UK Member of Parliament Therese Coffey has disclosed how dealing with the pressures of her role as a government minister left her with a brain abscess that almost killed her. The Suffolk MP was hospitalised for a month after she developed symptoms of hallucinations and slurred speech. Coffey believes the illness was brought about by pushing herself too hard while working as a minister, with longer hours and increasingly pressurising demands. Coffey has since given up her ministerial role and now chooses to try and “live in the moment” instead of pushing herself.
Coffey’s illness was caused by a pus-filled swelling in her brain, which is the definition of a brain abscess. The condition is caused by fungi or bacteria entering the brain tissue due to an infectious disease or severe head injury. Symptoms can include paralysis, changes in mental state, headaches, high body temperature, seizures, and physical weakness, among other things. The condition is extremely serious and can be fatal.
Coffey began noticing symptoms of her illness in 2018, but ignored them in favour of continuing to work long hours. She eventually went to the hospital on a day when local elections were taking place, when she found it difficult to remember where she lived. Doctors discovered the abscess and Coffey spent a month recovering in the hospital. After leaving, she faced significant problems with her memory and could not drive for a year.
Despite the life-threatening nature of her illness, Coffey says that she initially worried about the impact of her absence on her ministerial role, illustrating just how much pressure she was under. Nowadays, however, she says that she values life more than ever and is determined to enjoy it
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