Medics couldn’t believe Lauren had stroke at 25
WHEN Lauren Watson was taken to hospital after struggling to talk and move properly, nurses thought she was on drugs.
But a CT scan confirmed that the previously fit and healthy young woman had suffered a stroke at the age of 25 and needed an urgent operation to remove a blood clot in her brain.
While the procedure was deemed a success, it left Lauren with major speech and mobility problems which she feared would be permanent.
“When I came round from the operation, I was sat in my hospital bed thinking ‘what am I doing here?’,” said Lauren.
“My thinking was completely normal, but the only word I could say was ‘yeah’. It was unbelievably scary.”
Lauren, from Caerphilly, said her then boyfriend noticed her speech problems on December 6, 2015, and took her to Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr in Ystrad Mynach.
“I remember him telling me to sit down as I was talking funny,” she recalled.
“I sat in his car and threw up, so rather than taking me home he decided to drive me to hospital. My dad had a stroke when he was 47 and my former partner thankfully recognised the signs.
“However the staff at the hospital didn’t believe it could be a stroke at only 25. They initially thought I was on drugs. It was only my then-boyfriend’s persistence that made them give me a scan.”
Following a CT scan, Lauren was taken by ambulance to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff for the clot removal operation.
“They went in through my groin, up my body and into my brain to take out the clot,” she added.
“When I woke up I had my mum, dad and ex-partner around me. I wanted to ask them what I was doing here but I couldn’t say it.
“I couldn’t feel the right side of my body either and it took me about four days to walk again.
“I was discharged from hospital just before Christmas 2015, but I didn’t feel festive at all. I felt like I wasn’t supposed to be there and it took me six months to deal with the fact that I’d had a stroke.”
Bilingual Lauren said her Welsh came back first, followed by her English, with the help of speech and language therapists. She also joined her dad in attending the Stroke Association’s support group in Cwmbran.
“I was the youngest person in the group, but it was so good to meet other people who understood how I felt,” added the 28-year-old.
“After spending time with them, my advice to any other stroke survivors would be to keep at it. It can be slow, but in the end your work does mount up.
“I was determined to get fit, so after nearly two years of hard work, I was able to do the Cardiff Half Marathon with my dad and raise money for the Stroke Association.”
Despite having some weakness in her right hand and being unable to write properly, she is back at work as a classroom assistant at Ysgol Gymraeg Caerffili and has just bought a new house.
“I’m really enjoying having my own Christmas decorations up and am more determined than ever to enjoy the festive season.”
There are about 7,400 strokes in Wales each year. Stroke continues to be a leading cause of disability and over 80% of stroke survivors require help with daily living such as walking, washing, eating and communicating.
Carol Bott, the new director of the Stroke Association in Wales, said: “For many stroke survivors, rebuilding their lives after stroke is a long and challenging process.
“Stroke not only presents physical challenges, but the way it suddenly changes people’s lives and their plans for their future can also cause feelings of depression, anxiety and despair.
“However, we have seen that with the right support many people can be helped to live fulfilling lives following their stroke.
“As Wales’ only charity dedicated to supporting those affected by stroke, we help to address the emotional, practical and physical needs of stroke survivors and their families so they can achieve the best possible quality of life.
“However, we aren’t yet able to reach everyone who needs our help and that’s why our Christmas Appeal, ‘I am more than my stroke’, is raising essential funds so that we can be there for more people like Lauren.”
■ To find out more about the help and support the Stroke Association offers and to make a donation to its Christmas Appeal visit stroke.org. uk/iammore