Why I'll never be a left-winger - not yet, anyway

It's often said by stroke-survivors that coming out on the other side of something so life-threatening gives you a new perspective on life.

Because no stroke results in the same after-effects, we all deal with that in different ways. Some of us have severe speech problems, some are left dragging their affected side around 'like a sack of spuds' in the evocative phrase used by a close friend of mine, others such as myself have balance and memory issues, others lose large parts of their vision, some are intensely depressed by what has happened.

The various issues are caused by whichever part of the brain is affected (Google it....) and I consider myself somewhat fortunate to have got away relatively lightly. Since that fateful day in December 2013, I've been able to re-learn how to use my left side, I threw away my sticks in July of this year,  I took part in a sponsored run last month, I'm training to be a counsellor, I've done plenty I wouldn't have dreamed of doing when I was a journalist.

This week delivered another first. Unsurprisingly, it involved physiotherapist Emily Smedley of breathebalancebeactivated. Since I successfully completed my 5km 'run' at the end of September, the focus of my work with Emily has changed. No longer do I lie on the couch for an hour, periodically screaming and howling in agony as she pokes, prods and pushes. For the last three weeks, we have spent time in the gym, with Emily teaching me the basics of boxing.

It's not just a matter of standing there and flinging punches, although it does help to get out some of my aggression and frustration; rather, my feet have to be in the right place and as we're practicing without gloves, my hands have to be positioned properly. Apparently, it's surprisingly easy to break a finger if you don't do it properly.

I've also been dragged backwards around the gym with an extendable band around my waist (it improves balance, apparently) but this week's efforts hit new heights - or tried to.

Emily was only asking me to step up on to a platform which was about a foot off the floor - but to do it using my affected left foot first. And it absolutely wouldn't go.

I could get up there by resting my hands on the platform, I could easily do it right foot first. But my left foot simply wouldn't play ball. It's a mental block, apparently. We'll be working on it.

We'll also be working on making me hang in the air with my hands gripping a high horizontal iron frame, with my feet off the floor. At my first attempt, my left shoulder wasn't having any of it; not only is that shoulder on my affected side, I've had problems with it previously.

Again, it's a mental issue; I did manage to do both these things after a fashion but not to my satisfaction; especially not when I watched Emily climbing over the gym equipment like Spiderwoman.

But I'll keep going; using the principle that 'there's no such word as can't' I will manage it and it will be another goal achieved, won't it?

And anyway.....she won't let me focus what I can't do, only on what I can do. Which is a pretty good mantra for stroke-survivors and disabled people everywhere.