When Mirela Giles lost her speech , it was a devastating blow as she could no longer do her job. Login or signup to continue reading But the 46-year-old, of Warners Bay, turned to singing, dancing and holistic health to recover. When she had a stroke in February, it was unexpected because she felt healthy.
"My cholesterol was good and I'm physically active," Ms Giles said. When the stroke hit, she tried to drink water but couldn't swallow it. "I wanted to swear but couldn't.
" A tradesman doing tiling at her home called for help. Paramedics arrived within seven minutes and took her to hospital. The stroke left her with aphasia, a communication disability that affects talking, comprehension, reading, writing and spelling.
"The experience was like being plucked from your reality and displaced in another reality you can't control or understand," she said. She shared her story for Aphasia Awareness Month. About 140,000 Australians live with aphasia, which can also be caused by brain injury and epilepsy.
Stroke Foundation chief executive Lisa Murphy said one in three survivors of stroke will experience difficulties with communication. Ms Giles was a teacher when she lost her speech. She could no longer do her job "because I couldn't speak and speaking is my superpower".
"I was very upset and devastated about the stroke. I relied a lot on my knowledge of health in general, Western and holistic." She will soon complete a health science degree.
"I thought, OK, I have to look at this f.
