'I did not know I'd had a stroke - I tried to talk but the words wouldn't come'

TODAY, ON WORLD STROKE DAY, PEOPLE REMAIN UNINFORMED - SURVEY

- ROBSON MCCALLISTER

A BIRMINGHAM woman said she 'hated everything about her life' after having a stroke.

Grace Joy-Bowers suffered a stroke in 2022 during a procedure to treat an issue with blood vessels in her brain.

The stroke was so severe that Grace, 50, had to learn how to swallow, speak and walk properly again.

From struggling with balance to losing the ability to write, Grace spoke about the damage strokes can have on the mind and body.

She said: "Stroke is like a death of your faculties. It's a wicked thing. After the stroke I hated everything about my life, I was in total despair.

"I didn't know I'd had a stroke. I tried to talk but the words wouldn’t come out. I tried to move, but all I could do was look around.

"I was even struggling to swallow my saliva because the stroke had affected my throat muscles."

On returning home from hospital after three weeks, Grace had to have carers four times a day to help with daily tasks like washing and meal preparation.