A fight for recovery
Joanna’s story
Ten years ago, Joanna was an active working mum, thriving in her career as a consultant. All that changed when she suffered a major stroke and ended up hospitalised for months. She shares the story of her ongoing recovery, and her fight to live life to the fullest.
1. Life before the stroke
Ten years ago I was a busy working mum, juggling my career at Deloitte with caring for my daughter. I was recruiting people onto projects which was really fast-paced and there was never a dull moment. Like lots of other parents, I put my daughter first and my own health wasn’t a big priority. I’d been warned about my blood pressure when I was pregnant, and I had a kidney disease. I was a smoker too, which increased my risk, but because I felt fine I didn’t realise how much strain my body was under.
2. A life changing night
All that changed after a birthday night out in 2014. I went to bed with a severe headache and that’s the last thing I remember. When my daughter found me the next morning, I couldn’t move or speak. She was only eight at the time, but she was a hero and managed to call an ambulance.
I was then admitted to Charing Cross Hospital in London, where doctors did a brain scan. They discovered I’d had a major stroke and I was paralysed down one side and couldn’t speak. The doctors didn’t know if I would survive the first week- it was touch and go. I didn’t even recognise my own parents when they came to visit.
After a week on life support, I stayed in hospital for a further six months to start rehabilitation, before moving home to be with my parents. My daughter went to stay with her dad. It was a long recovery process, but I had lots of support from friends and family. Even my Partners from Deloitte came to visit and the team raised money for me.
3. Recovery
Since then, rehabilitation hasn’t been easy, but I’ve always tried to stay positive. One of the biggest challenges has been my Aphasia, a condition that impairs my speech and understanding of language. I remember a nurse washing me and it felt rough, but I couldn’t tell her what I wanted. It was like being in a foreign body and I felt ashamed.
It’s taken years of speech therapy for me to be able to talk again and I’m still working on it every day. Unfortunately, I’m still not able to write, so I use technology on my devices which read my emails out loud to me. To get back some of my independence I’ve had to relearn a lot of my basic skills using only one side of my body. I now do one-handed cooking, I can tie my laces one-handed and I have a specially adapted car to help me drive. I’ve even tried out one-handed pottery lessons and go sometimes go for a one-handed, half-price manicure! It’s been really hard but I was very determined to do it.
4. Going back to work
Due to the severe damage caused by the stroke, I’ve only recently been able to start working again. Throughout my illness I’ve been on long-term, paid sick leave, and I feel lucky that Deloitte has supported me every step of the way. Since my speech has improved, I’ve been able to start working part-time again. I was nervous at first to go back because I’m so different now, but my old colleagues have really supported me. At the moment I’m helping Deloitte’s charity partners, through numerous volunteering activities. I’ve recently started working with disability charity, Scope, to offer advice on careers for the organisation. Because I have a disability myself, I’m able to bring my own perspective and it’s linked to the work I used to do.
5. The power of perseverance
As well as the charity work I’m doing, I really want to raise awareness about my own condition. I’ve been part of a documentary about my Aphasia and taken part in trial treatments. I want people to understand what it’s like to live after having a stroke, and what it’s possible for people to overcome. I’m always smiling because I’ve got hope and I would encourage anyone who is going through something difficult to keep persevering. I hope my story can be inspirational for others.
