My Story - Steve Coulbeck aged 34

Hello, my name is Stephen Coulbeck aged 34; I would like to tell you how I had my stroke and what I am doing now.

Two years ago I went to the supermarket to do the monthly food shop, I returned home with a headache, which gradually got worse then became an unbearable intense pain followed by a warm feeling in the brain and the pain had gone. This was my brain bleeding, I was throwing up and collapsed on the bathroom floor. The weakness down my left hand side had started and the ambulance was called. When they arrived the first thing they asked was could I walk to my bed in the bedroom but of course I fell over. The next thing I knew I was in hospital with my family beside my bed I had had an MRI scan which revealed that I had a bleed in the brain followed by a stroke. At the time I was only 32 years of age, I was very shocked to learn that I had suffered a major bleed and a stroke.

It took me a while to realise what damaging effects I had been left with, I was in hospital for a total of four months, but with outstanding support from my family and the Physios I learnt how to walk again. There was no way I was spending the rest of my life in a wheelchair. My previous job was in a bath-making factory, I knew I would no longer be able to work there again, so I have had to choose a different career. It is now two years since my stroke I am attending Grimsby College doing a three-year course for a BA HONS degree in T.V, film and video broadcast

Thanks to Steve 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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