Follow us: hu Improving life after brain injury Need to talk? 0808 800 2244 Donate Home About brain injury Individuals Brain injury and me Catherine Erdal Share your story Share your story with us to help others affected by brain injury Catherine Erdal I was filled with complete and utter joy that I had survived. In 2012, Catherine Erdal suffered a stroke and from that day onwards, her life completely changed. Up until then Catherine had been living an extremely busy, interesting and active life. She enjoyed writing and had published a children's story, loved her job working abroad as a teacher before going on to become a lecturer and senior manager for the NHS, and kept active through salsa dancing, water polo and much more. This meant that her lifestyle was very busy, stressful and full-on. But all of that came crashing down when her daughter found her lying unconscious on the floor after having a stroke. She was rushed to hospital and placed in a coma with a 50% chance of survival - a terrifying time for her family and friends. Thankfully after six long months Catherine pulled through. Looking back, she said: I was filled with complete and utter joy that I had survived. But it was to be the start of a very long, slow journey to come to terms with the effects of her brain injury and try to rebuild her life. Alongside severe mobility issues and fatigue, Catherine developed a condition known as expressive dysphasia, meaning she struggles to use and express language. She said: “The help I got in rehabilitation from the Brain Injury Service was wonderful. I’ve worked hard and with great determination on strategies to help with my speech and mobility and over time I’ve seen real improvements.” Catherine also found Headway invaluable during her recovery. "I met a lot of friends and felt as though they understood what I was going through,” she said. “It's through Headway that I got to spend some time at the Calvert Trust - an organisation specialising in outdoor holidays for disabled people. The time I spent in the Lake District was a wonderful and inspiring experience." Motivated and determined, Catherine has recently lost three stone in weight, which she says has helped greatly with her mobility. In the future she hopes that she can use her own experiences of brain injury to help others through volunteering. She said: I've experienced some good and bad responses to my disability. I want to help others because I know exactly what people with a brain injury have to cope with, which means it's easy for me to relate. Back to stories index Helpline The Headway helpline is a free, confidential service available to anyone with a question about brain injury - from survivors and carers to students and professionals. Find out more Stroke A stroke is an emergency condition in which there is a disruption of blood supply to part of the brain, leading to brain injury. Find out more Communication problems Communication problems after brain injury are very common. This section goes into detail about some of the communication issues that may arise after brain injury. Find out more Related resources Coma and reduced awareness states Dysphagia after brain injury The effects of brain injury and how to help Friends of Headway Individual membership Join/Renew Contact Us t: 0115 924 0800 e: enquiries@headway.org.uk Help us improve life after brain injury. Donate Improving life after brain injury 0808 800 2244 Call our free helpline 9am - 5pm, Monday to Friday. Or email helpline@headway.org.uk Join our online Community 27k Likes 25k Followers 3k Subscribers Privacy policy Cookies Terms & Conditions Accessibility Contact Us Resource centre Find a Headway Approved care providers Charity shops Fundraising comments, feedback and complaints Vacancies Join our mailing list Headway - the brain injury association is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (Charity no. 1025852) and the Office of the Scottish Regulator (Charity no. SC 039992). Headway is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England no. 2346893. © Copyright Headway 2021 - Site designed and developed by MEDIAmaker By clicking 'Accept All Cookies’ you agree to the storing of cookies on your device. This will help us to offer the best possible experience and develop more of the information you need. Accept All Cookies Cookies Settings