ABSTRACT
In the early hours of Easter Sunday 2018, my mum was rushed to hospital for lifesaving surgery to repair an aortic dissection. She remained in a coma in intensive care for 17 days, during which time CT scans showed that she had suffered a number of strokes during the initial surgery. Once stable, she was transferred to the acute stroke unit, where she spent 2 months regaining skills like walking, communicating, feeding and basic self-care. The pain of seeing her like this was unimaginable – we felt hopeless and exhausted and survival mode seemed to kick in to get us through. Life as we knew it had changed and the future felt terrifying and uncertain.
