Brian makes my life better

By Nicole

It was 25 June 2014; I was only 36 years old, and I had an Intracerebral hemorrhagic stroke in the basal ganglia.

The day before my nose spontaneously started bleeding, I later learned that this was a tell-tale sign my blood pressure was out of control. My boss sent me home.

That afternoon, I was watching television when I found that I couldn't lift my arm. I thought it was a pinched nerve but when I stood up my left side started to fail. My first thought was to go to bed and get some rest. My second thought was I am having a stroke.

I had seen advertisements about stroke on cigarette packets, and I remembered the signs. I looked at my face in a hand mirror – was my face drooping? I couldn't tell.

I tried to google stroke signs, but I couldn't remember how to use the internet. Trying to stand again, I found that I couldn't move, I grabbed my mobile and called triple zero (000). When the ambos arrived, I had to drag myself across the floor to let them in.

When I was diagnosed with a stroke, I was shocked. I didn't know that young people have strokes. I think most people don't know that they can happen to anyone at any age – even babies.

The reason for my stroke was high blood pressure. I had been living with high BP since my 20's. I was aware that I had high blood pressure, but I didn't know that it was the leading lifestyle risk factor for stroke.

I was on medication, and had changed some of my habits, but high blood pressure has no symptoms, so it's easy to forget about it – especially in your 20s and 30s.

Stroke fundamentally changed everything. Basically, I had to start my life again but in an altered state. My walking was impacted, and I no longer had use of one hand.

Cognitively my new limitations were not as obvious whilst I was in a protective post stroke bubble but when I went back into the real world. I quickly discovered my thought processing was slower. I find it difficult to follow movies and new TV shows and reading is overwhelming. I also find it hard to follow conversations in busy noisy places and tend to avoid these situations.

One of the most helpful additions was getting my Pugalier Brian. He gives me unconditional love and purpose. In the early days I had to get out of bed to feed, walk and toilet him. He helped me to break down some of the mental and physical barriers and to change my mindset.

I moved to a new town after my stroke to be closer to family and I’ve made most of my dearest friends because of Brian. He's my little superhero. I have a social life, great friends, I set goals and have a snuggle buddy. Dogs are joyous, forgiving, inquisitive and love unconditionally.

Guaranteed the best thing I’ve done is to get Brian.