“If you knew Neuro, like I know Neuro…….”

If there is one certainty resulting from a stroke it is that almost every patient will experience some degree of physical impairment. This may range from numbness/weakness in a limb or face, to Diane’s situation, where her right side was - to all intents and purposes – rendered immobile. It was a left-sided bleed. The effects may last for only a short while or can be very variable, right up to permanent incapacity.

It goes without saying really that mental impairments are a natural part of a stroke. The damage in the brain has directly impacted the rest of the body, so re-training of both is critical and mutually inclusive. Whilst physiotherapy may concentrate on the physical issues, neurotherapy endeavours to retrain the brain and body together.

The difficulty we experienced is the evident lack of any appropriate or consistent therapy services available within the NHS. Quality and availability may vary in different areas, but my unscientific and entirely anecdotal research suggests we were not alone in our experiences. The NHS website suggests that: “When you’re discharged from hospital, your healthcare team will continue to support you. They do this by creating a home recovery plan”. In my view, a few photocopied handouts and a brief physio session do not a programme of rehabilitation make. And once Diane had begun to recover from her brain surgery, it was evident (to me at least) that her condition was not viewed as being recoverable, so no real effort was expended, and the relevant healthcare team quietly disappeared off stage never to be seen again. I don’t blame them. Their workload was so huge that even their colleagues didn’t see them, and I expect they could do no more than keep a handful of plates spinning at any one time. Long-term, intensive treatment was therefore out of the question.

After 12 months of physical immobility and mental impairment I was very concerned that Diane could become permanently incapacitated unless we organised neurotherapy for ourselves. By some good fortune I fell over (not literally!!) a leaflet for a local private practice, and they have been working with Diane very successfully ever since. During this morning’s 1 hour session she started with some mobilisation exercises, then walked around with her frame (Storm Bert preventing an outside jaunt with her walker), went up and down stairs, practiced getting into and out of bed and a whole load of other things, including some activities in the kitchen. I was expecting a cup of tea but, hey ho! Diane is in the pool on Monday for a hydro session. And so it goes.

It has taken two years of intensive therapy, often interrupted by repeat visits to A&E, but we are definitely getting there.