Before and after a stroke

Stroke Awareness Presentation (March 2023)

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hello and welcome to this stroke Association stroke awareness session

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my name is Josh Murphy and I’m the stroke knowledge development lead at the stroke Association and I’m delighted to

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have this opportunity to deliver this stroke awareness session to you today

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so what can you expect from today’s session we’ll Begin by looking at who the stroke Association are

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and then we’ll look at what a stroke even is and the different types of stroke before looking at how we can help to
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recognize if someone might be having a stroke using What’s called the fast test

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well then look at how you can reduce your likelihood of having a stroke so stroke prevention followed by the
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effects of stroke and then later on we’ll be hearing from Danny someone with lived experience of

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stroke and then finally we’ll look at how you can take action on stroke
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so we are the stroke Association the stroke Association is the UK’s leading

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stroke charity and our vision is for there to be fewer strokes and for

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people affected by stroke to get the help they need to live the best life they can we’re here to support people to rebuild

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their lives after stroke and believe that all stroke survivors deserve to live the best life they can

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so what do we do we provide specialist support fund critical research and campaign to

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make sure people affected by stroke get the very best care and support to rebuild their lives

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but this is a team effort it takes the determination of stroke survivors and carers the generosity of supporters and

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volunteers and the dedication of the healthcare and research communities to get there too

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the work we do would not be possible without our amazing volunteers and

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fundraisers who work locally and nationally to raise awareness of stroke and much needed funds to support stroke

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survivors so I’ve got a video I’m going to play

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for you now which will give you a little bit more of an idea as to the specialist support we

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provide at the stroke Association our Support Services help hundreds of

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thousands of people through one of the most frightening experiences of their lives and it’s our services that can help

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people affected by stroke rebuild their life after stroke our information is based on accurate and

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up-to-date evidence and we ask stroke survivors and their families as well as medical experts to

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help us when putting our information together it was just it was a nightmare

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I thought that there is nothing on Earth that’s gonna it’s gonna Rectify this

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it’s going to make this better good sometimes I feel that I’m in my own way

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own well my own world while everyone else is moving on

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when a stroke strikes Life Changes instantly

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and Recovery is tough I’m tired I’m really really tired

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it may feel like you’re all alone after a stroke but you’re not

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we’re here for you a familiar person on the other side of

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the phone can make a big problem go away

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we are here to give a little bit of extra help and support to help people

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along to rebuild their daily life and go forward if you or someone you care about has had

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a stroke we’re here to help you get the support and information you need to rebuild your lives

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just take it one step at a time you’re not the only one that’ll experience things like that we’re right behind you

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stroke researchers fundraisers

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our stroke helpline officers it is possible to come back from stroke

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it does take a long time for me it took a long time but it is possible

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I believe you can do it stand up and don’t give up whatever you want to do

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you don’t actually realize how strong you are and how resilient and determined

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that you can be until you really really need us

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[Music] we’ve seen thousands of people adapt to

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a new life after stroke and so can you

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visit stroke.org dot UK to find out how we could help you or your loved one make

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the best possible recovery okay I hope you enjoyed that video and

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that gave you a bit more of an idea a bit more of a flavor of what we do at the stroke Association

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so let’s hear about the uh critical research the stroke Association funds as

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well for over 30 years we’ve supported vital research by investing nearly 60 million in stroke research that has

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covered all areas related to stroke treatment and care care this is Ronnie a

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stroke survivor who’s been helped by the research we funded into stroke treatment you’ll also see Dr Emily Cena one of the

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researchers we fund we’ll hear about Ronnie’s story and why our research is so vital to stroke survivors

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I absolutely felt like I was dying I was making peace with that and I chose

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to die peacefully [Music] without the stroke associations research

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I wouldn’t be stood here at this bench talking to you now

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on Christmas Eve 2018 I’d gone to the gym I started getting a pain about an

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inch above my right eye and and then became quite confused and disorientated and it turned out I was having a stroke

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got an ambulance to Lincoln County Hospital and that gave me a thrombolysis

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and then it didn’t look like that was going to be enough so I got an ambulance to Nottingham where I then had a

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thrombectomy

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or slot removal so a device enters a blood vessel and then retrieves the clot

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and then restores blood flow to that area it’s a very surreal somewhat frightened

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experience but at the same time a quite a special feeling to go in there

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paralyzed in my entire left side and then during the operation feel that come

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back to me and actually leave the operating table fully able to move at my

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left side within a match of those 20 odd minutes I feel like that is due to the

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stroke association’s research I’ve been in straight for search for a number of years and I will never forget

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the thrombectomy trials describing their results and the atmosphere just being in

