Sussex woman who had life-changing stroke aged 45 backs awareness campaign

A Sussex woman who had to give up the nursing career she loved after a stroke is backing a campaign to raise awareness that they can happen to anyone at any age.

Pennie McMichael from Seaford is sharing her story as research by the Stroke Association, to mark World Stroke Day on Sunday 29 October, reveals that over half of UK adults think strokes don’t affect young people – yet one in four happens to someone of working age.

Pennie initially had a TIA – or mini stroke – when she was aged 29 and was 38 weeks pregnant with her daughter Molly. Her quick-thinking son Joshua, then aged nine, called the ambulance, something for which he later won a bravery award from the local Lions Club.

“Josh realised I wasn’t okay,” said Pennie. “I had slurred speech, couldn’t see properly, and couldn’t stand up. His actions saved me and his unborn sister.”

After recovering, she quickly rebuilt her life and pursued her clinical teaching career whilst being a loving mother and enjoying her busy social life with her friends. Several years later, she and husband Paul went on to have another daughter, Bluebelle, who is now six.

Then in March last year she was hit by a second, more serious stroke which left her with a wide range of physical, communicative, and emotional difficulties stopping her in her tracks, and removing her from the life and all activities she currently known. She was unable to work, be a mother, wife, socialize or work. She was unable to eat solid food due to severe swallowing difficulties and remains on a liquid only diet.

“I didn’t think I would recover this time,” said Pennie. “I collapsed on the floor at home and was unable to speak to my daughter Bluebelle who tried to lift me up. I thought I had a virus and tried to sleep it off, which is the worst thing to do. I spoke to the doctor first thing in the morning. He said he thought I’d had a stroke and to get to hospital immediately.

“I got to A&E at Eastbourne General, had numerous tests and was admitted 12 hours later. I kept saying I’m sure it’s something else but was told categorically by the consultant that it was either a TIA or stroke and that I would need to stay in hospital. I cried.”

Pennie was in hospital for a week and treated with antiplatelet therapy before being allowed home, but this time recovery has been much harder. Scarily, she was then sent back to hospital by the stroke nurse and GP with a suspected subsequent stroke the following day, which complicated recovery yet further.

“It’s taken a year to gain decent mobility again using zimmer frame, to walker, to walking stick, to leg braces,” said Pennie. “And with a huge help and support from the community stroke rehabilitation team. They have been amazing.

“I had a left-sided hemiparesis making my entire left side of my body useless and I couldn’t do any tasks without help. I needed a lifeline alarm and a keysafe as I was a falls risk and the family worried when I was left alone.

“My memory and understanding were poor, and I found the children hard to be around due to noise and my inability to interact. My eyesight seemed to change daily which added to headaches and fatigue and I still find bright lights intolerable.

“My eldest daughter Molly helped with personal care and washed me – our roles were reversed. I felt guilty and sad. I couldn’t and still can’t walk the dogs due to balance and strength issues and rely on gorgeous people and friends to help.

“I was very low at one point when my mobility, cognition, physical and mental health was at its worst. I had such pain from my head, and oral thrush and severe acid reflux, and challenges with incontinence issues, and tiredness you never thought was possible.

“I felt that if this was what I would stay like and must face every day, then I didn’t want to carry on. It was all too much. I got referred to Health in Mind and as I began to improve physically, I gained a sense of achievement and wellbeing and in turn this rallied me on, and my mental health improved too”.

“I am better at protecting myself in knowing what I can and can’t manage now. I have learnt what my limitations are although this can be difficult for others to see and or to understand. After my TIA, the consultant said that people will not know the impact or know I have had a brain injury as I don’t have a bandage wrapped round my head which would give a big visible cue.

“I found some friends reacted and behaved differently around me. Some avoided seeing me altogether and others just didn’t know how to be with me. This was hard to comprehend and made me feel sad. I used to always be a chatter box and could always fill any awkward silence, which I was then unable to do.

“I also found I was having to rely on others. Something I have never had to do before. And I wasn’t allowed to drive for months and had to be reassessed due to cognition concerns. I had gone from being totally independent to dependent.

“I was always asking other mums to help in taking and collecting my youngest daughter to and from school. I asked friends to take me to medical appointments. I found it hard to keep asking for help”.

“My husband was having to do a lot more which I could see was taking its toll and again this also helped me fight to get back on track. Being in hospital and being so unwell put a huge strain on family dynamics and relationships. I wasn’t the same capable mum that I had been before the event. It was life changing for us all.

“I could not work full time or fulfil my role as nurse tutor in the NHS or as podiatrist for the homeless or any other job due to severe illness and disability and was retired on grounds of ill health”.

“Over a year on, I am now doing occasional part time hospital chaplaincy volunteer work just one morning a week, which I love but find totally exhausting. I cannot be reliable anymore as I am too fatigued, my symptoms flare up, I have several medical appointments and other conditions making a complex medical history, all meaning I cannot commit to things like I used to. This made me feel very sad but I have had to accept things as they are now.

“I feel people are much more aware of TIAs and strokes and tend to know someone that has had one. But people don’t always realise how a left-sided or right-sided stroke affects someone, and that it affects everyone differently.

“Less seems to be known about the day-to-day challenges, the long-lasting residual symptoms, the impact on relationships, how it affects you mentally, how beyond-tired you can be, how it can change your personality, your views on life, and even your identity.”

The Stroke Association has helped Pennie to rebuild her life and is aiming to raise awareness that stroke affects people of all ages but that support is available.

Nick O’Donohue, the charity’s associate director for the South East, said: “Our research highlights that people still think stroke is a condition that only affects older people. It’s crucial that we challenge this misconception and make people aware that stroke affects young adults too.

“After a stroke, life changes in a flash. Two thirds of people who survive a stroke find themselves living with a disability. As a result, younger stroke survivors are having important milestones and their planned futures stolen from them, while they have to learn to adapt to their new life affected by stroke.”

If you know a stroke survivor of any age, visit stroke.org.uk/worldstrokeday to find out more about support available and ensure they don’t miss out on important life milestones.