Gogglebox star Elaine Cooper has opened up about a terrifying moment in which she suddenly lost total vision whilst driving.
The 56-year-old had been suffering bouts of forgetfulness and sight loss, which turned out to be an undetected brain bleed from a hemorrhagic stroke that had been there for 10 weeks.
"I struggled to make sense of the world around me," the retired music teacher told NeedToKnow.
"I was completely shocked and heartbroken. They told me part of my brain had been irreversibly damaged," explained the Channel 4 star, who made her debut in season 22 with her son Seb from their home in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire.
"And as there wasn't anything they could do, this was just who I was now," she continued. "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."
Elaine, who had her diagnosis confirmed in April 2024 following a CT scan and an MRI, went on to explain that when her vision was blurry when it eventually returned and when she managed to get home, she suffered a "pounding" headache.
© Channel 4Elaine became increasingly concerned after she began forgetting her friends' names and how to fill up her car.
"It was terrifying not remembering how to do the simplest of tasks – I truly thought I was losing my mind," said Elaine.
Elaine's recovery
Due to the worsening effects of the stroke, Elaine had to give up driving and her job and still suffers from "extreme fatigue".
"I've also developed double vision and paralysis on my left side," revealed the TV star.
© Channel 4"It's had such a huge impact on my life. I've had to accept that I must use a wheelchair for anything other than moving very short distances," she continued.
However, Elaine has learned "coping strategies" over time and has even been able to attend a few gigs.
She also has regular MRI scans and attends a weekly rehabilitation day centre, which she said has been "a real turning point".
She added: I hate relying on people for the simplest of things, but acceptance is the biggest barrier. It's still scary, but slowly and surely, I'm getting back to some version of the old me."