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that room and hearing these positive results and knowing that there was a therapy that could help with a major breakthrough

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Research into new stroke treatments has just been a lifesaver for me without

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such research it’s already been a completely different outcome the covert pandemic has had a huge

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impact on stroke research the stroke associations research budget

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is cut in half China stroke Association are just receiving fewer donations people are still having great ideas but

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without the resources it’s very difficult to make that happen I do believe sadly that lives will be

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lost if if the research doesn’t continue so I would advise anyone to donate to

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them I think the most difficult thing for for researchers

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you know we’ve seen with covid when people come together we could do

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wonderful things wonderful things and it would have fewer strokes and for those who experience

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stroke they will be able to rebuild their lives and have much better outcomes it’s possible

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but it requires that investment

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moving on to campaigning then we campaign to prevent stroke and improve the treatment and care that

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stroke survivors receive and we do this in three key ways by making sure governments and Senior

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Health decision makers know about stroke and see it as a priority that it’s worth attention and investment

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by working with local and National NHS systems to change policy in the ways that will most benefit people affected

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by stroke and we enable the public people affected by stroke and our supporters to campaign

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for improvements to stroke care locally when people bring their own views

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experiences skills expertise and connections to our campaigns we can have

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the most impact so let’s run through

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the support we provide to people affected by stroke at the stroke Association

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our person-centered emotional communication and rehabilitation services help people to move forward

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after one of the most frightening experiences of their lives our stroke Recovery Services provide

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practical information emotional support and high quality information following a

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stroke we also offer specialist communication support services and work with stroke

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survivors who are living with communication difficulties such as Aphasia which is a language problem

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following a stroke we build and connect stroke communities

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our uk-wide network of stroke groups play a vital role in the recovery of stroke survivors

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and we also connect stroke professionals and Leaders with stroke communities to make sure their work is informed by

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people with lived experience of stroke

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before the covid-19 pandemic we knew that 45 of stroke survivors felt

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abandoned when they left Hospital and social distancing and early Hospital discharge left new stroke survivors more

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alone and in need of more support than ever in response to the pandemic we rapidly

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developed new support services and Innovations to help meet the most pressing needs of stroke survivors

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these include stroke Association connect and here for you

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so let’s hear about stroke Association connect first and foremost so we worked with the NHS to launch

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stroke Association connect which was a brand new service that was made available in June 2020 providing stroke

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survivors with personal specialized support information and reassurance in the early days following Hospital

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discharge our hair for you service though is a

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volunteer-run telephone support service to help stroke survivors who are feeling lonely or isolated

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we connect stroke survivors and carers to train volunteers to offer support following a stroke and

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to help combat feelings of isolation which is sadly all too common amongst the stroke community

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our helpline supports stroke survivors and their families and carers by providing a place to get information

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about stroke services and to be heard and talk through their situation

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and each year in the UK approximately 400 children have a stroke changing the

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lives of them and their families in an instant while our childhood stroke support offer is provided by members of

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a dedicated team who will be available to support parents with practical information on a wide range of topics

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answers to questions and emotional support at any stage in their Journey post-stroke

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the team will also be able to support people with questions and queries

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that perhaps other people or professionals might have such as the wider family members and teachers as

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well my stroke guide is our online self-management tool that gives people

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free access to trusted information to anyone who wants it about different types of stroke risk factors

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and secondary conditions as well as advice on prevention and improving your own health

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my Straight guide has practical tools and over 200 videos to help understand stroke and manage its effects

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this includes a dedicated section for family and friends which provides information on the impact of stroke and

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advice about supporting loved ones in addition to the helpline and my

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stroke guide our Publications so our leaflets and fact sheets provide accurate and accessible health

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information for stroke survivors carers friends and family and we provide detailed health

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information on a range of stroke related topics based on the latest research and we involve experts and stroke survivors

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in reviews finally our website also provides a

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wealth of information to support stroke survivors across the world

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so I’ve got another video for you now are rebuilding lives campaign is changing the way people think about

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stroke using stroke survivors real stories so I was in work it was a Friday

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there was my seventh birthday party there’s something not right and I start to panic my mind was not coming together

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I can’t move my right hand side massive shot explosion my brain fell out thought

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I would die in my body drain and then I disappeared who woke up and everything will spin it

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the light was like needles your life isn’t it trap

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over time it’s getting better hopefully some of these fingers might work again every day is a challenge you

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need that extra support to get you through I am baz I’m Paul

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I’m Luna I’m a stroke survivor I am a stroke survivor I’m Alicia

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and I’m a stroke survivor

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so hopefully that highlighted to you that stroke can happen to anyone Max Alicia and Paul are all stroke survivors

