Sunderland teacher needed emergency surgery after headache turned out to be a bleed on the brain

The 48-year-old from Roker has said that it had all started with what felt like a “terrible headache” and that it wasn’t until her partner Mark rang 111, who recommended an ambulance, that she realised the seriousness of it.

Emma didn’t want to go to hospital due to the coronavirus pandemic but when she arrived, even taking her blood pressure was too painful.

The teacher was rushed to the RVI in Newcastle where she had an emergency operation to put a coil into the aneurysm to stop the bleed onto the brain.

Emma has described her ordeal and commented on how much of an impact that it is having on her life.

She said: “It felt like a terrible headache, as if someone was pouring water onto my brain. When I got hospital, I was in so much pain that the nurses couldn’t take my blood pressure.

"I want to get back to teaching but it has left me finding it hard to think things through and I’m now really sensitive to noise.

"I may look okay on the outside but I am really not on the inside, I’ve got a mountain to climb before I am back to full health.”

September is aneurysm awareness month and Emma hopes that her story will encourage others to get checked out if they suffer from any of the symptoms.

She added: “Sometimes, your first symptom can be your last symptom, they can be that deadly.

"They can be hereditary so if someone in your family has suffered, then you could be at risk and high blood pressure can also be a contributing factor.

"Smoking, obesity, drug use etc. can all be risk factors and I urge anyone to call 111 if they are suffering from a terrible headache.”

Emma also thanked the medical teams at both Sunderland Royal Hospital and the Royal Victoria Infirmary who she says “she wouldn’t be here without them”.

You can find from information about aneurysms from the NHS by clicking here.

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