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How a Stroke, 7 Months in Hospital, and Redundancy Forced Me to Build a Better Business
January 2023 changed everything.
One moment I was a tech professional with a steady career and the next, I was in hospital, having suffered a stroke.
I was 43 — still nobody knows why it happened.
What followed was seven months of hospital beds, rehabilitation, and the slow process of relearning things I once took for granted. But the challenges weren’t over — when I finally made it home, I discovered I’d been made redundant.
I found myself recovering from a stroke, dealing with constant fatigue, and suddenly needing to figure out how to make money. The traditional 40-hour work week wasn’t just uncomfortable — it was impossible.
When Necessity Forces Innovation
Post-stroke fatigue isn’t like normal tiredness. According to the Stroke Association, up to 83% of stroke survivors experience fatigue that significantly impacts their daily lives.
I had two choices:
- Try to force myself back into traditional employment
- Build something new around my new reality
I initially tried the first option, but had job interviews (for which I couldn’t have written the…
