Gogglebox star Elaine Cooper has opened up about her horror ordeal that saw her experience sight loss following an undetected and irreversible brain bleed.
The medically retired music teacher – who appeared on the Channel 4 show from 2023 to 2024 – revealed she lost her vision while driving. Ahead of the terrifying incident, Elaine had been suffering from forgetfulness. She dismissed this as merely getting older.
However, she had no idea that she had suffered a bleed on her brain from a hemorrhagic stroke – which had been there for 10 weeks before the incident.
Gogglebox star Elaine ‘shocked’ after diagnosis
Gogglebox star Elaine has opened up about the ordeal in a new interview – and revealed the life-changing moment she received her diagnosis.
“I was completely shocked and heartbroken. They told me part of my brain had been irreversibly damaged,” told NeedToKnow.
“And as there wasn’t anything they could do, this was just who I was now. At first, it was difficult and I didn’t feel like myself. But I knew I had to keep going and try to make the best of a bad situation.”
Gogglebox star said ‘it was terrifying’
When her vision returned Elaine – who is from the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire – said everything was blurry. After managing to get home she suffered a “pounding” headache.
And things took a more worrying turn when Elaine started to forget her friends’ names, as well as forgetting how to fill up her car.
She said: “It was terrifying not remembering how to do the simplest of tasks – I truly thought I was losing my mind.”
Elaine was then diagnosed in April 2024 following a CT scan and an MRI.
‘It’s had such a huge impact of my life’
However, Elaine has since had to give up her job and driving due to the effects of the stroke worsening. She said she suffers from extreme fatigue and has also “developed double vision and paralysis on my left side”.
Now using a wheelchair, Elaine said the ordeal has had “such a huge impact of my life”.
However, over time she has “learned coping strategies” and has regular MRIS, as well as weekly trips to a rehabilitation day centre – something she said has “been a real turning point” for her.
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