Pat involuntarily and regularly swears following her stroke (NCJ Media)

A grandmother who once hated the idea of swearing now turns the air blue after a stroke left her unable to control her potty mouth.

Pat Preston, 65, now has a mouth like a sailor following her stroke and has even called her grandchildren ‘little b******s’ when they were playing up.

The grandmother from Gateshead says her new-found profanity laden speech is completely involuntary.

‘Before I had a stroke I would still get annoyed at things but I could control my upset, however now I just can’t help it,’ she said.


The retired bank worker says her swearing particularly irks her husband, as he used to be a head teacher and therefore has an obvious aversion to swearing.



She has introduced a swear box since her stroke last January in an attempt to train her brain, and is also receiving help from psychologists.

Pat’s husband Michaelfinds the swearing hard to bear as he used to be a headteacher (NCJ Media)

Pat says she has changed from a woman who once was able to control her mouth to someone who will suddenly announce anything she isn’t happy with in an expletive laden outburst.

She said: ‘If something really annoys me I am not able to keep my thoughts to myself and I’m quite outspoken.

‘If I go into a shop and don’t like how the assistants are reacting to me or even someone else I will say so.’

Despite this, Pat claims she is ’75 per cent’ back to how she was before her stroke, and says she can carry on with life and ‘see the funny side’.