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it is important to remember that stroke can happen to anyone of any age at any time

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in the UK somebody has a stroke every five minutes although it’s more common in older

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people are having Strokes earlier in their lives around one in four strokes happen

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to people of a working age or under the age of 65. babies children and young

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people can have strokes too and as we’ve already heard there are over 400 chartered Strokes in the UK each year

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so what actually is a stroke a stroke is a Brain Attack

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it’s an interruption of blood supply within the brain and that Interruption can be either a

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blockage or a bleed but they’re both Strokes because they’re both interruptions are blood supply

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within the brain and they both cause cell damage or cell death within the brain actually killing off brain cells

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damage to the brain can affect how the body works it can also change how you think and feel

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the effects of a stroke very much depend on where it takes place in the brain and how big the area of damage is

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so let’s take each of our two different types of stroke in turn ischemic versus

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hemorrhagic and then we’ll look at something called a mini stroke or Tia

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transient ischemic attack first up then

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ischemic type Strokes these are caused by a blockage cutting

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off the blood supply to the brain you may also hear it referred to as a clot in ischemic stroke the blockage can be

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caused by a blood clot forming in an artery leading to the brain or within one of the small vessels deep inside the

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brain this is the most common type of stroke a hemorrhagic type stroke is caused by

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bleeding in or around the brain you may also hear it called a brain hemorrhage or a brain bleed

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hemorrhagic stroke tends to affect younger people and is more common in people aged

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between 45 and 70. whereas actually most Strokes in the UK happen in people over

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the age of 70. so that’s our ischemic and hemorrhagic

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type Strokes what about tias or mini strokes

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a transient ischemic attack is the same as an ischemic type stroke but the

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symptoms last a short time and should fully resolve within 24 hours you get stroke-like symptoms because a

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clot is blocking off blood supply within the brain but when that clout moves away the

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stroke symptoms usually resolve having a TIA is a warning that you’re at

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risk of having an actual stroke the risk is greatest in the first days and weeks after a TIA

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so you urgently need to find out what caused it and get advice and treatment to help you stay healthy and reduce the

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likelihood of you having an actual stroke so having a TIA is a major sign that you

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have a much higher than normal risk of having an actual stroke

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okay hopefully I’ve explained that well enough but like an excellent video for you now

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which should hopefully just kind of recap on what I’ve explained and tell you a little bit more about the effects

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and impact of stroke on those affected what is a stroke

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what happened to me changed everything it changed the way I think the way I

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move and what I’m able to do I’d had a stroke an ischemic stroke

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it’s the most common type where a blockage cuts off the blood flow and oxygen to your brain

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part of my brain had just shut down as a result [Music]

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there is another type hemorrhagic stroke caused by bleeding in the brain [Music]

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any stroke can be life-changing and it can happen to anyone of any age [Music]

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stroke affects everyone in different ways for me it was my sight my speech

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and weakness on the right side of my body I lost part of my vision

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talking became hard because I just couldn’t find the words to describe things and I struggled to walk more than

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a few steps I was so exhausted all the time with

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just no energy to do normal everyday stuff remembering things and concentrating

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became almost impossible and I couldn’t read much or even write

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my own name it was really scary and confusing

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and even though I had my family I felt lost and alone

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what had all these questions like will it happen again will I get better and will I be able to work or earn money

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everything was up in the air my family was sick with worry and their lives changed in an instant

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it was really hard for them once I knew more about what had happened

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I began to see a way through it with help over time your brain rewires

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Itself by making new connections knowing that I could get back most of my

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old self was what kept me going recovery is hard but each month each

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year things improve now I can have conversations with my family and I’m going for walks again

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I’m not alone the stroke Association helps me and my family to adapt and understand things

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life might not be the same I might not be exactly the same as before but you and your family can

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rebuild your lives it’s like getting used to the new you

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the stroke Association rebuilding lives after stroke

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so let’s talk about the fastest the tool we can use to help recognize if someone might be having a stroke

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so if you suspect a stroke even if symptoms pass do the fastest and always

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call 999 but what does fast mean

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first up we have faiths or facial weakness their face fallen on one side

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can they smile arm weakness can they raise both arms

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and keep them there perhaps you’ll just raise them for them and ask them if they can keep them there and then finally speech is their speech

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slurred do they have any problems with verbal communication now if you see any single one of these

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three symptoms it’s time to call 999. and that’s really important because by

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dialing 999 it’ll mean that the paramedic response will ensure that that person is taken to a specialist stroke

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unit now there’s no way of knowing if symptoms will pass or get better when

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they first start so you need to seek immediate medical help even if the symptoms begin to pass

