Becky Virgo
My name is Becky Virgo, student of Psychology (MSc.),N.L.P and E.F.T therapist, real life coach, trainer, stand-up comic and the survivor of a near fatal brain haemorrhage.
On the 24th April 1999, I reluctantly dragged myself out of bed. I had been teaching for nearly a year and really hated getting up on Saturdays. I had paused my PGCE for a few months a week earlier as I was simply dwindling in energy, health and ability. I knew I was on my way down to something, I just didn't know what. I remember that in the weeks prior to my haemorrhage I had fallen asleep whilst in conversation with a friend (during the day!), also woken up on the wrong side of the road driving towards a juggernaut - I knew that I couldn't push myself any further.
My head was soooo terribly painful, not a cold, not a hangover, not even flu, this was a headache like I had never experienced. Then my eyesight started to fail, things were swimming. Ironically, I chose this moment to wash the windows of my car, as I remembered that they were really smudgy! Standing on the drive between my car windows and some actual windows (which we were yet to fit in the house). I felt sick and light headed at the same time, surrounded by glass, terrified, I ended up crawling into the house.
I called my doctors, I was then too ill to hear any switchboard announcement before the musical extract from Vivaldi, I left the phone ringing the doctors/on hold - whilst I got myself ready (crawling from room to room). Eventually I called my mum, but I couldn't face saying I was ill, I just made an excuse for her to come over. By the time she did, I had gone to the toilet, fallen into a coma and I needed an ambulance. My step father came up after quite a while, concluded that I was a really poorly girl and called an ambulance. If it weren't for his evaluation and action I would definitely be dead.
This is my journey into brain haemorrhage, I woke after a coma with little sight, no speech, unable to stand, walk or move co-ordinatedly and shaking. I am now the mother of two beautiful and clever children and I'm studying post-graduate psychology which offers an explanation for the physical and emotive aspects of my own story. If you want to know more, visit my website at www.beckyvirgo.com
I wonder how valuable each survivor imagines their story is? An interview about my survival was published in Cosmopolitan in February 2001 (A lovely glossy picture, double page article with very little reference to what I had actually said!). Then the Mirror group also contacted me, they wanted me to sign a gag for exclusive ownership of MY STORY. This organisation is OUR organisation, so I am not a spectacle or an outsider, I am as integral as you.
Thanks to Becky for sending in her profile. Anyone else who would like to share their story can send it along with a photograph (if you're not shy!)
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