth day in Dubai and I had my own Lear jet!  Jeannie wasn’t allowed to come with me because they feared I might not make it.  The next thing I knew was I was lying on a stretcher at Norwich airport and it was drizzling and cold.

After eight months in hospital and a year’s Community Physio later I was discharged.  My ambition was to try and regain all my old activities like skiing, winter wild country camping, climbing, canoeing, etc.  Sadly, some of what I used to do is out of the question for now.  However, in 2012 I was an Olympic torch bearer at Sandringham and I managed to walk 28 steps with my torch, supported by only one stick!  In 2013 on my birthday I climbed Mam Torr in Derbyshire – granted it was from half way up and took me three hours to do a return trip, that would have taking me twenty minutes each way before my stroke.

I do plan to ski again, even if it’s just at a snow dome.  I also fancy sky diving, but in one of those artificial sky diving centres, not out of an airplane.  In my pre-stroke bucket-list I’d planned a huskie sled holiday and to camp on an ice field, but I think that may be out of the question, not because of my stroke – it’s a bit financially out of my reach these days

Today I am Norwich Different Strokes Volunteer Coordinator and life is great!  Different Strokes has been a life-saver for me and I know many others can say the same.

For a fuller account please also see my blog www.bantaneddie.com