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a stroke is a medical emergency the quicker the person arrives at a specially stroke unit the quicker they

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will receive appropriate treatment now the first test helps to spot the

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three most common symptoms of stroke but there are other signs that you should always take seriously

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these include sudden weakness or numbness on one side of the body including legs hands or feet

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difficulty finding words or speaking in clear sentences sudden blurred vision or loss of sight

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in one or both eyes certain memory loss or confusion and

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dizziness or a sudden fall a sudden or severe headache as well

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if you spot any of these signs of a stroke don’t wait call 99 straight away even if the symptoms pass

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ambulance paramedics are trained in stroke and will take the person to the best possible hospital for specialist

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treatment these symptoms along with those from the fast test also apply to tias

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so let’s talk about stroke prevention what we can do to help prevent Strokes

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in the future

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a stroke can happen to anyone but there are some things that increase your risk of a stroke

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it’s important to know what the risk factors are and do what you can to reduce your risk whilst most people who

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have a stroke are older younger people as we’ve heard already today can have strokes too including children

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and as we’ve already heard one in four strokes in the UK happens to people of a working age

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everyone has a different risk of having a stroke which depends on the unique factors that belong to them risk factors

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can be anything about you and your lifestyle like your age a health problem or

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whether you drink or smoke Strokes can happen to anyone of any age

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but as you get older your arteries naturally become harder making them more likely to become blocked

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you can take active steps to reduce your risk at any age which we call modifiable risk factors

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and we’ll look at these in a moment there are some health problems which can raise your risk of a stroke

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atrial fibrillation or AF is when your heartbeat is irregular and may also be

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abnormally fast there is a risk because the heart might not empty itself of blood at each beat

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and a clock can then form in the blood left behind the blood or the clot can then travel to

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the brain and cause a stroke most people don’t get any symptoms so

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it’s important to get your pulse checked if you have untreated atrial fibrillation your risk of a stroke is up

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to five times higher and a stroke can be more severe if you have atrial fibrillation

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high blood pressure puts a strain on all of the blood vessels throughout your body including the ones leading to your

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brain The Strain can damage your blood vessels causing them to become harder and

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narrower this is a process or a condition called atherosclerosis the buildup of this

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fatty stuff on the walls of Our arteries this makes a blockage more likely to

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occur which causes a stroke or a TIA what’s more high blood pressure is a

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leading risk factor for hemorrhagic type stroke because

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heightened blood pressure puts additional strain on the blood vessel walls which might cause them to burst

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what about diabetes diabetes means you have too much sugar

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in your blood and this can make you more likely to have a stroke this is because

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having too much sugar in your blood damages the blood vessel walls in a similar way to high blood pressure

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it also makes your blood a bit stickier too

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if your blood vessel walls become stiffer then this attracts more

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atherosclerotic plaque that fatty stuff that can form on the walls of Our arteries and again this can lead to an

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increased likelihood of having a blockage type stroke

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having too much bad cholesterol in your blood can also increase the likelihood

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of fatty deposits building up on the walls of Our arteries this makes Our arteries narrower and

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stiffer and makes it harder for blood to flow it also increases the chance of a blood clot developing

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Strokes can run in families so speak to your GP or nurse if you have a family history of stroke

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you may need some tests and health checks and some tailored advice on how you can reduce your risk

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now stroke happens more often in people who are of a black African black Caribbean or South Asian descent

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if you’re black or South Asian you may need to get checked at an earlier age for diabetes

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especially if you have any risk factors like being overweight

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so what can you do to help reduce your risk of stroke you can help to reduce your risk of

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Stroke by making some healthy lifestyle choices whether it’s your diet activity level

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smoking or drinking it’s never too late to make a change

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regularly drinking too much alcohol raises your risk of a stroke in the UK the government advises that to

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keep your health risks low it’s best to drink no more than 14 units a week and

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to spread the units across the week the limits of 14 units is the same for

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both men and women smoking doubles your risk of dying from

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a stroke but the minute you quit your risk of a stroke starts to drop right away

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stopping smoking could be one of the best things you could ever do for your health and there is lots of help available

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giving up isn’t easy but it’s worth the effort to improve your health

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being overweight or obese can raise your risk of stroke extra weight affects your body in many ways

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such as raising the risk of high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes which are

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both linked to stroke eating a healthy balanced diet can help

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to lower your risk of things like high blood pressure and diabetes even making small changes to your eating

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habits can make a difference to your overall health particularly if you’ve been told that you’re at risk of having a stroke or a

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TIA critically active can help to reduce your risk of a stroke moving around can

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also help your emotional well-being by releasing chemicals into your brain that make you feel better too

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if you already have a health condition linked to stroke sticking to your treatment can help to reduce that risk

