When Life Gives You Lemons

Hi, I'm Tara. I live in Surrey in the UK with my husband, John, and our dog Rosie.  ​I have a rare genetic disease called Cowden's Syndrome, which requires an annual MRI for monitoring purposes.

 

​In February 2022, I had a sudden onset of double vision. I wear glasses and put this down to not having had an eye test since before Covid. The optician told me that I needed an MRI. I coincidentally had one booked for two days later, by which time I had a weaker left arm. The MRI showed a slight bleed in the pons (which influences eyesight), and I was told it would heal within a few weeks. The doctor didn't seem concerned about my arm. I was given a prism for my glasses and went home thinking everything would be ok. 

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On the May bank holiday, I was dizzy and extremely nauseous, and my double vision had returned. I thought I had a stomach bug. When I was still ill three days later, I contacted my neurologist and went to see him the next day. I was admitted to the hospital, and this is when my memory went blank until the middle of August.

 

I spent four months in intensive care, where I lost the ability to swallow, breathe, and walk, and my vision deteriorated further. I had a trach and nasal gastric tube inserted, both of which remained in place for six months. I had surgery on a cavernoma, which had caused a massive bleed, filling the brainstem with blood and resulting in a haemorrhagic stroke and disruption to all neurological functions. 

 

In my case, the effects of my stroke are partial loss of vision. I use an occluded lens in my glasses to help with this. I also have limited mobility and balance, which I compensate for with mobility aids. I also have weakness in my left side.​