The paramedics were great and took me straight to hospital.  I had scans and monitoring but they thought it was just a migraine.  I still couldn’t stand up straight, walk or talk properly.  They sent me home on my own.  I am furious about this, even now – anything could have happened.

My housemate collected me and I got home and slept.  Everything felt sideways, wonky, I still had a headache and my speech!  I could speak (just), but it took me five minutes to get a short sentence out, the words just wouldn’t come – so frustrating!

For two weeks, my speech continued to be a problem and I slept a lot.  I tried to get on with life, as much as possible, not really knowing what had happened.  I continued to drive, even driving from Manchester to Leeds to be with family.  Then, a phone call came that made me realise how truly dangerous this was!  A doctor called to tell me that he had looked at the MRI results and that they were sorry to tell me that it wasn’t a migraine – I’d had a stroke!  I was alone when I took the call, not sure what to do, not given any next steps.

I have been lucky with my recovery. I haven’t any physical disabilities and my speech came back in time – but the neuro fatigue has been awful.  It’s taken away everything I love – my work, hobbies, social life.  My hospital interactions have been severely lacking, quick 10 minute phone consultations.  I feel like there has been such a lack of communication and clarity – despite me telling them I have memory issues.  Things have improved as I’ve gotten better and been more able to advocate for myself.

I want to see younger people taken more seriously when they present with stroke symptoms.  In particular issues with balance or eyesight which don’t fit the FAST acronym.  I am a big advocate to changing this to BEFAST to include them.  I will be forever grateful for how lucky I have been but I can’t get over the fact that this could have ended very differently.  I was alone, in a city far from family and friends with symptoms that meant I couldn’t understand what was happening and they sent me away.

A few weeks after my diagnosis I was signposted to Different Strokes and they arranged for me to speak with a befriender, a woman of a similar age who had a stroke too, my phone call with her made me feel so heard and understood.

My Mum and I are also members of the Facebook group.  I haven’t had the courage to post yet as I have a lot of shame around my diagnosis.  It’s been helpful seeing people post about things that I relate to.  It’s helped my mum to come to terms with it and how she can best support me.

I am back to work full time, after a phased return and I’m looking forward to a holiday in the summer. I am starting dating (tentatively). Things aren’t where I’d like them to be and I am certain things will be this way for a while/forever. I am finally starting to feel more positively about my life. I was a fit, healthy and active young woman who had everything going for her. I feel a huge sadness for that person I have lost, but I am starting to feel a new appreciation for this new person I am, post-stroke.”