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if you’ve had a stroke or Tia one of the best ways to reduce your risk of another stroke is to follow the treatment for

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your health conditions advised by your doctors all the health conditions we have spoken

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about today can happen to you at any age so even if you feel in good health get a

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regular health check you can contact your GP to book an appointment for this or your local

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pharmacist can give it advice to do some health checks such as blood pressure and pulse checks

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in England people aged 40 to 74 can get the NHS health check which looks for

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signs of health problems including stroke risk remember you should always get

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individual advice about your own health and any treatment you may need from a medical professional such as a GP or

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pharmacist

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so what’s the impact of stroke in the UK today Alicia was 27 years old and working as a

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teacher when she had her stroke here she is in her own words sharing her

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experience I know

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lion giraffe elephant

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Ryan of Massachusetts your life my mind was

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not coming together inside I’m stuck inside frustrated it’s

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not because anyone’s done it’s just because I can’t say it and it’s not coming out

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Ben CH with s what is that

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it’s five letters taste

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I think it was when I was at the rehab they must have mentioned Aphasia now what I know at this point what a phase I

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mean you’re intelligent but you do have to start from the beginning I didn’t really understand this is a stroke the

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doctors were coming and saying you might not wake up you might not be able to talk you might have a wheelchair it

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could be quite severe I was a teacher for five years and that

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was honestly my passion but it took a long long long like a year to accept

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that no I don’t think I can be a teacher

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best I smile but I do have a lot of Tears or upset or worried

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I guess action anxious they don’t really tell you that this is going to be an

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ongoing thing for the rest of her life and your life because sometimes I feel that I’m in my

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own way own well own world while everyone else is moving on this is a

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scrapbook all my memories the reason why I kept it is because like

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look at this before how severe it is but now it’s I guess better I’d like to

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remember how much how far you’ve come exactly yeah I’m just trying to think about like when

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I have the sad things what what will I do to make it better football yeah but the Americans might

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circle soccer soccer they did call it football

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I don’t think he knew how to do speak to language I’m really happy with this new things

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I’m doing like I’m not I’ve accept that I’m not a teacher but I am a teacher because I’m

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volunteering I think everyone can do anything they want to do might take time but I believe you can do it stand up and

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don’t give up whatever you want to do I feel so grateful that the stroke Association has really helped us so much

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you get to meet new people who’ve had a stroke but now I am volunteering for the stroke Association and I honestly love

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it you have to think that we are alive but

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how can we help others now we’re lucky we have to remember imagine that point I thought I was gonna lie uh die they said

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that but now I’m here today I can walk I can talk I can learn I can do so much

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like it’s just yeah I guess I’m quite grateful and blessed in that sense

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I hope you enjoyed Alicia’s story

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let’s talk through some numbers relating to stroke then first up we’ve got our incidence of

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stroke there are over a hundred thousand new Strokes every year and over 1.3

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million stroke survivors in the UK today that’s the prevalence of stroke

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two-thirds of these people leave hospital with a disability and the cost of stroke to our society is around 26

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billion pounds a year and is the fourth biggest killer

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in England and Wales within the third biggest killer in Scotland and Northern Ireland

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26 billion pounds of year so how have they come to that figure so they facted absolutely everything

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from inpatient assessment and treatment costs to Care and Rehabilitation in the

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community costs of medication accessing social care

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benefits all of that stuff has been factored in to that estimated cost to the public

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purse so let’s talk about the effects of

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stroke all Strokes are different for some people the effects may be relatively minor and may not last long

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While others may be left with more serious debilitating long-term problems

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a stroke is sudden and shocking it can affect every part of your life it’s a

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lot to deal with so it’s likely to have an effect on your own emotional well-being everyone’s experience of stroke is

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unique but for many people it feels like they’ve lost the life they had before feelings of shock denial anger grief and

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guilt are normal when you’re faced with such devastating change dealing with them can be hard and

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everyone does it in their own way it can be very difficult to cope with the emotions you have after a stroke

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the way we behave of often depends on the way we feel so if your emotions change after stroke then your behavior

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is likely to change too but it’s not just about the way we feel sometimes a stroke can also affect the

37:43
way you respond to what’s going on around you this can make you behave differently too

37:49
other effects of stroke will also affect your behavior tiredness can mean you’re less active or

37:55
talkative for example or frustration at not being able to do

38:01
the things for yourself can build up and make you aggressive towards others a stroke can affect the way your brain

38:08
understands organizes and stores information this is also known as cognition

38:16
every second you receive a huge amount of information from the world around you which your brain has to understand

38:23
organize and keep if the part of your brain that processes

38:28
this information is damaged this can cause a number of problems problems with memory

