Stroke Association

Are you a part of a stroke club or group? Booking is now open for the UK Stroke Club Conference. Find out more right here.

Two weeks ago, Chris Ellett, Transformation Director at Well Pharmacy, took part in the Media City UK Swim Challenge at Salford Quays. After months of hard training, he completed the gruelling 15km open water swimming marathon and officially reached the half way point of his commitment to 12 physically-challenging events in 12 months to raise money for the Stroke Association.
You can keep up with Chris' remaining challenges and find out more about what he's already done right here. https://strk.org.uk/2zQRM8u

Sarah Revill-Dews had a stroke just two days after her dream honeymoon. A week on Sunday she's taking on the Ride London 100 mile challenge. You can read more about Sarah's amazing story here https://strk.org.uk/2uBHmoc

When a stroke at 57 left Alastair Edwards with mobility problems, he challenged himself to get back on his feet by taking part in his local Step Out for Stroke in Antrim.
Alastair had only just retired when he had a brain haemorrhage in April 2016. Alastair spent 10 months in hospital.
... “We were told that it was unlikely that he’d ever walk again. This made us both determined to prove everyone wrong. He worked hard at his physio and by the time he was discharged, he was able to pivot transfer from his wheelchair to his bed, ” explains his wife Hazel.
“Step Out for Stroke 2017 was an exhilarating experience. Alastair’s goal was to walk over the finish line. It gave us the greatest thrill when he did it and was cheered by friends who walked with us.
“For me, it was an opportunity to talk to others affected by stroke and to fundraise for the Stroke Association, as their staff and volunteers spent many hours with Alastair in hospital.”
Both Alistair and Hazel are taking part in Step Out again in 2018, when he hopes to walk even more of the course. Getting involved with the events has helped Alistair build his strength and stamina, but more importantly, it’s helped him to stay positive as he has something to work towards. https://strk.org.uk/2K6yQna
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Today is World Emoji Day. We all love an emoji, but did you know that they can be an absolutely vital communications tool for stroke survivors with aphasia.

We're thrilled to announce that we have been selected as the Charity of the Year at 32 Sainsbury's stores across the UK. A huge thank you to everyone who made this fantastic news possible, You can find the full list, including your nearest winning store, in the link below.

This week saw us host our 2018 UK Stroke Assembly South, giving stroke survivors a chance to gather, share experiences and learn more about what we're doing to help and support them. Here's a short video montage of some highlights from the event. https://strk.org.uk/2JgPPBR

Want to know what's happening in stroke research and how you can get involved? Be sure to check out this Facebook Live from the UK Stroke Assembly South 2018. With Hilary Reynolds CBE, Professor Peter Langhorne, Professor Richard McManus, Marney Williams and Laura Piercy.

Inspirational stories from Amber Garland, James Cross and Darragh Donnelly. Live from the UK Stroke Assembly South 2018

We're here at the UK Stroke Assembly and looking forward to welcoming everyone who is attending. Be sure to follow our Facebook story for a look behind the scenes.

New research claims that thousands of potential strokes have been prevented by blood-thinning medication.

Julie survived multiple strokes in her early 30’s, the affects of which left her housebound for a number years. As a young mother, this sudden change to her lifestyle made her feel isolated and very depressed. However, things started to change when she saw a newspaper advert from the Stroke Association, who were looking to form a new Voluntary Support Group in her area. Julie first attended the group in 2008 and hasn’t looked backed since.
Julie has taken a leading role in de...veloping the successful 4Ward Stroke Leicester Voluntary Group, and has helped to create a thriving group to support others affected by stroke in her area.
Encouraged by the idea of meeting like-minded people, Julie attended the first ever UK Stroke Assembly in 2011. Julie has returned to the assembly each year since and has enjoyed meeting up with friends, learning from the talks and workshops and has even given a presentation herself. Julie was also invited to join the UK Stroke Assembly Steering Group and represent the views of stroke survivors, contributing to the planning of the events by ensuring they are accessible and appealing to as many stroke survivors as possible.
Julie’s whole family turned out in force to support their local Resolution Run this year, volunteering with the local fundraising team and helping with registrations and marshalling.
By getting involved with our stroke community, Julie has gone from being quiet and withdrawn to strong, confident and enthusiastic, and an example to other members of her stroke group.
“The confidence the Stroke Association has helped me to gain is something that I will forever be in their debt for.” Find out more about how the Stroke Association can help stroke survivors regain their independence, right here https://strk.org.uk/2K6yQna
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Do you do a lot of shopping on amazon? If so there's now a new way to support the Stroke Association, through Amazon Smile. https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/chpf/about/

