AVM Burst in the Brain: A Recovery Story of Patience, Aphasia, and Finding Your Way BackAVM Burst in the Brain: A Recovery Story of Patience, Aphasia, and Finding Your Way Back
Recovery After Stroke
Stroke survivor and PhD student Jennifer Tomsha talks with Bill Gasiamis about an AVM burst, life with aphasia and fatigue, and why recovery is a long game. Their conversation challenges the idea of fixed recovery windows and highlights rest, patience and persistence for survivors and caregivers alike.
1:20:13•27 Apr 2026
AVM Burst, Aphasia and the Long Game of Stroke Recovery
Episode Overview
- Recovery can continue for many years after stroke, even beyond the widely quoted one- or two-year window.
- Rest and daily naps are a valid and important part of healing, not a sign of laziness or giving up.
- It’s okay for recovery to be slow and uneven; going at your own pace is just as important as persistence.
- Caregivers should stay curious about the survivor’s inner experience instead of only focusing on visible progress or pushing harder.
- Sharing stroke stories openly can reduce isolation and create powerful connections with other survivors and families.
“Her central message that recovery takes as long as it takes, that rest is legitimate, and that you don’t have to give up even if the progress is slow.”
What drives someone to seek a life without giving up after a life-changing brain event? This conversation between host Bill Gasiamis and guest Jennifer Tomsha gently answers that question through a mix of raw honesty, humour, and hard-won lessons. Jennifer shares how an AVM burst in her brain at 39 while she was driving her three-and-a-half-year-old daughter home in rural New Zealand.
She pulled over, phoned 111, and, almost mysteriously, said, “I think I’m having a stroke.” From there, her memories vanish for six weeks, replaced by accounts from family, paramedics and surgeons, including a 30-hour operation where neurosurgeon Dr Woon wasn’t sure she’d ever talk or walk again. Four years on, Jennifer talks about living with aphasia, fatigue, daily naps, and the odd gaps like not being able to recall songs anymore.
Yet she’s also finishing a PhD, raising two kids, and slowly getting comfortable talking about her stroke, even using it to connect with a teenager who’d had a traumatic brain injury. The chat is especially valuable for those who’ve been told recovery plateaus after a year or two. Bill pushes back on that myth with stories of survivors improving a decade later, while Jennifer’s experience backs up the idea of playing “the long game” with recovery.
As Bill summarises, “Her central message [is] that recovery takes as long as it takes, that rest is legitimate, and that you don’t have to give up even if the progress is slow.” Caregivers also get a candid look at how their expectations can clash with a survivor’s pace, and why patience and curiosity matter more than pushing someone to “try harder”.
If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s too late to get better, or felt guilty for needing an afternoon nap, this story might be the permission slip you’ve been waiting for. How would your recovery look if you treated it as a marathon rather than a sprint?
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