Joanna's story

I am a volunteer fire fighter. I gym daily. I was fit and healthy. I had a stroke at the gym and since then, my balance is not what it used to be. I have had to retrain my body, but my head hasn’t slowed down to give my body time. Training is mentally harder now; I could do much more prior to the stroke. Today, I struggled with simple lunges and box jumps. It’s a slow road and a frustrating one.

I was at the gym, like every Friday morning. Nothing felt different that day. I did the warmup and went into the first exercise of the class. I felt my foot go numb and I felt the sensation take over my entire left side. I was on the ground in seconds. No feeling and notable controlling my left limbs.

As a volunteer firefighter and someone who works with dogs for a living, mobility is hugely important to me. After an ambulance ride to the hospital and a couple of CT scans, I was told I had a stroke.

My whole life revolves around being active and fine motor skills. Suddenly, I couldn’t walk normally. I couldn’t lift or pull weights like I used to. The fatigue meant that sometimes I couldn’t even walk the dog around the block without having to sleep for 2-3 hours. The mental battles were just as hard as physical challenges. Things I wouldn’t think twice about previously; now require a lot of preparation and planning. Sometimes I still can’t do what I want. My brain wouldn't communicate with my leg effectively. It’s been a long road to get to where I am now. I am proud that I am back to my old hobbies and routines, but progress isn’t fast. My head hasn’t caught up to the fact that things may take a little longer these days, and the internal battle is ongoing.