Negative into positive.

Strokes are common in adults but not as much in young people, so therefore you can imagine people's faces when I blurt out I had a stroke.  I suppose its one of the things I hate most which I'm sure those of you that have a health conditions like myself know the horror and anxiety when telling people your not really comfortable around. I find myself hiding the truth sometimes when I'm on the bus because when someone sits by you on the bus you have no choice but to be friendly and sociable, which is why I still find myself lying to these strangers about an unrealistic part of my life that I wish to be true when asked about Collage or Work or parts of my life that had to be put on hold when I Acquired a Brain Injury.

But then the other side to it is I don't need to tell these strangers I will never see again about my condition as they have no reason to know, I don't want them to feel sorry or pitty for me and most of all I can't handle the reaction on their faces, the "OMG..really but your so young", the "I'll say a prayer for you, you poor thing, thats horrible", it really does get to a point where its impossible to tell people because your sick of the reactions,  I don't blame people nor am I mad when I get these reactions because its the normal human reaction to that kind of thing when you hear it, especially if it's something unusual like my case and I would probably do the same if the shoe was on the other foot. Someday I won't have to worry about it, I wont have to put my health first and one day I will be carefree. I am looking forward to the future, I am looking forward to getting better. I just wish it didn't take so much time and I wish I didn't have to rest so much, I hate sitting and doing nothing.

I know I can't be the only teenager in the world who has had stroke. There is hardly any information out there for young people about strokes let alone having a stroke. Until I had a stroke I had no idea Young people could get them, I hardly knew anything about strokes.

The FAST movement which applies to older people who have strokes did not apply to me, I could lift my arms but the one that was effected by the stroke couldn't go as high as my other arm and it wouldn't stay up, as soon as I reached up or stretched my arms out it would fall back down. The left side of my face was drooping but I could still speak and them magically one day when I came out of hospital it went away. It seemed as quick as my body had a stroke it got healed itself. I am still left with the left sided weakness in my arm and leg and my leg drags sometimes. If you saw me walking down the street I look fine, I look healthy (which is the hard part most of the time, you don't need to look like you have a disability to actually have one).

You wish anyone could understand and I felt isoliated and scared because there was no one I could talk to who could understand, I isolated myself from family and friends and fell into depression for a while, crying myself to sleep most nights wondering what my future will be because everything had changed, I had changed. I don't want anybody to feel that way. My parents would always tell me you have your whole life ahead of you and then in less than a few hours it changed. I had to figure out myself, re learn how to do certain things at home. I had to teach myself how to write again in hospital (as I'm left handed). Which I'm super happy and grateful that I can now write and type super quick for aboult 10-15 minutes until my arm gets tired and gives up on me😂.

I appreciate the small things in life now, I appreciate walking which seems kind of crazy because its walking but for a few months I couldn't walk properly. Even now sometimes I have to concentrate on walking. ( I know who has to concentrate on walking😂, it really is crazy).

If anyone feels alone or isoliated because they think no one understands, I understand, I hoping to help you so you don't feel alone or isoliated at a young age because your a bit different or because you've changed. You're not alone, you may have changed and when you come to terms with it you'll realize the things you hated at the beginning you now love about yourself. Creating this blog and writing these posts help me turn the negative impact of what happened to me into a positive outlook on life, where I now appreciate everything and everyone close to me.

I have created an Instagram page so I can post I don't know what really on it 😂, I suppose I created it to reach out to more people and so I can share stuff quickly and easily. Please follow and share. Thanks for all the support. 💜 https://www.instagram.com/youngstrokeshappen/