38:34
and thinking are very common after stroke and most people will have some difficulties with these

38:41
problems with concentration are also quite common

38:48
when we communicate our brain has to complete a series of tasks different parts of our brain are

38:54
responsible for each of these tasks if one of these parts is damaged by a stroke it can cause problems with

39:00
communication this can be very common after a stroke

39:05
Aphasia is a complex language and communication disorder resulting from damage to the language centers of the

39:12
brain over 350 000 people in the UK today have

39:18
aphasia which means around one-third of stroke survivors have problems with speaking Reading Writing telling the

39:25
time using technology dealing with money and understanding what other people are saying to them

39:32
it doesn’t affect intelligence though as people with Aphasia still think in the same way they’re just unable to

39:39
communicate their thoughts easily you’ve got swallowing problems also very

39:44
common after a stroke almost half of people who have a stroke will have a swallowing problem at first

39:51
but it often improves quite quickly swallowing is a complicated task that needs your brain to coordinate many

39:58
different muscles if your stroke damages the parts of the brain that do this then it will affect

40:03
your ability to swallow swallowing problems are also known as dysphagia

40:10
about two-thirds of people have visual problems after stroke it’s a very very common

40:15
and visual loss after a stroke can affect daily living in a multitude of different ways

40:22
you could find it more difficult to do things like reading shopping or watching the television

40:27
you may need support for returning to work such as help with travel or new ways of doing your job

40:33
sight loss is linked to an increased risk of emotional problems like anxiety and depression too

40:43
a stroke can cause problems with physical activities like walking writing and getting dressed due to muscle

40:49
weakness stiffness and changes in sensation the physical effects of stroke are

40:55
varied and no two people will experience the same thing after a stroke a person

41:00
might experience problems like fatigue this excessive and overwhelming tiredness that often doesn’t get better

41:07
with sleep and rest but they might also experience problems with balance or

41:12
joint pain fortunately most people make significant growth improvements in the months

41:19
following their stroke but sadly for some people affected by stroke these can end up being more long-standing

41:25
difficulties when someone close to you has a stroke they usually need ongoing help and

41:32
support after they return home from hospital but taking on caring responsibilities is

41:38
a huge decision it’s often something people do as part of a relationship and they see it as the

41:44
natural thing to do but caring can be challenging and it takes time and energy and caring can

41:51
take its toll and carers tell us that they sometimes feel exhausted overwhelmed and isolated too

42:03
in 2018 the stroke Association conducted the largest ever survey of stroke

42:08
survivors and their care is to find out more about their lives

42:14
over 11 000 people affected by stroke in the UK took the time to share their stories with us

42:21
and these statistics give us more of a feel of the impact of stroke on people’s everyday lives rather than the effects

42:28
of stroke which we talked through on the previous slide we know more about the everyday

42:34
experiences of those living with the effects of stroke which can sometimes last a lifetime

42:40
over a third of those who shared their story with us told us that they had to give up work as a result of their stroke

42:46
and 69 felt that their stroke had significantly impacted their independence

42:53
I’ll give you just a moment to to read and digest some of these statistics

43:08
despite everything we’ve talked through on the last two slides about the effects and the impact of stroke

43:15
there is hope for people affected stroke is a non-progressive condition

43:21
and people can make positive steps forward in their recovery it’s tough but

43:27
with the right specialist support and a ton of courage and determination the brain can adapt after stroke

43:35
so your brain is amazing it has the ability to rewire itself allowing you to improve skills such as

43:42
walking talking and the use in your affected arm if that’s affected

43:48
this process is known as neuroplasticity now neuroplasticity isn’t happening in

43:55
all of us every time we think about something differently or learn a new skill it’s

44:01
all about your brain forming new pathways well this process this thing called

44:08
neuroplasticity is essential to recovery following a stroke

44:14
the great thing about neuroplasticity is though there’s no limit and that it can continue for months years even decades

44:21
after a stroke there’s always this capacity to make positive steps forward

44:28
now every stroke is different not everyone can make a complete recovery and for some people despite all the will

44:35
in the world sadly some things may not return to what they were like prior to their stroke

44:42
but neuroplasticity makes positive steps forward in a person’s recovery possible

44:49
and many people do make progress with their individual goals like getting stronger more mobile or more independent

44:57
so with the right support many people can gain confidence and find new ways of

45:03
relearning the things that perhaps may have been affected by their stroke

45:13
time and again at the stroke Association we’ve seen thousands of people adapt to a new life after stroke we’ve helped

45:21
them adjust to a new normal and that’s why we’re here to support people to rebuild their lives after

