This is a story about a young person who has had a stroke.

Susan came to us six months after her stroke.  She was very nervous and new to the world of rehab. With no point of reference she did not know what to expect, could not imagine how she might change and recover some of her abilities.

Quite naturally she wanted her old life back and did not like what had happened to her body and mind. Emotionally she was very fragile.  She could not find the words to describe how she felt.  She had lost her ability with numbers, could not repeat them or add up. The world as she knew it had ended.

She now walks with the aid of a hiking stick on MyGait, (Electrical Stimulation Device) she expresses herself clearly and pays for her sessions by card which means remembering her pin number and of course these are the least of her achievements.

She is amazing.  Susan has made so many changes.  She bought a flat and moved in with her partner, she has started taking driving lessons and for the first time she took a taxi to the centre on her own despite her high anxiety.  She has even booked a flight to South Africa to attend her best friend’s wedding.

The journey of recovery is long and slow.  It is good to look back once in a while and see how far you have travelled.  Physiotherapists cannot predict what is possible to achieve.  The important point is to continue to work on system training i.e visual, auditory, movements and memory.

Stroke patients make small incremental changes and as physiotherapists we must continue to give them positive reinforcements whilst they are relearning their abilities.  Our aim at Birkdale Neuro Rehabilitation is twofold, to assist the patient to achieve their goals as well as encourage them to see beyond it.

You can read more about Stoke on our conditions page by clicking here.