Happy 70th anniversary to the NHS, and here's to many more. We're especially excited about the next few years as we work with the NHS on a new national plan for stroke. https://strk.org.uk/2KSF0HB

Stroke can change your life in an instant. Whether it’s happened to you or someone close to you, My Stroke Guide can help.
My Stroke Guide’s trusted online support is all in one place, whenever you need it, to guide you through your stroke journey.
Easy-to-read information, advice and videos from the Stroke Association explains everything you need to know after a stroke. And our chat forum can connect you to our online community, to find out how others manage their recovery....
Join hundreds of stroke survivors and carers. Log on to mystrokeguide.com today
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“The FAST test is a very effective way to spot the three most common signs of stroke or TIA, but there are other indicators that you should also take seriously."
Here's our official response to today's disappointing Daily Mail headline.

Aphasia Awareness Month may be over but that doesn't mean we can stop raising awareness. Share this post and help improve understanding of what it means to have Aphasia.

Could computer therapy help stroke survivors with Aphasia regain their words?

The judging is now complete for the 2018 Life After Stroke Awards. Huge thank you to all the judges, pictured below, for their time and to everyone who submitted a nomination. The winners won't be publicly revealed until the award ceremony but we'll be in touch with everyone who submitted a nomination within the next two weeks. https://strk.org.uk/2ICCdAn

Independence doesn’t happen on your own.
For many stroke survivors getting their life back on track means overcoming life-changing disabilities and emotional difficulties.
We support stroke survivors but we can’t reach everyone. With your help more stroke survivors can regain their independence... https://strk.org.uk/2xzJFfy
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Trying to find information about mobility scooters for my dad he had a stroke last July still has no use of his left side could anyone recommend

They are angles use to come every day to help get back to me and work i am back at work in don't think I could not have done this without them had 2 strokes last year they are great please help them to help us its a charity organisation. People give up there time to help us we should help them

The Stroke Association have been an amazing support to me, helping me get some much needed psychological support at a time I felt absolutely broken. And in time putting me in touch with a team specialising in providing support for Stroke survivors to get bak to work. So jst over 12mths on, am mentally bak on a more even path, and successfully bak to work, it's time to bid farewell to Jane Fenwick (yes I'll name u!! �) and her team. The work u do is truly fab, u understand, u care, and u chip in at jst the right time. Thank u �

I have often read posts on here and truly am inspired. My beautiful Mum my best friend my world my everything suffered a major stroke of 1st March 2015 she had multiple disabilities. She regained her strength and use of left side but never walked. She had a clot stroke and five days later a bleed one on the right frontal lobe which seemed to do the damage as she was walking and talking for the first 5 days but had no swallow so was on a NG tube. Wat caused the second stroke and a bleed one within 5 days of a clot one.due to AF she didn't know she had. She never spoke since the 2nd one and never regained a swallow so was fitted with a peg. She was fully alert though and knew everything we said and would do little things. She was at very high risk of aspirating and did a couple of time of which we were told it was touch an go but she pulled through every time. I cared for her everyday and got myself fully trained up in everything from peg feeds to rotating Peggy as we referred to her and would say Mummy get Peggy out and she would and help me do feeds and flushes. I learnt all the meds what crushes what dissolves and also aspiration signs along with doing full observations on her. I dealt with doctors, nurses everyone. I was basically a nurse then on 1st January this year Mum coughed up a big chunk of mucus and that was it she had aspirated again so.off to hospital we went again only this time the antibiotics didn't seem to work and and and she steadily got worse needing 11 litres of oxygen then right in front of my eyes she couldn't fight any move and my world broke in a billion pieces. My Darling Mummy the love of my life had left me and my brother and dad on 7th January 2016. I'm crying as I type this as my bond with Mum was immense like sisters. How do I function without her my world my rock now I'm the only girl trying to keep it together for my Dad and brother and we miss her desperately she was the world and more to us. My heart is broken truly. I did the step out for stroke last year when Mum was critically ill with aspiration and I'm doing it next month with a heavy heart in her memory and hope to raise a lot of money on my JustGiving page for stroke association. The work and help they do and give is amazing. Thank you for taking the time to read my story x