45:27
stroke

45:33
okay so I said at the beginning of this session we would hear from someone with lived experience of stroke let me

45:40
introduce you to Danny now this is his story hi um I’m Danny I’m a Community

45:47
Connector for the stroke Association I’ve had two streaks and the first one

45:53
was in 1995 when I was age 22 and then a

45:59
second one in 2013 on New Year’s Day um both were caused by an underlying

46:05
blood clotting disorder that was diagnosed as a result of the first stroke I had

46:12
um my first stroke was in 1995 and it was a slow burner as I call it

46:19
um over time my speech slowed down um and I developed some sort of quite

46:24
weird um movement patterns where I physically couldn’t keep still and I was all

46:31
jiggling fiddling around which was um not particularly good because I worked

46:37
on a drawing board at the time as a draftsman which was not the best because my hands kept

46:43
fidgeting right um it was frustrating and a bit

46:48
embarrassing so I was quite aware of it and even with friends and people

46:55
um sort of making fun and things like that not knowing what it was because I literally

47:00
wouldn’t stop fidgeting um gradually my speech slowed down and

47:07
eventually sort of went all together and then I struggled with fatigue really

47:13
badly which took several months to sort of resolve once I’d had treatment and a

47:18
diagnosis or a diagnosis in the treatment [Music] um after the months passed I was generally

47:25
okay um I find things I did before a bit harder in terms of

47:31
um getting tired and managing myself um but the underlying condition was sort

47:36
of fairly well sort of managed and looked after and I ticked over like that for a long time a

47:42
very long time um my second string happened in the early hours of New Year’s Day in 2013

47:51
um I later found out I had a blood clot but I had underlying high blood pressure which I didn’t make

47:58
um and it’s been explained that the artery behind the clock split because of

48:04
the blood pressure issue which then caused the hemorrhage and obviously I had an admission to

48:11
hospital where I sort of ended up staying for six months in total three months as an

48:18
inpatient and three months in a brain injury Rehabilitation Unit

48:23
um the actual uh Hemorrhage itself was at the back of the brain

48:29
um quite specific location in the cerebellum um quite close to the brainstem which is

48:36
uh makes it all the more sort of amazing that I survived you know and and have

48:42
come out of it as well as I have [Music] um the worst things I had was my balance

48:48
was completely gone I couldn’t even sit um on a bed to start with without

48:54
falling over um in addition my speech

48:59
um was really affected um I had something called dysarthria which is to do the motor function so I

49:07
could think of the words and speak uh as I normally did but I just couldn’t form

49:13
the words and I had very strange speech patterns for a long time and had to speak to

49:19
language therapy and as part of the residential rehab had a lot of

49:24
Physiotherapy and had to regain my ability to walk and just do sort of

49:30
day-to-day things um my main focus was getting my Independence back because I was always

49:36
quite fiercely independent I suppose and I was desperate to get that back

49:42
um I now walk with a walk-in stick um and my my walk-in is far better than it

49:50
was um although it’s never going to be you know as it was before my streak you know

49:57
I don’t think but compared to where I was it’s fantastic really

50:04
um how I view my time in hospital I’ve often said the inpatients part was

50:10
fantastic and I think they saved my life really you know they but then the

50:15
rehabilitation part and parts ever since sort of almost gave me my life back or a

50:22
life worth living back because it was one thing being saved from the condition

50:28
but had I remained how I was I would have you know it wouldn’t have been a

50:33
particularly healthy or a nice way to live I don’t think um as I mentioned I I’ve always been

50:40
really independent sometimes to my own fault I didn’t want to accept people’s help when I needed it and fell over

50:47
quite a lot as a result of that just through stupid Pride I suppose

50:52
um I remember when I first had the invitation or possibility of going to

50:58
Rehabilitation had a meeting with the lead consultant in rehab and

51:05
it was quite difficult to get a place at the time and I convinced him that if he

51:11
gave me the opportunity I would do whatever it takes to you know get myself

51:17
going and do work really hard to do it um because I knew for me I had to get

51:23
some degree of Independence back um you know just to have a decent life

51:28
again really um so he he fortunately gave me the opportunity and I hopefully proved to

51:36
him you know I was worth the investment um and bizarrely I’ve bumped into

51:41
another gym a couple years after I was discharged which which was quite

51:47
um a funny experience because I don’t know who was more shocked than me or him and that I sort of always remember that

51:55
um when I was discharged I went home had a community rehab for a little while

52:01
and then I was working to sort of get my fitness back and pick up things I used

52:07
to do because I used to do Judo I did Jiu Jitsu for a while and for a long

52:12
time I was convinced I could go back to it unrealistically and then when I accepted I didn’t

