My surgically acquired brain injury /cva / stroke (whatever you want to label it and I use all 3. Interchangeably) was May 23. Against all odds I returned to work, in a way, in march 24.

2024 brought its own challenges, especially December (link here) when cardiac wise I struggled again.

January 2025 with some strong armed brutal honesty that I sat and worked out I was committed to :

40 hours a week in work,

A voluntary role of sporadic commitment

5+ hours a week of commuting

5-10 hours a week of self led rehab in the gym

2 hours a week (on average) of health professional led rehab.

Real world things : food shops, cleaning, seeing family, going out. Plus things like life admin.

Agreeing that it was a lot for a person in good health; add a variable heart condition and continued recovery from a significant brain injury. I reluctantly agreed I was over stretching myself. My lifestyle hadn’t contributed to Decembers cardiac events but likely hadn’t helped.

With some honesty, deep reflection and compromise I’ve decided to drop a day at work and essentially go part time. I’ll be in work 3 set days a week , this means I get 2 weekday days off and I’m not trying to squash everything else into one day. I’m hoping I’ll use one day for rehab and have another as a very quiet relaxing down day.

Long time readers will know I had 3 big goals post stroke:

• Walking
• Driving
• Working.

On current reflection: I walk, pretty much ok, I can knock miles out.

I “can” drive with my adaptions just currently can’t legally because of my cardiac stuff.

I’ve already said I never went back to work fully. I couldn’t do the clinical activity nor some other roles I used to enjoy.

To drop a day because I need the time feels to me like I’ve failed, which when you’re stubborn and determined it’s a bit of a blow to the ego; I’d gone back to work to prove to myself and the world I was still capable and useful and I’m not sure that’s where I feel now.

However I completely see why I need to do this, my physical and mental health need to have a higher priority.

Cause I’m holding on
And I can’t let go
Yeah, we’re holding on
But the times are changing (but the times are changing)
When it took so long
Just for me to see (I know)
Still I’m holding on
But the times are changing

🎶 – times are changing Astrality and thandie 2022