2022 Update - After an initially diagnosis of a virus, when Cheryl collapsed and was rushed to hospital she was shocked to discover she had developed a blood clot on the brain.

Update 2022 - View the original post here

I went back to work in April 2020 on a phase return and slowly built my hours and job tasks up again. I had to have adaptions to my work space, screen, work hours and had to deal with a change in how I worked. My concentration waviers, I become fatigued very easily, I suffer from very bad tinnitus and right side hearing loss following the CVST. I have to be careful with attending meetings with lots of people in them that are talking at once as this can confuse my brain and I become over whelmed and cannot concentrate. My work place adapted to my needs and I slowly begun to see myself returning.

My concentration waviers, I become fatigued very easily

To my husband and I surprise we found out in August 2020 that we were expecting our first child. A very welcome shock for us. The prospect of pregnancy scared me as well as excited me as I had been told that due to the CVST I would need anticoagulation injections throughout the pregnancy and to continue on my seizure medication as well as lots of additional scans and close monitoring due to the risks associated with CVST and pregnancy (this is due to the quick and large rise in pregnancy hormones). I was also at increased risk of having seizures again whilst pregnant. As you can imagine a magical time was soon turned into a very scary journey.

I had been told that due to the CVST I would need anticoagulation injections throughout the pregnancy

The pregnancy was very tough and I spent most of it in hospital, I had to have MRI and a lumbar puncture as it was suspected that the CVST had returned due to some of the symptoms I was experiencing. Luckily the tests were negative and it had not returned but my blood pressure started playing up. I developed pre-eclampsia and my baby was delivered 10 weeks early in January 2021 via emergency caesarean section following am eclamptic seizure, I stopped breathing and required resuscitation before my daughter could even be bought into the world.

it was suspected that the CVST had returned

Both my daughter and I spent a lot of time in hospital following the birth and it was a very difficult time for us as a family. After a long recovery we were both discharged from hospital to go home and start our family life in April 2021.

The last 2 years following the CVST in September 2019 have been very tough on my heath

The last 2 years following the CVST in September 2019 have been very tough on my heath, my mental health, my family and most days have felt like an uphill struggle. The true reality is 'that one day changed everything' and somehow made me into a tough cookie where despite the sheer amount of hard times that came my way I still somehow managed to come out the other side with my beautiful family right by my side.