Former Speakability Trustee, Phillip Dann, gives us an update on his experience of getting back to work

I went to California this January to see friends. One is living in San Diego, just near the Mexican border. Another friend lives in San Francisco. I was waiting to fly Southwest Airlines from San Diego to San Francisco; but it was delayed by three and a half hours. The whole of California had storms, flooding and rain.

At last we got on the plane and I had the aisle seat. An American woman had the window seat. She looked at me and asked, “You had a stroke?” I said yes, and we chatted. Her father and her mother, both of them, had strokes in their forties. Much later they visited Japan and saw the famous sites, including Mount Fuji. The doctors had earlier advised them to bring two nurses as well!

I explained about my problems about my right arm and right leg. I have got a splint in the right foot and lower leg. On an aircraft, it’s a little bit difficult to move to a window seat. I prefer the aisle seat and I always request it before the flight.

I also told her the tale of Haringey Council, my Council. I had got a Blue Badge, my disability driving badge. Last year I went to Wood Green and was assessed again by an occupational therapist. A letter came afterwards from them that said I was disabled, but not that disabled. I told the tale to the American woman and she said, quite right, you are walking confidently. Maybe, but my car has over one thousand pounds’ worth of disabled-friendly additions!

My problems with my arm and leg are very small compared with my Aphasia. You know that many people with Aphasia have good days and bad days: either our speech or our writing or both. And I think I talk to familiar people better than to strangers. It is not just family and friends: I chat to familiar doctors, dentists, hairdressers, solicitors, greengrocers, etc. more confidently than people I don’t know. Of course some of the strangers – my American woman – are sympathetic.

Now I have a part-time job in the charity field. My vicar in St Michael’s Church is also a Chairman of the Trustees for Lady Gould’s Charity. Lady Gould lived in the 17th century and gave some money to the poor in Highgate. Today some people think that Highgate is middle-class or where rich people live; but poor people still live there.

I’m a Grant Adviser. I talk to the Clerk – he is a lawyer – his secretary and the Trustees by email. That is excellent, because I can correct my mistakes before sending it. But sometimes I visit the Clients at home; and I speak to other charities, social services, health centres, etc. I am a little nervous at the beginning but I cope. On the telephone the people with Aphasia, I think, have more difficulty; it’s another pressure.

My Trustees and Clerk were sympathetic to me about my speech and my writing; but I’m afraid lots of people will look at the difficulties about Aphasia and say, no. Of course, some people with Aphasia never look at the job adverts: it’s too difficult and too much to take in. Others – I think it is a small minority – have some kind of job. The rest look at the job market and want to try again but are afraid to go back now that they have Aphasia.

The language is the key. I was a solicitor and I tried going back to work. My firm was sympathetic but my speech was not good and the reading was hard work. It is now almost eighteen years since I had a stroke and my language is much better; still, I am wary of returning to law. But, I thought, a part-time job and mainly at home: I can cope with that. It is your decision when it is time to look at the newspapers, or talk to friends, the employers and job centre staff. Of course, some people with Aphasia will have a quicker recovery than others.

Incidentally, I told the American woman that I had a job; and we shook hands as we arrived at San Francisco. I stayed a whole week and the weather was, I’m afraid, raining cats and dogs!

By Phillip Dann