52:19
um it was suggested in rehab actually I might want to learn tai chi I was

52:27
not particularly pleased about that being suggested and actually said there

52:33
was no way I was doing exercise for older people um which I know I now realize is

52:39
ridiculous because I change your mind I was persuaded to do it and it’s

52:44
fantastic it’s made such a difference um to my life not only physically but

52:49
how I am as a person um as an example I went to the first lesson

52:56
and I couldn’t even stand up um in the sort of therapy room without

53:01
leaning against the wall and now sort of you know nine years later nine almost Ten Years Later doing it I can move

53:09
around do parts of Tai Chi I never ever thought I would be able to do so

53:14
it’s a sort of Testament to how good it is um I’d certainly recommend it to anybody

53:20
um I at the time of my first string I was or I considered myself to be very fit

53:27
and healthy I was actually a bodybuilder in my early twenties

53:32
I just done my first um competition at volleyball into air show

53:38
and became third which I was really pleased with although I was a bit disappointed

53:43
um and then six months later had the first streak which came with a complete

53:48
shock to me and it completely changed like they could sort of course in my

53:54
life from then on really I think looking back on it I think one

54:00
thing I would like to get across to people is the importance of you know in yourself and your own health

54:05
and your own body in terms of um knowing your own blood pressure I didn’t didn’t realize how important that

54:13
is um and that was like a major contributing factor in particular

54:19
to the second stroke I had although ironically that how my blood condition

54:26
was detected the first time was through blood pressure testing because they

54:31
couldn’t work out what was going on with me and my blood pressure in the doctor’s

54:36
surgery was ridiculously high and I still remember my GPS face when she read

54:42
the numbers um and as I said it I wished I it’s easy to say now I wish

54:50
I’d known how important blood pressure was then um in more recent years I’ve bought myself

54:57
a home blood pressure monitor which I do several times a year

55:02
um just to keep things in check really because I was like repeatedly said I didn’t realize how important it was

55:09
um and how it can be such a life-saving thing to know for something very simple

55:14
and if you you don’t necessarily know you’ve got high blood pressure because you don’t necessarily feel it so it’s

55:22
one of these things you have to check to um you know monitor yourself it is what I

55:29
guess I’m trying to say thank you so much for sharing your story

55:34
Danny um I hope that was interesting and useful for you guys

55:40
um yeah a really interesting and Powerful story of Danny’s recovery there

55:48
so let’s think about how you can take action on stroke in order to help rebuild the lives of stroke survivors

55:56
so firstly I wanted to talk to you a little bit about something called the communication access symbol

56:02
now one of the biggest challenges for people affected by stroke which I touched on earlier on is something called aphasia a language type

56:10
communication problem but it’s a problem many people don’t know enough about or

56:15
how they can help or better awareness of the condition and the right communication tools can make all the

56:21
difference now the communication access symbol has been developed to enable people with

56:27
communication difficulties to identify businesses for whose staff members are

56:32
trained in communication support anyone including businesses

56:37
organizations and even family and friends can voluntarily sign up for free accredited training on the communication

56:45
access UK website and you’ll need to complete this course annually to maintain your accreditation

56:51
companies with staff who have successfully completed the training will be added to the communication accessible

56:57
National directory and can display the communication access symbol on their premises so certainly something to think

57:04
about there as a charity we rely on the generosity

57:11
of our amazing supporters and there are so many ways that you can support us to

57:16
support people affected by stroke and you can take a look at our website to find out what volunteering

57:21
opportunities are available locally you might want to support your local group volunteer for our here for you service

57:28
or take part in a one-off opportunity supporting a local event whatever works

57:34
for you follow us on social media and share our posts you can also join our campaigns

57:40
Network by checking our campaigning pages on our website check out our website for lots of ideas

57:47
about how you can help to raise vital funds in age of the stroke Association opportunities include taking part in

57:54
various challenge events completing one of our virtual fundraising challenges or

57:59
perhaps organizing some sort of DIY fundraising event yourself with our guidance and fundraising materials

58:10
so thank you for watching this session today you can scan the QR code on the screen

58:15
now to leave feedback about the session and also make a donation if you’d like

58:20
to You’ll also find links to information on our website to services like my stroke guide here for you and our

58:27
helpline in case you or anyone you know needs our help if you’d like more information about

58:33
stroke and the stroke Association you can visit our website at stroke.org dot

58:39
UK and then finally you can also find us on Facebook Twitter and Instagram

58:46
thanks again for watching this session I hope it’s been an interesting and useful

58:52
use of your time and it’s helped increase your knowledge and understanding of stroke and the work

58:59
that we do at the stroke Association thank you for your time

59:04
thank you