I had a very serious stroke about 5 years ago and the Stroke Association have supported my recovery ever since. I cannot thank them enough.

I had a stroke in June 2015, severe headache, numbness on my left side and also loss of peripherel vision. 47 years old, mum and wife, special needs teaching assistant, such a frightening time for all the family, on the mend now after physio and phasing back to work, still got left side weakness and going to be on medicines for years, but waiting for the all clear to be able to drive. The information on this site has given me information, hope and encouragement, don't give up, keep strong and don't be too proud to take the help that is offered!!!

I had a severe stroke in oct 2016 it's been 3 month unable to talk, walk and arm and hand problems. I have been with a fantastic team from my local hospital of Redcar. I was asked when I was able, what do you expect to recover, I said what do you mean, I want everything. I want my arm, my leg, and my speech. I have been positive I have not stopped working hard.

The OT's, speech therapy, and physio are STARS. I could be so happy about then.

I am walking need a walking stick for a few weeks, my hand works, my arm has a few problems but will get there, my speech is very good, also I wrote myself, a few weeks ago I couldn't even write.

Whatever you do, be positive, give a 100% and most of all believe in your hospital team.

UPDATE

14th October 2016 I had a stoke.

How am I doing now.

I have finally got full movement of my arm, never give in with the doctors. I could not lift my arm, I remember the consultant saying "you have seen every doctor in this hospital", I said, well I will keep on until I'm right. After 3 injections and more physio, I finally get what I want.

This week I finally got an injection in my hip, hopping my leg will be good. I can't have new hip, because risk of stroke. Before the stroke I did have a bad hip and they gave me 5years until I need hip operation but the stroke made it a lot worse due mainly to excersize.

My voice good but will never be the same, the best thing I ever done was to meet new people, this helps so much.

I haven't went back to work, my problems is fatigue, my memory, I am not thinking about work yet.

1year on I am pleased with what i have and where I am.

But I am not the same and will never be.

I am pleased that I have a future, and next week I am going to Florida to see my son get married, did not think I would be going this time last year.

I hope this helps someone being positive and you believe you can do it, with some hard work.

I am 46, last May I had heart failure brought on by a virus, this led to two strokes and two cardiac arrests. At the time my family were prepared for the worst, then they thought they would need to care for me constantly. Today although I have intermittent AF I am leading a pretty normal life. I learnt to talk and eat and walk again. My right arm and leg aren't quite the same and I'm not allowed to drive, but it could be much worse. I have my down days, but reading what other people have been through reminds me how lucky I am and ow strong people can be.

I am 32 and had my stroke 2 months ago. As i am out of work at the moment I am really struggling to keep up to date with my financial level. I cant speak properly so i cant work as i need my voice for my job ironically my stroke affected my speech. I have a house a car and as most people do have many bills. Plus 3 kids to provide for. Anybody in the same situation what can i do to get help? I cant give up everything because i have my family to consider i dont want to lose my main things in life all because of this damb stroke! 😔

Hi,i just wanted to share my story really.i hope this is ok?

On feb 6th 2014 my mum had a stroke,aged 67yrs old,diabetic and depressed,awful eating habits and had stopped taking her medication for everything.

