I heard a news item on Radio 4 this morning that (and I’m pretty much quoting directly) bilingual people who speak a foreign language recover better from strokes.
Now that’s good news for our overseas members, obviously, but does this mean that I need to learn, say, Italian, in order to get the benefit? 
I’d link to the story, BTW, but I can’t find it on the BBC news website.
We’ll have an Italian course through the medium of Welsh ready for you before too long…
What about through the medium of English?
And I’m obviously on the good way of recovery if something like this happens (hopefully it wouldn’t to anyone though) …
Yes please. And Neapolitan if you can manage it, too. 
The story was in the newspapers too. It referred to being ’ bilingual’ rather than a ‘foreign’ language so learning Welsh is definitely good for us!!
“This switching offers practically constant brain training which may be a factor in helping stroke patients recover.”
that makes sense to me, and implies that it is important to be actively dwyeithog
Actually I heard an interview on Radio Cymru one morning recently where they were saying there is a dire need for more Welsh speaking nurses and staff to help first language Welsh speakers that suffer from stroke.
If they have lost their speech capability it tends to be the first language that comes back more quickly, so it’s imperative that they get therapy in that language. They did point out though that it depended on the location of the stroke in the brain and sometimes it could be their second language that comes back more strongly.
Yes, I heard that, too.
I have a friend whose father had a heart attack. In the stress and panic and confusion of being taken to hospital and put under intensive monitoring he completely forgot how to speak English. Had it not been for the presence of Welsh-speaking staff, I’m certain the stress would have killed him. Fortunately he made as good a recovery as could be expected for a man of his advanced years.
I actually had occasion to test this recently, and though it is anecdotal evidence, I can at least suggest there is some truth to it. I experienced what the neurologist in hospital described as a mild hemorrhagic stroke on the 10th of last month involving bleeding in the area of the brain stem close to the passage that allows spinal column fluid to drain from the skull. This left me reeling and nauseous, with doubled vision and very little sense of balance. My wife had a dreadful time getting me the short distance from the house to the car to go to hospital, as each time I attempted to rise and walk I found myself falling backwards to my left.
In any case, I was in hospital about 4 days in total, by which time my walking had improved to the point that I was unable to qualify for in-home care or therapy. The doubled vision persisted for several more days, but after less than a week spent at home, I was able to drive once more without difficulty.
I returned to work in less than two weeks from start to finish, and was very grateful to do so. That was particularly because it is in my car on my way to and from my job that I most commonly practice my Welsh lessons. It’s a rare day that goes by without me trying to beat the instructors at producing the language. And perhaps that is what helped me. Certainly I had any number of doctors and therapists who said I was doing much too well for what they were seeing inside my head from the CT scans and MRIs. Diolch yn fawr, SSIW!
I hope you’re all well now.
Oh my, yes, and thank you kindly, ma’am.
Very sorry indeed to hear about that, but great that you’re doing so well - brysia wella! 
Diolch o fy nghalon, Aran. Dwi’n teimlo’n well iawn.
Falch iawn i’w glywed. Dal ati!