Generally, our blogs are written objectively and aim to inform, educate, and maybe even entertain a little. This one is different; this is personal.

At the end of July 2022, I had a stroke.

I went to bed on a Monday night and woke up on Tuesday morning barely able to speak and hardly be able to write my name. It came without warning, like a bolt out of the blue. My life changed in a single moment and as a woman in her 40’s the changes have been huge.

Don’t panic, this isn’t the start of a sob story. I am however going to use my recent experience to hopefully make you think.

I work in Estate Planning, and I tell people all the time that anything can happen. So I think I should have expected it, but I really didn’t. We all think we’re superhuman don’t we? I hear all the time ‘it will never happen to me’ and truthfully, I’ve always thought it probably won’t, but a stroke in your 40’s changes a girl and I find myself revisiting my life choices, decisions, and plans. Luckily, I had my Lasting Powers of Attorney in place.

Here is the point, there is so much more to estate planning than just your will. I am sure you’ve heard about Powers of Attorney, and you’ve probably encouraged your parents and even grandparents to get them. Good! The problem is that too many people wait until they are ‘old enough’ to put them in place.

If you’ve ever questioned whether you should get them done, then the answer is yes. Do not think twice. Every person over the age of 18 needs this vital document to protect them for when The Thing That Is Never Going To Happen, happens. I would rather have my powers of attorney sat doing nothing, unused for 30 or 40 years than not have them at the point they were needed.

The registration is currently taking about four months and you must have full mental capacity to sign the forms. In my recent experience a lot can happen in four months. Four months ago, I was able to drive as opposed to being driven, I was out visiting friends at the weekend instead of being too tired, I was working full time and whizzing around the country at a rate of knots instead of working part-time and taking it easy.

The good news is I am recovering every day, because I am one of the lucky ones.

UK stats from the Stroke Association

Stroke strikes every 5 minutes

100,000 people have strokes every year.

35,000 deaths each year from stroke

Your risk increases significantly from age 55 onwards

There are 1.3 million stroke survivors in the UK

2/3 of survivors are left with a permanent disability