Katy’s Story – Ischaemic Stroke at 43
One thing I’m still finding a challenge is other people, but I have a nine year boy, who is all the inspiration I need. Friends and colleagues mean well, but unless you have been through a trauma like this, I don’t think anyone can truly understand. You have to be able to communicate that to them for them to help navigate your new world as well. Yes, I look and sound the same, but I am fundamentally different; I walk the world like a child, I am nervous for every corner I turn, every new old experience and socializing turns into being asked how I ‘really’ am – or forgetting that I can’t keep up the pace I once had, that I need to know if there are stairs, timings, I can’t take myself lots of places, it has become exhausting. I get that this is hard on them too, but I can’t help but think this is probably worse as a younger stroke survivor because I was very independent and active before my stroke. I can still count on both hands the number of times I’ve left the house alone in three months.
