Hi everyone, After listening to all of your feedback and all of our meetings over the last year or so we have broadened our understanding of what Stroke-Proof is about and come to see that we need to go much further than just prevention. Maggie and I are keen to write Stroke-Proof the book as a guide for Stroke survivors to help navigate the situation they find themselves in post stroke, but we need your help to get it right. We will be pulling in other professionals to help us write this and we'll need you all to tell us if what we are writing is helpful, but firstly we need to make sure we cover the correct areas. After reflecting on all that we have learned from you the below are our proposed chapters. Please let me know if these look right to you or if you think we should add or remove any sections or change the order. Part 1: The Beginning of Recovery 1. A Message of Hope - Recovery is possible - The brain can adapt and rewire - Progress often continues for months and years - Setting realistic expectations - Finding purpose after stroke 2. You're Not Alone - Stroke survivor stories - Different ages and stroke types - Lessons learned from recovery - Common emotional experiences 3. Finding Support - Stroke Association - Different Strokes - Stroke Proof - Online communities - Family and carers - When and where to seek help Part 2: Understanding What Happened 4. What Is a Stroke? - Ischaemic vs haemorrhagic stroke - TIA - What happens inside the brain - Areas of the brain and how they impact symptoms in stroke - Why symptoms vary between individuals - Dementia - the other major brain health condition  5. Tests and Investigations - CT brain - CT angiography - CT perfusion - MRI - Carotid ultrasound - Echocardiogram - Heart rhythm monitoring - Blood tests - What doctors are looking for 6. Why Did My Stroke Happen? - Causes of stroke - Blocked arteries - Atrial fibrillation - Small vessel disease - Rare causes - When no cause is found

Dear wonderful Stroke-Proof members, A key part of the Stroke-Proof community and the future book will be sharing stroke survivors stories. I hope these stories will provide hope to other stroke survivors. Especially those who have recently had a stroke and might be wondering what the future holds in store for them. I also hope it will be a useful opportunity for you to reflect on your journey. If you want to do so please use this thread to share your story, but remember there is no pressure to do so. If you could please also confirm whether you are happy for your story to be shared in the book and in other materials for Stroke survivors and if we do so whether you would prefer to remain anonymised. If you woud like to share your story in here but to remain anonymous you can do so by direct messaging me and I will then copy and paste what you send me into the chat. I would highly recommend writing whatever you want to say in a word document and then copy and pasteing it into here as I know some people have lost entries in here that didn't save properly. I hope you have a happy Friday!

After a stroke, you may suddenly find yourself taking several tablets every day. But often we aren't clear about what each tablet does and why. Many of the medicines prescribed after a stroke have one very important job — reducing your risk of another stroke. Here are some of the common ones: 🩸 CLOPIDOGREL / ASPIRIN — stopping platelets sticking together If you’ve had an ischaemic stroke — a stroke caused by a blood clot blocking an artery — you will often be prescribed an antiplatelet medicine. The most common long-term medication is clopidogrel. Aspirin is another antiplatelet and is commonly used immediately after an ischaemic stroke or TIA. Some people take aspirin instead of clopidogrel, and in certain situations aspirin and clopidogrel may be used together for a short period. These medicines make platelets less likely to stick together and form another clot. ❤️ APIXABAN, RIVAROXABAN, DABIGATRAN or EDOXABAN — preventing clots from the heart These belong to a group called DOACs — Direct Oral Anticoagulants. They are particularly important if your stroke was associated with atrial fibrillation (AF). AF causes the heart to beat irregularly. Blood can pool inside the heart, allowing a clot to form. That clot can then travel to the brain and cause a stroke. DOACs reduce the ability of the blood to form these dangerous clots. They include: • Apixaban • Rivaroxaban • Dabigatran • Edoxaban Some people need warfarin instead — for example, in certain types of heart-valve disease or with a mechanical heart valve. Importantly, anticoagulants and antiplatelets are not the same thing, and most people do not need both long-term unless there is another reason. 🫀 ATORVASTATIN and other statins — reducing cholesterol and stabilising arteries Statins are not simply “cholesterol tablets”. After an ischaemic stroke or TIA, a high-intensity statin such as atorvastatin is commonly prescribed to reduce the risk of another event. Lowering LDL cholesterol reduces the chance of cholesterol-rich plaques (artery deposits) growing or causing further problems in your arteries.

One of the most powerful things you can do for your health is to start reading food labels. Take a look at these three chocolate bars. They might all look like similar treats, but there's a HUGE difference in how much sugar they contain. 🍫 Dark chocolate: Just 15g of sugar per 100g. 🍫 The other two bars: Around 40–50g of sugar per 100g. That's up to three times as much sugar! Living a healthier life doesn't have to mean giving up the foods you love. It's about being curious, getting creative and finding healthier alternatives that you still enjoy. My wife and I have developed a taste for dark chocolate and find that not only does it contain less sugar, but the intense taste means just 1 or 2 squares are usually enough to satisfy the urge for something delicious. ✅ Compare the sugar content per 100g, not just per serving. ✅ Look at the ingredients as well as the numbers. ✅ Try different brands and varieties — you might be surprised by the differences in seemingly similar products. ✅ Look out for e numbers and artificial preservatives ✅ Remember that portion size matters too! Of course, dark chocolate isn't automatically healthy. It can still be high in calories and saturated fat. But choosing an option with less sugar can be one small, positive change. And those small changes, repeated over months and years, can make a real difference to your long-term health. 💡This week: Share your healthy food swap. Is there one food you've replaced with something healthier that is so nice you don't miss the old food? OR Become a label detective and share the most shocking difference that you have found between 2 seemingly similar products!

We've spoken many times about the health benefits of extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO). But how do you choose a genuinely good one and keep it fresh? Why does this matter? Extra-virgin olive oil is an important part of the Mediterranean diet, which has been linked to a lower risk of heart disease and stroke. Choosing a good-quality olive oil and storing it properly can help preserve its flavour and the natural compounds that may provide health benefits. When buying olive oil, look for: • 🏷️ Extra virgin" on the label. Extra-virgin olive oil is made by pressing olives without using chemicals. This helps keep its natural flavour and nutrients. • 📅 A recent harvest date. Unlike wine, olive oil does not improve with age. Its flavour fades and its beneficial polyphenols (antioxidants) gradually break down. Look for "harvest date", "harvested" or "crop year", rather than relying only on the best-before date. • 🫙Dark glass or a tin. Light can gradually damage the oil and reduce some of its beneficial compounds. Dark glass and tins help protect the oil. • 🌍Clear information about its origin. Check where the olives were grown and where the oil was produced, not just where it was bottled. Some producers include a QR code that provides information about the oil's harvest date, origin, producer and, occasionally, laboratory results. This can improve traceability, although a QR code alone does not guarantee quality. • 📦 A practical container size. Choose an amount you can finish within a few months. A large container is not economical if the oil remains open and exposed to oxygen for too long. • 💧Filtered oil for longer storage. Unfiltered olive oil can be delicious when it is very fresh, but excess moisture and sediment may cause it to deteriorate more quickly. If you choose an unfiltered oil, use it promptly. Price and attractive packaging do not always guarantee quality. Words such as "pure" and "light" do not mean that the oil is fresher or healthier. "Light" refers to a milder flavour and colour, not fewer calories.