A Split Second Changes Lives

A split second and everything changes, in photos it can be pretty funny like with Eko here, but in life that split second can change everything forever

A Stroke is sudden, a split second!

It changes everything you once knew, not just your life but for your family and friends too

A year ago this month my mum was hanging out the washing then BOOM!

Everything went dark and she found herself on the ground unable to get up. Mum can't remember what happened when she had her stroke, which is probably a good thing

Mum's memories of the events afterwards are very sketchy, but without a doubt the fast response of Surrey Ambulance Service assessing mum and getting her to Frimley Park Hospital for the thrombosis medication within the time frame after a stroke was outstanding

Two days later and mum was then transfered to our local hospital for her recovery and rehabilitation, the hardest part was not being able to see her for those 11 weeks because of the Covid restrictions in force at the time

Mums team were fantastic at keeping us updated of her progress with phone calls and zoom meetings, but in reality we didn't know what to expect when she came home

My dad really struggled with mum being in hospital, especially when I had to step in and start rearranging the house so that mum could have a bedroom downstairs when she came home

I'm so greatful to the paramedics, the staff at Frimley Hospital and the Royal Surrey County Hospital for everything, they're all true heroes to us

A year on mum is still in a wheelchair, but she's regained the use of her right arm and can manage to walk a few short steps with a walker which is great, but improvement has slowed right down now, it's like mum has accepted her lot and that's it

At one point mum was walking up and down the road with her walker for a distance of approx 10 houses and we'd turn around and head back home before she got too tired, I always took the wheelchair with us just in case she ever needed it, but she only ever did on one occasion and she was doing so well

Now she never wants to go anywhere or do anything anymore, she'd rather just ring the bell if she wants to speak to dad in the next room instead of taking the few steps to the door to speak to him

When taking her to a recent Doctors appointment I could see how just much weaker she is becoming now, when getting out of the wheelchair to transfer into the car she was so wobbly I thought she was going to fall, I rushed to try to catch her but thankfully she managed to turn just in time and plonk herself onto the car seat, but a few inches to the left and she'd have landed hard in the footwell

It's awful to see my mum who was once so fiercely independent just withering away, I appreciate it's difficult for mum coping with these life changing limitations, although not the same thing I've had to learn to adapt my life to my own physical limitations because of an accident at work several years ago, my Arthritis and my AIH

Mum's stroke has been a massive learning curve for us as a family, I'm now the caregiver to both my parents as dad has his own health problems before mums stroke, but we're finally in a routine which is our new normal

Although sometimes I  find it so demanding and stressful, especially when I'm in a massive pain flare and can't just stop to take time out for my own recuperation, no matter how bad I feel 

So many people here on social media have kept me going, whether you know it or not, it's been a really tough year, all because a split second changed our lives forever

Thank you so much 

You know who you are

xxx

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