Hi, I hope you're all doing ok and stay positive and happy. Ok sometimes it gets too much and we feel fed up, I know what it's like, but I don't stay down for long. I just think how I was 3 years ago and I've improved so much since then, there's no comparison. My personal trainer comes today, so we'll see if she has me walking unaided again. Fantastic even if it's just half a dozen steps. She really is worth her weight in gold and I would advice anyone to use one to help them improve their strength, balance etc. Any small thing you can do regularly will help you improve. It makes me cross that my DR or physio never told me that once you stop doing something it's more difficult to do in future and to keep doing it to improve. For instance standing on one leg unaided. My physio said to do this whilst the kettle boiled, which I did, and I went from 1 second to 4 on my right leg and 6 on my left leg. Then physio stopped and now when I try it I can only do it if one hand is on the worktop for support and certainly can't do it for so long. I'm working on it though. My voice has got loads better and my friend said it actually sounded like me now but wasn't quite right, which is a huge im provement from not being able to speak 3 years ago. I used to read out loud about 3 or 4 pages to practice my voice and annunciation and to improve breathing etc. It's obviously worked. oh, don't forget to complete the stroke associations survey it's on their website and lets you give information about the care you got in hospital and now get at home if you need it. Don't forget to keep doing those excercises, remember even the smallest regular activity helps and you will eventually see improvement, don't give up and get despondant cos you will see a positive change.

Hi folks, hope you are well and still smiling. The other day my friend came for a cuppa and said how well I was doing. She asked if I'd ever got upset in the past about the changes I had had to cope with. She said she'd cried at least 3 times after seeing me in hospital. I said I could honestly say I never have. I was always too determined to improve and wanted to get home asap to look after my daughter. Who has handled it all amazingly and hasn't let it affect her in school, thank goodness. I've got upset about other things and in the early days I was worried about where I'd get the money to survive etc. That frustrated me enormously and I had to got my MP, David Davis to send letters etc for me. He speeded up the PIP payment which took them 9 months before they did an assessment! He also speeded up DVLA for me, which took from September 2014 til February 2015 to actually sort an assessment out and send me my driving licence. So make sure you use them, they need to know how long it's taking.

My personal trainer came yesterday and she's brilliant and gets me doing such useful things. I used to get in the car by sitting on the seat and swivelling my legs in. I still have to do that when I have to get in from the road or a carpark but if I'm near the kerb I can know put my left leg in and climb in. A huge improvement and getting in the car is easier too.

Later on in the year my two friends, one who lives in Derby and one who now lives in Devon, have bought me a lap in an Aston Martin and a lap in a Ferari, both are driven by someone. Anyone that knows me knows an Aston Martin is my favourite car. I think I'll need hoisting in and out lol. Watch this space and I'll let you know how I get on. Bye for now.

Sorry I've not updated this for a while. Hope you're all well! I've had the personal trainer since I was last blogging. Things are improving! It's just taking longer than I'd hoped. But I'll keep on with it and strive to get even better. At least I can look in the mirror for the last few months and actually see me! I look like myself now not some sickly person I don't recognise and my head is actually feeling normal. I can't put my finger on it but it actually felt different! My daughter is being especially difficult at the moment. Her Dad wants to take her on holiday at Easter and I said no as it's an important year and she needs to be doing some revision. In fact she said herself when she was in year 7, 8 and 9 that she would not go away in year 11 as it's an important year and she has the rest of her life to go away. I always thought that her opion would change once she gets in yr11 and wants to go away. Sure enough, guess what? Her opinion has changed. My ex sent an email suggesting she gives up her technology whilst she does homework and revision. Now you would think she'd want to do what she can to do what she could to improve things and make me change my mind. No! She did suggest she would give me her technology before I even suggested it. I decided that with the attitude she has she wouldn't do any work during the easter hols anyway just so she'd be able to say she'd not and she could have gone away. My ex assured me she would have to do her maths etc and that he'd make sure that she did some work. So I decided that maybe it was a good idea to say she could go as I think she'd do more work than at home. Now you'd think she'd be pleased! NO! She shouted and ranted and raved! I dared to suggest she give me her technology during homework and revision, something she'd even suggested, no she was having none of it. I hope it's just what teenagers are like lol. What a few days, I hope it gets better! Doing my excercises after updating this. Hope you are too! See you later folks.