“I really enjoyed speaking at the Hypertension Winter School as it gave me a chance to share my experiences as a consumer advisor with experts. It is important from a consumer’s point of view that our knowledge and experience of the chronic disease is recognised and speaking on the Panel was a great way to spread that message.

What makes you you, and me me is our brain. When you have a stroke part of your brain dies and with it a part of you, and you become a different you. The new you is not necessarily better or worse it is just different. This difference can manifest itself in many ways – physically, communication, cognitively, personality and emotionally. After a stroke I struggled with victim mentality, particularly as I was viewed by people and society as a weaker version of the me than I used to be.

Having my experience and associated advice sought out raised my self-esteem and consequently empowered me to talk openly about my experience instead of hiding it and treating it as a weakness. Now I think of my lived experience as one of my strengths!”

John Stevens – consumer advisor