It was a severe stroke and not being found for 5 hours didnt help,she went into hospital and her bp was outrageous.

After losing her swallow we battled for 6 months with food etc but it wasnt just her inability to eat it was mentally she didnt want to as well,her left side never recovered and she was at her very lowest,she didnt want to be around before this,let alone be left like this.

By October she was admitted to another hospital and put on a peg feed,but it was to late her kidneys had started shutting down,followed closely by other organs.

My mum never wanted to get old,this she worried about from her 30's,and in the November she passed away aged 67,so she will never get old.

The reason for me wanting to put my story out there is a year later i came across a product that would of possibly saved her.i wished so much i had heard of it sooner.its basically a health capsule and also nutritious shakes,far better for you than the hospital ones.not only do they help repair the body they also prevent chronic diseases and strokes.

I joined the business in September because i felt so passionate about helping people.

If anyone would like to know more by all means message me,but this isn't a sales pitch by any means.

If one person can be helped by this product that would mean so much more.

I wish everyday i could of helped my mum recover

Hi I'm 22years old, on the 8th of June I was up and living a normal day to day routine at 11:45 I got into the bath and done my normal routine, at 12 I then got out and felt abit dizzy but felt like I got up to quick so sat at the edge of the bath and just continued on with what I was doing as I felt I just was dizzy as I went to brush my teeth I didn't realise the toothpaste fell out of my left hand, looking down on the floor seeing it I started to feel confused and was getting more dizzy and felt that I blacked out for a minute, still not feeling right I tried to cover myself with the towel but it was going round my body, I started to feel more confused and dizzy so I walked into my bedroom and laid on my bed feeling more confused, I tried to put on my clothes so I could tell my mum that I wasn't feeling right, as I tried to do that I couldn't at all I lost all strength in left side, as I tried to call out for my mum for help I couldn't get my words out I lost my speech, getting up and walking out my bedroom toward my mum I was just crying and crying as I didn't feel right and couldn't speak at all but knew what I wanted to say it just wasn't coming out, my mum rushed for the phone and called the ambulance and she said my left side of my face was drooping, ' the only thing I could say was 'I'm scared' when the ambulance arrived they said I could be suffering with a bleed to the brain or a really bad migraine, I knew it wasn't a migraine as I suffer with them often, I was rushed to UCH where I was taken for a MRI HEAD SCAN, to be confirmed I had a bloodclot to the right side of my brain which caused me to have a stroke, I was then rushed to resuscitation as I had 5minutes to be given thrombolysis(treatment) was then moved up into the stroke unit, to be given more treatment, around 3/4 hours later I could get some words out but was then referred to occupational therapy, physio, speech and language and physiologist, can't wait for the day that I can sit and talk about it with a smile and say I got over something so traumatic without crying, my physiologist is helping me out with strategies to try come over my fear of it happening again and still having test upon test and appointment To rule out the cause of my stroke. I would never wish anything like it upon anyone and wish no1 to have a stroke because it leaves you scarred for life and have to live in fear

beginning of February i decided to go to the local leisure center. everything was going well and also i had stopped smoking. 4 months ago i was again in the leisure center doing my work out everything was fine until i got iinto the swimming pool . i had a stroke . well when i got to luton and dunstable hospital . the stoke unit were there waiting for me. i am no member of anything to do with the stoke association . but i want to tell people wot happened to me. i didn't have a full stroke . only a mini one. now i understand when people take about it

When I was 18 I was diagnosed with leukaemia. I was on a trial for the new types of chemotherapy I was given but unfortunately my body rejected it and I had a stroke.

I am 27 now and the effects that I'm left with still bother me, more than I thought they did. Over the past 6 weeks I've had joint issues with my elbow and I can barely turn the key in my front door. I have two very small children and I'm worried that it may get worse.

Has anyone else experienced this?

