Hi
I am currently in hospital. I have been told I’ve had a stroke.
I was admitted on 26th May, from A+E. I had a CT scan, and then an MRI scan. Both of these showed the stroke.
But could it possibly be anything else, other than that? The reason I ask is that is because I have no weakness anywhere, my speech is normal, and my blood pressure has dropped significantly since I’ve been in hospital and started to take tablets for blood pressure and statins for cholesterol.
I feel fitter than I ever have.
But because I drive a lorry for a living, I have been told I must surrender my HGV entitlement.
I live very much hand to mouth, and I rent the top floor in somebody’s house, he is not a bonafide landlord, I’ve lived there 3 years and never had a tenancy agreement, so I can’t claim housing benefit to help with rent. I need to move. Without my job I can’t pay my rent.
I have been told that Social services in the hospital will find me accommodation before I can be discharged.
My coordination is very good.
My car is in the hospital car park, I don’t envisage any problems with the doctors saying I can drive, the guidance says that it must be 1 Callander month after the stroke before I can drive. However the doctors here cannot say when I had the stroke other than, “within the last 2 or 3 weeks”
I really am thinking I’ve been misdiagnosed, especially as two nurse on different occasions have both told me that in several years of working on the stroke unit, they have never known anybody get out of bed and walk around normally less than 24 hours after being admitted.
I appreciate that many people suffer in many different ways following a stroke,. I feel a fraud being in hospital, I feel as if I can go to work I am surrounded by those who can’t get out of bed and/or communicate. I am sick of people telling me I am lucky.
I feel as if I’m being condemned to the scrap heap at 56, being forced into the care of social services and shoved onto the benefits system completely unnecessarily.
I am told it’s the law nobody is allowed to drive a lorry for at least a year after a stroke.
Stroke effects different people in different ways, and in all aspects of recovery and rehabilitation it is emphasised in no uncertain terms. That every person is unique in how the stroke effects them and how long it takes to recover. Every case is different and decisions are made depending on an individuals circumstances. Except it seems when it comes to driving a lorry.
Has anybody ever convinced the DVLA to give them their hgv or bus licence back before 12 months have passed following a stroke.
Or is it possible that this really hasn’t been a stroke.
Sorry for ranting