Former Gogglebox star Elaine Cooper has revealed the horrifying moment she lost her sight while driving due to a bleed on the brain which went undetected for weeks
Googlebox star Elaine Cooper says she’s been left with “irreversible” brain damage.
The 56-year-old appeared with her son Seb on the beloved Channel 4 show from 2023 until 2024. They were alongside stars such as Ellie and Izzi Warner, Jenny Newby and Lee Riley, and Pete and Sophie Sandiford on the BAFTA-winning series.
She has now revealed that she suffered an undetected, irreversible bleed on the brain – for which there is no treatment or cure. It led to a harrowing ordeal as she experienced sight loss while driving as she suddenly lost total vision while driving.
Elaine had been experiencing frequent bouts of forgetfulness, but she simply put this down to tiredness and getting older. Unfortunately, the reality was far worse as she had a bleed on her brain from a hemorrhagic stroke that had been there for 10 weeks.
She told NeedToKnow: “I was completely shocked and heartbroken. They told me part of my brain had been irreversibly damaged.
“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.” The medically retired music teacher from Gloucestershire said that everything was blurry when her vision returned.
She had managed to get home, but then suffered a “pounding” headache. It wasn’t until she began forgetting her friends’ names that Elaine realised something must be wrong.
She said: “I had arranged to meet some friends for lunch. As one of my pals walked into the café, I stared at her. I couldn’t think where I knew her from. Then it dawned on me, I had forgotten who she was.
“I had forgotten how to fill up the car a few days before that. A man had to come over and help. I looked so stupid when he easily lifted off the cap.
“It was terrifying not remembering how to do the simplest of tasks – I truly thought I was losing my mind.”
Elaine got her diagnosis confirmed in April 2024 after an MRI and a CT scan. Sadly, the effects of the stroke have worsened as she’s haven to give up driving, her job and doesn’t leave her house much.
She added: “I suffer from extreme fatigue that makes me just so tired. I’ve also developed double vision and paralysis on my left side.
“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.
“But over time, I’ve learned coping strategies to help with my problems. And I’ve been able to attend a few gigs again, too!
“I have regular MRIS and go weekly to a rehabilitation day centre, which has been a real turning point for me. If I hadn’t been offered a place there, I genuinely don’t know what my wellbeing would be like today.
“I live in a rural area, which made me isolated, and the whole aspect of that was very [daunting]. 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.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
