I had my stroke at 3pm on 13/01/2015 at the age of 36. I was actually sat at my desk, at work, and my right arm suddenly felt very heavy, so much so that I could hardly move the mouse. I decided I had just sat at my desk too long, even though it had only been about an hour, and needed to take a comfort break. By the time I tried to get up from the toilet I could no longer lift my arm at all, and my leg was going too.

I think I realised at that point that I was having a stroke but it only became real when I got to hospital and was told I’d had a bleed on the brain.

I spent a total of 10 days in hospital, during that time I had an angiogram which showed an AVM, an Arteriovenous Malformation, this is where a little vein gets abnormally connected to an artery, and mine had bled, so they decided to operate on my brain.

It was when I went home I really struggled, I don’t think the impact of what had happened really hit me until then. I live on my own, and suddenly I couldn’t do the things I needed to.

My partner was wonderful and moved in for a time, and with his and family support, and physio, I regained the use of my arm and started getting back some independence.

I am now back working full time as an Electronic Technician, and still get very fatigued. My stamina is improving but I have some cognitive memory issues, poor short term memory, lose words mid-sentence that kind of thing. On the surface, until the fatigue hits, I look fine but what people don’t see is what’s going on underneath.

This is where Different Strokes Southampton has been invaluable, I have met some incredible and inspirational people, and hope I can be there for others in the future as they have been there for me.