When life deals you lemons you make lemonade
At the age of 18 i collapsed on Xmas Eve.
I was in a coma a week.
Seems id suffered a haemorrhage of the brain stem.
Eventually, after a shunt was fitted, i was stable enough to have the operation to use a laser on a cluster of aneurysms on the brain stem that where due to burst.
Performing this tricky operation was Mr Gordon Brocklehurst.
On the operating theatre disaster happened as one of the blood vessels burst causing a bleed and, in turn, causing a clot. The surgeon was unsure hed got all the offending anneuryms but used the laser as best he could.
I spent weeks learning to walk and set myself small goals.
My Mum was retraining to be a nurse at the time and i joined the local Headway group at Grimsby where i met other people who had suffered similar injuries to the brain from cyclists to road traffic accidents to brain tumours.
This group later disbanded.
A few years later a Headway in Scunthorpe formed where sufferers and families of sufferers would meet every month.
My Mum became a staff nurse on the neuro ward at Hull Royal Infirmary.
Making people aware a group existed was a hard job and it took things like trekking across China (I did 55 miles).
I became a chef teaching adults with learning difficulties and with the help of Headway and my family beside me i began to rebuild my life.
I later joined Headway Hull too because it was coming up to Christmas and being a member of 2 groups meant 2 Xmas meals.
In October 2013 i was living alone and suddenly my legs collapsed. I crawled to my phone and rang my Mum who was now in retirement.
She took me to Hull Royal Infirmary and from 9,30am till 11pm i was undergoing tests to find out what was wrong.
Tests revealed i had a small aneurysm that was about to burst on the cerebellum and it would kill me if nothing was done.
I had the choice (Hobsons Choice) to have the cerebellum injected with a glue. It would stop any further bleeding but would give the effects of a stroke.
I opted for this and after 3 weeks in HRI i was sent home.
I continued to live alone and i was taught the basic balance techniques by some very wonderful Occupational Therapists.
Im now volunteering at a local food bank. I volunteer at a snack bar of a medical centre and im still an avid member of Scunthorpe and Hull Headway groups.
Im STILL single BTW. LOL
"Stole" someone's bag at second Headway meeting!
