A friend and supporter

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My name is Catherine Webb and I am 26 years old (2006). I was involved in a car accident two years ago in Spain. I suffered a carotid artery dissection which resulted in a stroke and aphasia.

I was paralysed down the right side and could not speak. I was in hospital in Spain for three weeks and then for another three months in England. I have been undergoing physiotherapy and speech therapy for nearly two years now and my progress has been very good. I can now walk without a noticeable limp and my arm is now very functional, but I still have difficulty doing anything intricate with my right hand. My speech has also hugely improved, but I do have difficulty reading and writing. I can now communicate without any difficulty, but I am not fluent. If I had to go into any depth I would find it difficult.

Prior to my accident I worked in travel and tourism, but I now feel I want a new direction and a new start.

Aphasia has changed my life. I find it difficult speaking to strangers. It has had a big affect on my social life. Where I was confident before, now I feel held back. I feel it does restrict my socialising with strangers. I find it very frustrating having difficulty reading and writing, something I just took for granted before. My main difficulty is with small words, but I sometimes have problems with others. However I am making progress all the time. I find now I cannot think of a word when trying to compile a letter, but when I am given the first two letters it comes back to me. It is just difficult to recall it first of all.

I now cannot pursue my career in travel and tourism and need to find something else to do. My previous jobs required a high level of verbal communication skills and I could just not do that now.

Aphasia has affected my confidence, because I was very outgoing before and took this for granted. The plus has been that I have had to re-evaluate my life and look to a new career. I am now taking City & Guilds Photography in September at college. I also feel I would very much like to do counselling and have decided to take Listening Skills as a start in November this year at college. I think the accident has made me think very differently about life and making the most of it.

I am a member of Glos-Speak Aphasia self-help group.