Tom Maher remembers well the day his life was to take a dramatic new turn.

It was another typically busy day in the life of the then managing partner and founder of law firm DQ Advocates in Douglas.

He said: ‘I was in work one day and I started having a funny turn and getting some paralysis in my face and arm and went to hospital.

‘To cut a long story short, I was told it was either a TIA, transient ischemic attack, otherwise known as a mini stroke, or a hemiplegic migraine.

‘So after tests over several weeks I was told by the stroke consultant that I needed to take a break from work.

‘My body was giving me a signal that I was working too hard and it was time for a change and I had to stop.

Tom said he then had to grapple with the options of what to do.

‘After a couple of months I decided I had to listen to my body and to the doctors.

‘I’m not someone who can work part time. I’m an all or nothing man and I was a workaholic unfortunately.

‘Being a workaholic is not something to be proud of and I realised that if I went part time I would probably end up working full time again after a short time and putting work first again.’

Tom admitted: ‘I realised that for 10 years as we were building up DQ Advocates that I’d put work first, before my family, my friends and my health.

‘And I needed to make a massive lifestyle change.

‘With the stark advice of the stroke consultant ringing in my ears I took the difficult decision to retire. I informed my business partners that I planned to retire. It was never part of my career plan, I thought I would be working in DQ until I was 70.

‘I enjoyed being a lawyer, building a business, and really enjoyed travelling around the world presenting at conferences and promoting the Isle of Man.

I also enjoyed working closely with government.

‘But this was my body saying, probably what my wife Susan had been saying for the last 10 years, which was: ‘‘You need to take it easy.’’ ’

‘My long suffering wife was proven right.’

Tom, who was 42 at the time decided to retire.

‘I count myself as very lucky that I got a health scare which turned out to be a wake-up call from which I woke up.

‘I’ve known people who had a health scare and were not so lucky.

‘I count myself lucky that I got a second chance.’

He went to a Ayuverdic clinic in Bali, that specialises in Indian medicine and stayed there for three weeks.

‘I came out of it feeling stronger, healthier and emotionally and spiritually ready to make massive changes to my life.’

The usual retiring partner restrictive covenant put an 18 month time span on being able to return to work in law so this presented Tom with a ‘great opportunity to go travelling.’

And this was not done by halves!

‘My wife Susan and I did not hesitate to say that if my health was good enough then come December 2016 we were hopping on a plane and we were going around the world.’

The couple made arrangements to go away on the trip of a lifetime with their three

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children, Evan, 11, Alex, nine and Georgia, seven

The trip was planned and they booked flexible round the world tickets.

Tom said: ‘Amazingly children are much more resilient and adaptable than you would think.

‘Adults have concerns and worries about things like security and safety, we are the ones that worry about missing a flight or a train or a boat. But children are oblivious to that.

‘They just go skipping along and pretty much our three children skipped their way around the world for a year with a smile on their faces.’

And what a year it was.

Many thousands of miles were journeyed during their travels.

Tom stressed that much of the break included ‘simple pleasures’ and getting to mingle with and getting involved in local people’s lives.

A lot took place ‘off the beaten track’ but Tom said the family encountered an ‘international language of smiles and kindness.’

‘They were wonderful memories.’

Tom said there were so many highlights as he recalled the countries visited and look ed at some of the many photographs taken.

It started in the Middle East in Oman. Qatar came next, followed by Sri Lanka. Thailand came up next followed by a visit to Myanmar.

Vietnam, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, USA and Canada were also in store.

Among the many highlights:

lTom told how in Vietnam there was an emotional reunion with a friend called Bang who Susan and Tom had first met on a previous holiday in 2002. Bang and his wife Nyung and their children and grandchildren were delighted to meet up with Tom and the family.

lAt the Grand Mosque in Oman, the kids chatted to some women about Islam when one of the locals revealed they, like the kids, were fans of the Great British Bake Off.

l Tom said: ‘We were in Myanmar [Burma] when a monk came up to us on a bridge across the river and popped an iPhone from under his robes and took a selfie with our three kids. Then a whole bunch of other monks came across the bridge and did the same thing.’

lEntering Vietnam, there were a few hitches when the border guards queried the ‘mystery’ of the Manx passports held by Tom’s three kids. Tom and his wife had no problems with their Irish passports.Suffice to say quite a few American dollars were needed to get in to the country!

lThe visit to NewZealand turned out to be longer than expected because Tom needed emergency surgery on an eye. But it meant they were able to be there for the duration of the British Lions’ rugby tour.

lThe family were thrilled to ’scratch under the surface’ of normal everyday life in the countries they visited. And to do everyday things such as walking through the rain in Sri Lanka with the locals to buy some bread.

lIn a remote Tamil village the kids joined in an impromptu game of cricket but one of them managed to lose the villagers’ only ball. Tom and Susan set to work on a public relations exercise returning with gifts . . . and more cricket balls.

lIn America they embarked on adventures including trips to Alaska, Washington state and Las Vegas. A helicopter trip to the Grand Canyon was also a thrilling experience in the heat.

The ’fabulous’ experience ended in time for last Christmas.

Tom, now 44, told how he heard from a friend about a new job being created at the Financial Services Authority, which ’would just be up your street.’

After some thought he finally decided to apply for the post of General Counsel and head of corporate governance.

‘I had a three hour deadline to get my CV completed and sent off by email. I’d not done a CV as an adult.’

He got the job and now tells Business News he has adapted changing from being a ‘poacher to a gamekeeper.’

He says his experience in the private sector give him a great insight which helps him in his new job. But he says he reckons he now has the work/life balance sorted out better, much to the relief of his wife.

The kids are also happy at their respective schools in the island.

These are busy times for the FSA but Tom is relishing the chance to make his mark with the regulator and is full of praise for chief executive Karen Badgerow and her team at Finch Hill House, Bucks Road, Douglas.