Harvey Brooker - A Stroke of Luck

Mine is the malformed lump of veins and arteries (the size of a small lemon) version. All started on my mountain bike. Decided to get some fresh air to clear my head. There was this really weird sensation as though my head was expanding underneath my helmet. This was followed by a pounding headache which lying on the floor with cushions on my head didn't help.

Five days later I'm at work on the phone. Suddenly feeling very peculiar I try to call out to my boss but my mouth isn't working. Her bosom provided a comfy landing. The rest is fuzzy. An extended ambulance journey (driver confused Bradford with Bedford) and some days later I arrive at the Stroke Unit in Northampton Hospital.

Memories of falling out of bed and off toilets, accidentally throwing full bottles of urine onto my neighbours bed (though empty) and mostly of really caring staff. Went from total left side paralysis (couldn't even wink) to kind of walking, thanks to my physio John. Arrived home thinking this is the best place in the world and remembering those unforgettable words "upper limbs are very unreliable".

I had plenty of time in bed to contemplate "life". Hadn't planned this to happen at 31 years old. In between "enjoying" hospital cuisine and chatting with staff and "fellow inmates" I began contemplating what all this meant. My father was a workaholic who dreamed of the day he would be made redundant. The he could start enjoying life. He was, but didn't get a chance to. My Dad died shortly after being made redundant from motor neurone disease. This dramatically affected my outlook on life and career direction. In my mid twenties, I left selling to train to be a careers adviser. My mission to help people find work they will enjoy.

In my work with clients I have always focused on people working out what their "values" are, the things that really matter. When lying in my bed following my stroke the thing that brought tears to my eyes most often was the thought of not being able to cuddle my wife and little girl (now 3). I had just stared a job that meant spending even more time away from home. The stroke has been a blessing in disguise. It has made me realise that it's not enough to know and talk about what is most important to you. You have got to spend your time doing it because you don't know how long you've got.

I don't play the lottery anymore because I realise I have everything I could possibly need. I now work part time and run my own small business helping people find that balance in their lives. I've gained a strong faith as a result of what has happened. On several occasions I have "sensed" that I'm being looked after. I've also come to realise what a wonderful group of people I am surrounded by and how they matter more than anything else.

Talking of wonderful people, Amanda who has appeared in the Different Strokes magazine gave me a lot off inspiration at a time when I needed it. She came to one of the early meetings of my local group. I felt young there and gravitated toward her as she looked nearer my age. As it turned out we were the same age. She had suffered a stroke at 26 years old and was now 32. "If she can recover that much then there's hope", I thought.

In the same edition of the magazine there was a man who had run a marathon. Something else I was told I wouldn't do again. I've made a deal with my physio that we are going to do a 10km race together. It won't be this year but it will happen.

That's why I reckon I've had a "stroke of luck".

Thanks to Harvey for sending in his profile. Anyone else who would like to share their story can send it along with a photograph (if you're not shy!)

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