Paul Edgar
On the 17th June 2003 at the age of 21 I suffered a stroke. It all started when I was working out in the gym. I was on the bench press doing my usual work out when suddenly I lost the use of my left arm and hand, feeling rather worried about the situation I decided to leave the gym and ask my brother to come and pick me up as I was unable to drive home myself.
My brother Mark took me to the local hospital where the nurse told me that I had probably pulled a muscle and to return the next morning if there was no change. I went home and carried on as usual still feeling weak in my left arm, slowly I noticed my speech became quite slurred as if I had been out drinking all day and began to start getting the giggles. Maybe after another hour I started losing the use of my left leg and began to walk like the hunch back of Notre darn still finding it amusing. By this time my mum had arrived home and took one look at me and knew that I had had a stroke as she works in a hospital and recognised the signs and symptoms.
We knew things were serious so we rang for an ambulance and briefly told them what had happened. I was then taken to The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich, London with my parents as I was very scared at this point and couldn't have done this on my own.
A & E staff saw to me straight away. I was given all the relevant tests and scans and this is when they found I had a cerebral bleed (AVM) arterial venous malformation. They got me stable and transferred me to King's College Hospital, Denmark Hill, London the very next morning by ambulance.
They did an Angiogram to pin point the problem. I then had a six-hour operation on the 20th June 2003 performed by Professor Strong and his team to stop the bleed, which they called a birthmark. I was living on a time bomb as this could have popped at any time throughout my life. I glad this happened when it did as I had age and strength on my side.
I was put into HDU for a few days attached to a computer reading my brainwaves and activities making sure there were no problems.
I was moved to a ward where I had daily physiotherapy, I was determined to walk and not be in a wheelchair. After a couple of weeks I was transferred to Frank Cooksey Rehab Unit. In the time I was there I was given a weekly programme of intense physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy not that I needed it as my speech wasn't affected as much as my left arm and leg. After two and half weeks I was up walking as I had plenty of determination and support by family and friends.
As I was making good progress they allowed me to go home on weekend leave, which was great. After being there for six weeks I was allowed home for good./p>
After five months of being home I suffered my first seizure, my last seizure was in September 2004, five in total and still remain on daily medication to control them.
Approaching the two years this June 2005 I'm still unable to use my left hand, but still attend physiotherapy sessions at Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup.
I remain going to the gym and swimming to keep my fitness levels up.
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