Chester-le-Street 's Colin Lynch "thought he was going to die" when he suffered a stroke the day after his 50th birthday earlier this year.
Colin, who works coaching start-up businesses but is also a popular entertainer who's taken his Neil Diamond tribute act around the North East's pubs and clubs, was on a cruise with wife Lisa when her fell ill. It was a huge shock for him - and when it became clear how dangerous his condition was, he was terrified.
After being airlifted home in a helicopter - and despite catching Covid - Colin is on the mend. But six months on, he is still suffering from crippling anxiety and the often-unseen consequences of a stroke which has caused damage to his brain.
Colin told ChronicleLive : "I had my 50th birthday on June 4 - and I went on a cruise ship the day of my birthday. It was the day after, straight away, that it happened. With it being a special night, we relaxed and Joe McElderry was performing on the ship so we had a bit of banter with him, about being from up here. It happened the next day."
On the ship, he started feeling dizzy, confused and disorientated - and as he looked for wife Lisa, a fellow passenger noticed he was dragging his foot, and then Colin collapsed. He said: "I was terrified and I thought I was going to die, when Lisa found me all I could think to do was to tell her to tell the kids I loved them.
"Unfortunately, I tested positive for Covid and I was taken to hospital In Hull and then to Bishop Auckland. I felt so isolated and alone as I had to be in a room on my own but the nurses and other NHS staff were amazing."
But despite a superficially positive recovery, Colin said life remained tough. "What I sound like compared to how I am is totally different," he said. "That's the thing - after a someone has a stroke there are so many things you can't see.
"For example, every time I put my leg on the ground I get electric shocks running up my leg and running down my arm - it feels like a mobile phone in my pocket is stuck on vibrate. The main aspect for me is that everyone can go 'oh you look amazing, really back to yourself' but they don't see what's going on inside."
Mental illness is something that Colin, a performer who loves the social side of his evening job singing around the region, had never experienced before. But since the stroke damaged his brain, he's seen his mental health suffer.
He said: "I have had really bad anxiety issues since the stroke. The hardest part, the most difficult part, is that I was never like this before the stroke. I would have good days and bad days but I never suffered with my mental health like this.
"For example, on Friday I met friends in Newcastle. But even getting on a bus makes me anxious - I can't explain why. The thought of standing up, things like that. I'm constantly anxious.
"My [performing] job has always been my hobby and it's also where I socialise the most too. I miss the banter and the energy. I was so confident, I used to bounce around the stage entertaining people but now the thought of getting back up there just freaks me out."
But he does have gigs booked to - tentatively - get back to doing what he loves in the New Year and he said he knows he is lucky compared to some. But he does have a message for others like him, who might struggle during a recovery from a stroke.
He said: "The nurses, physios, everyone in hospital is incredible but you can feel isolated when you get out of hospital. My message is for people to try to seek help. Having a stroke can be such a worrying time.
"I'm lucky, I have the most amazing family and without them I wouldn't have been able to go through it. I couldn't imagine having had to go back to an empty house when leaving hospital, it must be so hard for people in that situation."
Colin is telling his story as the Stroke Association charity has released figures showing around a third of stroke survivors have experienced changes to their personality and around one in four struggle with their mental health. The charity has also launched a partnership with the Buzz Bingo firm to fundraise and improve opportunities for survivors to stay social.
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