"She probably saved my life"

I had my first stroke when I was working alone in an empty building lucky for me I had a stroke at 4:30 in the afternoon and my work colleague that was coming in to take over from me came in at 4:45 p.m. and find me and called an ambulance as he thoughts I was taking a hypo as I'm also diabetics.

When the ambulance came the paramedic check my blood and said I was not taking a hypo I was taking a stroke I couldn't talk or walk I was placed in the ambulance and woke up 4 hours later in the hospital to be told I had to bleed on the brain. I couldn't move my arm or my leg on the right hand side my face had to drip on the right hand side as well he told me that they had scanned my brain and found a bleed on the left hand side which was was causing the paralysis on the right hand side of my body. I was devastated because I was a healthy and fit man in my late 40s.

I was in the hospital for the next 7 days and had to put in a lot of hard work to try and get my life back on track I worked with the physios speech and language Doctors and nurses who are there to help me and were very good at their job I was very grateful for what they did for me

When I was discharged I got to work with a physio team at home for the first month he came to my house then after that I was able to go visit them as my walking and proved greatly they help me with my fine motor skills and my right hand I got to about 90% of getting my functions back which was great.

Then 4 months later I had another stroke and that stroke is the one that really set me back and I never fully recovered. I got physiotherapy when I was in the hospital but none when I left the hospital and that left me with severe constant pain and my right hand arm and shoulder.

I attend the pain clinic with gentleman called Chris who has helped me a lot and teaches me of ways to help to deal with a pain.

I also work with a woman called Corrine she works for Coatbridge community mental health team and I can't thank her enough for what she's done for me. She is probably saved my life as I am very suicidal and don't want to be seen by anyone. I only leave the house if I have an appointment Corrine started coming to my house and talking and listening to me and helping me for the first few months she will come to my house to help me.

She then suggested that we could meet somewhere that I would feel comfortable with out in the community at first I was apprehensive but thoughts that's women is putting a lot of work into me and it's for my benefit so we decided to meet and a coffee shop and we do so every two to three weeks which has helped me a lot.

I was very paranoid about going out into the community and what people would think when they saw me walking with a walking frame I know it's on my head that no one is looking at me they've got better things to do but still in my head you're judging me.

But Corrine has helped me get past us not entirely but she's got me going out of the house which is a big step and I can't thank God enough as I when I was sitting and the house as I thought about for suicide I would bet off not being here.

I still have these thoughts running around in my head but Corrine has helped significantly getting over my paranoia as I have said she probably saved my life.