At 55, I knew something was wrong. My body was changing, but I had no idea how much my life was about to change.
The scan revealed a spinal dural arteriovenous fistula — a rare condition affecting the blood vessels around my spinal cord.
After months of knowing that something wasn’t right, I finally had an answer. But the diagnosis was only the beginning.
A rare spinal condition changed everything.
Everything changed faster than I was ready for.
Suddenly, my world became hospital rooms, treatment and a body that no longer felt predictable.
The physical changes were obvious. What people could not always see was the fear, frustration and exhaustion that came with them.
This was about more than my physical health.
Recovery was not a straight line.
Rehabilitation became part of my everyday life. Progress came through repetition, patience and learning to work with a body that had changed.
Recovery was physical, but it was also mental. I had to learn that strength was not simply about carrying on in silence.
Recovery is work.
Recovery did not mean my life stopped. It kept moving — through family, friendship, writing and work.
The story did not end in hospital.
“I thought about quitting, but then I noticed who was watching.”
What I went through changed the way I understand strength. Talk4Strength was created to make space for honest conversations around men’s mental health, emotional wellbeing and the pressures so many carry in silence.
Strength is not silence.
