Out of Nowhere: My Stroke, My Diagnosis and the Road Ahead

On 6 December 2024, my life took a turn I never saw coming. I fainted without warning, my right side went numb, and dizziness washed over me like a wave I could not escape. Within hours, I found myself in an emergency stroke ward, confused, frightened, and completely out of my element.

This was my first time in hospital, and it was not even in my home country. I had always been in good health, so being admitted to a hospital bed overseas, surrounded by unfamiliar systems and strangers in scrubs, was deeply disorienting. I spent three days in the stroke ward, trying to process what had happened while navigating the loneliness that comes with not knowing what is next or how bad it might get.

For the next few months, I went through test after test. It was not until March 2025 that I finally had some answers: an angiogram confirmed I had an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) in my brain. A tangle of abnormal blood vessels that had likely caused the stroke. It was a moment of clarity, but also a heavy one. AVMs are rare, and treatment options are complex.

The months since have been filled with consultations across hospitals and across opinions, trying to find the right team and the right plan. It has not been easy. The decisions are weighty, and the path is not straightforward. But I am currently preparing for brain surgery, a major step toward recovery and, hopefully, preventing future strokes.

This journey has been deeply humbling. It has reminded me how quickly everything can change, and how important it is to advocate for your health, even when the answers are not immediate. I will keep sharing updates as I go, not just for myself, but for anyone else out there trying to make sense of a diagnosis that came out of nowhere.

Stay strong, and see you on the other side.
Matt (29 May 2025)