Queen future given boost as doctor wades in on Brian May's stroke recovery progress

Brian May

Brian May is on the road to recovery

PA
Lauren Williams

By Lauren Williams


Published: 07/09/2024

- 06:00

Queen fans will be pleased to know that Brian May should be back with the band after his "minor stroke" ordeal

The future of Queen and Brian May's, 77, involvement has been given a boost by Dr Chun Tang, a GP and Medical Director at Pall Mall Medical, as he explained the recovery process after the star's stroke.

On Wednesday morning, May took to his Instagram account to update his followers on the recent health ordeal he had been through and explained: "I hope you’re all well out there. I’m here to bring you first of all some good news.


"I think the good news is that I can play guitar after the events of the last few days and I say this because I was in some doubt because that little health hiccup that I mentioned happened about a week ago and what they called it was a minor stroke and all of a sudden - out of the blue - I didn’t have any control over this arm so was a little scary.

"I have to say I had the most fantastic care and attention from Frimley Hospital where I went blue lights flashing… the lot. Very exciting!"

The 77-year-old added: "I’m not allowed to go out - well, I’m not allowed to drive, not allowed to get on a plane, not allowed to raise the heart rate too high."

May filmed the video outdoors, and as a plane could be heard overhead, he joked: "I'm not allowed to have planes flying over, which will stress me. But I’m good.

"I really don’t want sympathy. Please don't do that because it’ll clutter up my inbox and I hate that.

Many fans were left concerned about the star and whether he would be back performing with the band anytime soon, with Dr Chun Tang revealing the stroke recovery process.

Speaking to GB News, Tang highlighted how long someone should refrain from performing after having a stroke and said: "There’s no set timeline for returning to the stage after a stroke - it really depends on how recovery goes. It’s important not to rush it.

"Your doctor and a speech therapist can guide you on when it’s safe to perform again. Some singers return in a few months, while others may take longer. It’s not necessarily a sign to stop, but pacing your recovery is crucial to avoid setbacks."

Brian May

Brian May has been part of the band Queen since 1970

PA

Touching on how long he would recommend someone to recover, Tang added: "I’d recommend taking a break from singing for at least several weeks after a stroke. It all depends on the severity of the stroke and how well someone is recovering. Rest is crucial to allow the brain and body time to heal.

"Once your doctor gives the all-clear, you could start working with a speech therapist or vocal coach to gradually ease back into singing but taking it slow is key."

Back in 2022, May suffered a heart attack in 2020, which left him "very near death", leaving him to tell his 3.3 million Instagram followers: "Everyone says, 'You’ve got great blood pressure, great heart rate,' I keep fit on my bike, good diet, not too much fat.

"We've all got to really look at ourselves as we get to the autumn years - what seems to be a healthy heart may not be."

Brian May

The star suffered a heart attack back in 2022

PA

The revelation comes almost two weeks after the broadcast of his BBC One documentary surrounding the campaign to protect badgers from being culled.

In his new video, he also discussed the programme, saying it had received some "great reactions from farmers particularly - also from wildlife people of course".

Badger culling is used as a way to prevent the spread of tuberculosis in cattle.

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