On the 21st March 2019 the actor Emilia Clarke shared her deeply personal experiences of having two cerebral aneurysm bleeds. She spoke of having two neurosurgeries and the consequent neurological symptoms such as losing her speech, pain, fatigue and the psychological impact. Emilia realised she was not alone and that others had experienced similar things. So she asked you to tell her your story - and you and your loved ones responded with stories of your pain, loss, resilience and recovery, just like Emilia.
On this page, survivors, carers, friends and family share their personal experiences of acquired brain and traumatic brain injuries.
Many clinicians told Matt that most of the recovery from a TBI occurs within the first one year, and after that point his recovery would plateau such that his faculties would no longer improve. However, Matt has continued to see positive changes well beyond the first two years of recovery and today, over ten years on, still strives for continued improvements.
I had been experiencing what I would say was a very mild, dull headache for a few days. A bit like a hangover and I couldn’t shift it. I later found out I had suffered a severe ruptured aneurysm.
I read Emilia’s story when she first published it and was touched by how strong she was after going through something so traumatic, but I never thought it would happen to me, until it did. Here’s Julie’s story...
Mel is a paramedic and had just returned home from a sporting event and holiday in Europe when she started to feel unwell. She knew she was having a brain bleed, but nobody took her seriously. Here’s Mel’s story...
When Richard McLean had a stroke, one of the things he found helpful was hearing how other people have responded to having a stroke, to hear their experience. "It’s somehow nice to know that what I’m experiencing, how I’m feeling, others have experienced and felt too" 'Oh yes, that’s quite normal' are some seriously reassuring words right now. Here's Richard's story.....