Camera-shy? Me? No, of course not.....

At a networking meeting I attended this morning, someone said that most people's biggest phobia surrounds having to speak in public (Obviously, the speaker, who is a life coach, wasn't one of them.)

Public speaking, either to an audience, into a microphone or into a TV camera, has never bothered me. I was sports editor of the student radio station at Loughborough University in the mid-80s, I've done countless presentations to business networking meetings and since my stroke, I've appeared on radio and TV talking about my experience.

I've even done presentations in the nude to entirely naked audiences at naturist events. After all, they do say one of the best ways to combat public-speaking phobia (is there a word for it?) is to imagine that the audience is nude.

Consequently, when I get the chance to educate an audience anywhere about stroke, I generally take it. I was contacted recently by Megan Trowell, production co-ordinator for a new project from the Stroke Association called "My Stroke Guide.' It's intended as (I quote...) "a digital self-management tool to support people in their recovery following a stroke."

Available on mainstream digital platforms, it will feature information on how to deal with the effects of stroke, advice and signposting on key issues that people face after stroke, goal-setting tools and graphs for individuals, memory and concentration games, peer-to-peer support, online forums and an extensive video library.

Megan wanted me to tell my story for six of those videos, each dealing with some of the problems that all strokies face and how I have managed (or failed) to deal with them. 

Megan and her camerawoman Rochielle spent five hours on Wednesday this week at Warrillow Towers, filming me telling my story and relating my experiences over issues such as headaches, vision problems, fatigue, irritability and the like.

It all went superbly (I think) and I am looking forward to seeing the results. At the moment, because the site is so new, stroke survivors who are interested in the project will get a log-in and an introduction to the site from a member of staff at the Stroke Association who will support them to use it. Therefore, MSG is currently only available to people living within an area where there is a Stroke Association service supported by the local health board or authority and/or the NHS via a contract.

Obviously, the eventual aim is for all stroke survivors to be able to use it but, as always, money will probably be the issue. If and when I hear more, I'll blog about it here.

I must also give my usual quick shout-out to the amazing Emily Smedley. You may recall that last week's session saw me failing dismally to climb on to a platform using my stroke-affected left foot first, then trying and failing to hang a few inches off the ground and being defeated by my poorly left shoulder.

Well, things were a little better this week. I still didn't manage the platform, but I felt slightly more confident in doing both that and trying to hang, while we did plenty of work on my affected visual field; I tried (sometimes successfully!!) to catch a ball and a falling pole using only my left hand.

Throughout it all, I kept thinking (as I have often said here) "no such word as can't" and I will get there, even if it takes a while.

PS - I am indebted to Tarnya Brink, who read this post and has now educated me with the knowledge that the fear of public speaking is called glossophobia.

The Warrior being filmed this week