Welcome to The Stroke Diaries
START HERE: My stroke journey—inspiration, motivation, setbacks, and progress—the raw, unfiltered truth
👋 Hi, I’m Ian—the forgotten stroke survivor and writer of The Stroke Diaries.
In 2018, I had a stroke that changed everything. The hospital discharge came quickly. The recovery did not.
What followed was a long, messy, and deeply personal battle—physically, mentally, and emotionally. Some days, I made progress. Other days, I hit a brick wall. Sometimes going backwards.
We’re talking fatigue that hits like a juggernaut. Balance issues. Coordination problems. Spasticity. Neuropathy. And that’s just the physical stuff.
Then there’s the emotional rollercoaster…
Anger. Frustration. Grief. Anxiety. Depression. Dissociation. I lived in fear, disconnected from my body and unsure of who I was anymore.
But I’m fighting back 👊
🧐 What are The Stroke Diaries?
The Stroke Diaries is where I share that journey—the wins, the setbacks, and the slow, stubborn progress forward.
diary
plural: diaries
: a record of events, transactions, or observations kept daily or at frequent intervals : JOURNAL
especially : a daily record of personal activities, reflections, or feelings
Eight years on, I’m still here—an acquired brain injury survivor sharing my unconventional path back to a life worth living.
What I Write About
I’m documenting everything in real-time through my content pillars:
🧠 Stroke Recovery Mastery
The 5 pillars that shaped my healing: Physical, Cognitive, Emotional, Social, and Lifestyle—and what actually works when you’re doing it alone.
🍀 The Four Truths Framework
I’ve found myself coming back to the same four truths. Not steps. Not a checklist. Just four forces that describe how a stroke survivor thrives.
💪 Simplified Health & Fitness
No gimmicks. Just real advice on weight loss, sugar addiction, strength, and mobility—when walking 10,000 steps is easier than doing one push-up.
🗂 Life Systems & Productivity
Simple tools for journaling, note-taking, and getting your life in order—because time’s precious when you’re over 50 and recovering.
What you’ll get:
✅ Honest, relatable stories from life after stroke
✅ Practical lessons I’ve learned the hard way
✅ Encouragement for the days that feel too heavy
✅ Gentle reminders that you’re not alone
✅ Tools and reflections to help you make sense of your recovery
✅ Reflections on life and the world around us
I am going to share with you what I’ve learned about life, nutrition, and exercise—getting and staying healthy—and what may lurk around the corner on your road to recovery.
👀 The Bottom Line
Look, I’m not a doctor, nutritionist or therapist. I’m a mechanical engineer turned stroke survivor. Still figuring it out, still improving, still writing.
I’m not selling miracle cures. I’m documenting what worked—and what didn’t.
My wife says I’m just a ‘grumpy old git’ who’s been where you are and refuses to believe this is as good as it gets.
If I can keep improving using simple, real-world systems…
Then so can you.
⏰ What can you expect
I publish for FREE Every Friday—sometimes in between.
All Free Subscribers will get:
✅ Practical breakdowns of each recovery pillar
✅ Bonus reflections, guides, and tools I use in daily life
✅ Occasional Q&As or subscriber-only community content (coming soon)
The best bit is that once you’ve subscribed, you will receive everything in your inbox—for FREE—so you won’t miss a thing!
Why Subscribe?
✅ Because you’re not meant to go through stroke recovery alone.
✅ Because the stories out there don’t often show the full picture.
✅ Because there’s strength in sharing.
✅ And because even small steps forward are worth celebrating.
This isn’t just about me.
It’s about us. You and me.
Let’s keep going—one step at a time.
Contribute to the Stroke Diaries
The Stroke Diaries is a 100% free-to-read Substack operated solely by me.
Your contributions help keep me going so we can have more fun, build more community, and keep each edition free of ads.
I appreciate any and all support — Ian