I've no experience with the association. However I wanted to share that yesterday a man named Angus said hello to me. He kept walking up and down and finally got my attention as I looked at him he just said 'sshh' I just frowned, thinking to myself Erm I'm being pretty quiet lol. Any way he handed me a piece of paper, on it was an article about how he'd survived a stroke and how it had left him without speech other than two words (and sshh of course). He also suffered weakness/loss of his right arm. On the back of his article was printed



'Hello I'm Angus I had a stroke and I cannot speak but just wanted to say hello, thank you for letting me introduce myself'





That melted me!



I obviously said hello and thanks for saying hello. And hoped he enjoyed the rest of the day.

Sounds like the stroke association have changed quite a bit. In 1994 at the age of 21 I had my third stroke but when I phoned the local stroke association for help, advice and just to talk to someone who understood what I was going through I was told I was too young really to get any benefit from the group.

Just been reading about Structures might be changing in Kent hospitals. Loosing a parent having a stroke and the hospital was 17 miles away is not good in any time factor. Originally from Kent Darent Valley would of been the nearest and if services get moved to Medway or Maidstone then be too far. Impact on ambulance travelling longer, time to have specialist help and family travelling. No one benefits from these changes. Don’t let these changes happen

I had a haemorrhagic stroke 27th of December 2012. Prior to this I had no knowledge of the stroke association and their work. My main concern was to get my body doing things that I've done for years. I am a distance runner, note that I said am and not was! So was keen to get back to it asap. The doctor on the stroke ward at wexham park stated that I would most likely not be able to run again. To me that was a red flag to a bull. I was helbent on proving him wrong. When I met local stroke care in my new forest area one ex marathon runner on the local team believed that I could get back eventually. I won't embarrass her by naming her.



I went and helped as a volunteer at the Sway and district branch of the stroke association. I had some pretty stout physiotherapy and my previous experiences of martial arts meant that within a year I could walk a mile to our local beach of Milford on sea. My son was born 6 weeks before my stroke and I was determined to be in fully functioning dad mode. I pulled every muscle to get myself mobile again and I would not settle for limping about with a stick. After one year, I felt strong enough to return to the world of work part time at first time, but eventually the fatigue was too much. I needed a new career, not easy when you're 49 and live in a village on the edge of new forest.



I had continued to liaise with the stroke association and their conversation and support was immense. 2 years onwards, I met up with former colleagues from my running club were really keen to help me with my recovery. So I entered a couple of 5K runs, painfully slow at first about 36 minutes. But soon built up my speed and balance. After 3 years of gentle running I entered a couple of club races. I didn't finish last, I was mid pack! Soon running 5K was not enough. So with guidance from my gp I increased my distances to doing half marathons raising funds for the stroke association. While never back to where I was pre stroke, I have shaved 30 minutes off my half marathon time over 6 months period. 2018 full marathon is my target as well as ultra later in the year and the near future.

My poor mum had massive stroke on April 26th . She was in hospital till August 1st deemed too frail for physio . She was independent aged 80.driving and caring for my brother who has an acquired brain injury . She has left side deficit contracting left leg peg feed catheter no core balance . My choice was nursing home .No chance . I've got her at home with me I've lost my job a nurse luckily . My life finished as is hers and my brothers . Support been a joke

I'm not impressed with after care for stroke . Still waiting for stair climber imprisoned in my home .for other steps too steep for ramp . Phone calls waffle no real help . No proper physio . Deemed hardbound no life .yet she is up all day in garden . Plenty of talk meetings no action .God help us all

I have Aphasia, but due to a brain injury. Speakability in Edinburgh have made me feel very welcome & I'm glad so glad it was called that previously. I have made a huge improvement after attending & got a lot out of being around people who's life has changed as well. I have tried everything I can & even attended the Stroke association assembly in Stirling which inspired me especially after having a discussion with the Consultant giving the presentation who explained afterwards the similarity with mine. Also positive feedback from the Chairman of the organisation on how they would help to make me feel included. After 1 1/2 years nothing has changed, even at stroke association talks I'm told of how they will not be of benefit to me. I will take any help I can get for myself & other members & also anyone out there who would get a lot out of joining these groups.