Mike Ripley interview
To what extent would you say that having a stroke changed your life?
In just about every way imaginable: physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, economically - and I was one of the lucky ones!
You had a stroke when you were still young enough to be earning a living, and with children living at home. How did your stroke affect the family?
Having to accept a fall in standard of living all round and not having things like family holidays any more, but also having to see their father clumsy, disorientated, lethargic, angry and depressed.
What were the worst effects of the stroke from your point of view?
The creeping isolation a stroke produces: it isolates you from your memory, your speech, your arms and legs, and in turn, from your life and family. I may be about 90% physically recovered, but I know I'm about 30% slower mentally than I was.
However good your recovery, a stroke leaves anyone's self-confidence shattered.
What do you hope your book will do for other stroke sufferers?
Hopefully the book will give stroke survivors hope. It is possible to get some, if not all, of your old life back. I did what worked for me. It won't work for everyone but the principle's the same. Find something you really want to do again and go after it. With me it was writing novels again, and in particular finishing off the book I was writing when so rudely interrupted... Using an old typewriter to get my hand and arm working seemed perfectly natural to me because I have always used typewriters and keyboards. For other survivors it may be something completely different, but it's important to find something to hang on to and use as a lever to get back to normality.
I also hope that the book will be read by nurses, carers and the families of stroke survivors as it is impossible to guess what a stroke sufferer is going through. I was lucky enough to be in a position to try and share an experience I wouldn't wish on anyone.
Also, if the book makes a single person even think about checking their blood pressure, it will have done its job.
How easy has it been to change your lifestyle to help prevent another stroke?
Not easy, but the prospect of another stroke is terrifying and a great incentive to find the right medication (I've tried over 20 different drugs so far) and battle through the side-effects. (But then I didn't have a permanent disability. Many do.) Changes to lifestyle - stopping smoking, diet and taking more exercise - were a lot easier than I thought they would be, again because the incentive to avoid another stroke is so great. I have yet to meet a stroke survivor, though, who has managed to eliminate the black dog of depression, which is always lurking nearby.
What advice would you give to someone who has recently suffered a stroke?
Whatever your chosen path to recovery, never, never give up. Don't let the stroke win.
Find out more about Mike's book Surviving a stroke
