More........

I was born on July the 18th 1961 in the Midlands.

I was a fairly successful hairdresser & business owner. I lived above the business when I was single, but I was going to sell the residence & move to Rome, to be with Claudia (Correctly pronounced Clowdia), to whom I would have married & Giona (Pronounced Jonah). Then, our 2 year old son.

You cannot believe how fit, healthy & lean I was. I lived at the gym. Youngsters were so envious of my physique. Just goes to show that “Strokes” can get anyone.

I had had headaches & bought’s of dizziness about 2 or 3 weeks before it happened & had complained to my Doctor of a pain in my neck, which I constantly took pain killers for. The Doctor, had referred me for an eye test, the results of which they, the hospital, assured me was okay. Although there was an anomaly with my peripheral vision which they didn’t investigate further. They said everything was normal.

I ended up at Derriford hospital, Plymouth, Devon. Where, so I am told, I went into the Critical Unit first & I was monitored continuously. I was on a ventilator to assist my breathing & I was there for about 5 or 6 days. Then I was moved to the Intensive Care Unit. I didn’t have far to go as it was on the same ward.

Everybody was told by the Doctors not to expect much recovery wise & the eye movement that I had, was probably it.

The only thing I really remember about this time was my very weird, vivid dreams.

I wasn’t really aware, but I had had a Trachyostomy or Trachy for short at some point.

I also had a Percuntaineous Endoscopic Gastronomy or PEG. which fed me direct to the stomach.

I was also shown how to communicate with an E-Trans frame. Quite simple really. A frame made out of clear Perspex. On the Perspex was laid-out the alphabet in 6 colours in each corner in groups of 6. Y & Z being on their own in the middle at the bottom. Along with 6 coloured circles. Each circle, being a different colour. It was identical on the back. The idea was the receiver (The person you are giving the message to) would look through the hole in the middle, align my eyes & get me first to look at a group of letters & then look at a coloured circle & hey presto, I was able to communicate.