AS JANET Rockliffe crawled to her sofa in agony, slipping inand out of consciousness, little did she know what layahead.

Everything happened so quickly, from her eyes starting toflicker to becoming so muddled she couldn't even remember how to use thenumbers to telephone her husband, Philip.

Luckily, he rang her, andrealising something was terribly wrong, alerted his parents to go roundwhile he made the journey home to Storth, just in time to hold Janet'shand in the ambulance on the way to hospital.

Although only 35 and ahealthy busy mother of three children who helped out in the familyconstruction business and a year into her own new career as a financialadviser, Janet had suffered a stroke.

A scan revealed extensivebleeding on the left side of her brain and surgery was needed to drain theblood.

Paralysed down her right side at first, Janet was weak,muddled and uncoordinated when she regained consciousness.

''At thetime I was just like a baby. I was very muddled and had to relearneverything from scratch - from walking to dressing and feedingmyself.''

One of the hardest tasks has been to relearn how to speak,read and write, as the right side of the brain is where language skillsare centred.

But over the last four years it is something whichJanet has slowly and determinedly mastered.

Knowing only too wellhow difficult it is to regain confidence and skill in this area, sheforged ahead to set up a new self-help group based at Kendal'sStricklandgate House to help those with similar speech problems broughtabout through head injuries or a stroke.

Meeting once a month, TheWestmorland Speech Group is affiliated to Action for Dysphasic Adults.Dysphasia is the medical term for speech difficulties, and duringDysphasia Awareness Week beginning on Monday, November 9, Janet wants tohighlight the problem and let people know about the group, establishedlast year.

''If you have gone through a stroke and have problemscommunicating, your confidence can be absolutely shattered.

''Peoplehave professional help through speech therapy, but the idea of the groupis to come along and share your experiences with those who have similarproblems, enjoy a cup of coffee and some humour. Even those who are badlyaffected can communicate without words, through gestures, and we don'tmind if people take a bit longer to get words out.''

The group issmall and meets on a Tuesday morning once a month, as well as havingaccess to national events and information.

Another member iswell-known Kendal sporting figure Bobby Fisher, who suffered a stroke lastyear. He said: ''People sit at home after a stroke and do not talk abouttheir problems. This is an opportunity for them to get together and talkto each other.''

Janet has written a book about her experience,which she hopes to get published, and does voluntary work at Kendal'sWestmorland General Hospital two days a week.

''It gives me thebiggest pleasure ever, just to help people and reassure them that thingscan get better, especially if they are determined and motivated. Life doesgo on.''

Janet still has problems, especially with her sight andalso with remembering things, but four years on she is stillimproving.

''My life is very different now, but if I feel sorry formyself for not being able to drive or something like that, I just have tothink I am lucky to be alive to see my children grow up, and that is thebiggest gift ever.''

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