Woman shares footage of terrifying paralysis attacks
A BRAVE woman has shared harrowing footage of the terrifying paralysis attacks she suffers, which can sometimes leave her paralysed from the neck down and suffering strokelike symptoms.
Lauren Harris is sharing her story online in the hope of helping others suffering with similar symptoms.
The attacks, which initially occurred up to 30 times a day, leave her looking “possessed”, causing her face to drop, eyes to flicker and body to shake, twist and contort.
Lauren says hopes she had of having more children have been left “shattered” by the condition, which she fears may be genetic.
But stumped.
Medics are yet to officially diagnose Lauren, but consultants think the 27-year-old may be suffering from a “severe delayed reaction” to recreational drugs she took as a teen.
One consultant suggested the former cook, from Brackla in Bridgend, may be suffering with a form of Dystonia – a chronic muscle movement disorder which may, in some cases, develop in reaction to previous drug exposure.
“As I’m sat thinking about my life I’ve taken a lot of thought about sharing my story with everyone and hopefully it will be able to help someone,” doctors are Lauren said. “On October 6 (2015) my world was turned upside down when I was rushed to hospital with stroke-like symptoms.
“I was in extreme pain all down the left side of my face, my eye and eyebrow had dropped and I could barely open my eye at all.
“When I got to the hospital I failed to pass the simple smiling test as the left side would not move at all.”
Soon Lauren’s condition began deteriorating and she started to feel extremely weak.
It eventually led to her being unable to walk without assistance.
“As the days went by and the facial paralysis became more strong, I realised my legs started to feel weak.
“Before I knew it I was unable to walk. My legs were stuck in a bent position I had no power over them and could barely walk at all without the help of a nurse, family member or a wheelchair.
“The wheelchair was the worst part. I wondered if I would end up having to sit in a chair for the rest of my life.”
Lauren underwent a number of tests, including an MRI scan, two CT scans and several painful lumbar punctures. But she was left none the wiser.
“The months that followed where the hardest times of my life,” she said.
“For the first four months there wasn’t a day that went by without it happening.”
It was initially suggested that Lauren could be suffering with hemiplegic migraines (hemiplegic means paralysis on one side of the body), but other medical professionals were so stumped by her condition they thought she might be suffering from mental health issues.
Lauren was eventually referred to a Parkinson’s specialist who suggested she may be suffering from a form of dystonia, a movement disorder in which a person’s muscles contract uncontrollably.
“There’s all different kinds of it,” Lauren said.
“Mine is a very rare case – doctors think I may have up to three or four kinds of it.”
She added: “When you look up dystonia, it says the condition can be genetic and can lie dormant for a number of years.
“But there’s a chance it can be triggered as a delayed reaction to taking drugs or suffering a trauma.”
Lauren says she’s always been “completely honest” about her drug taking – which started at the age of 13 and included taking “ecstasy, powder, amphetamines and weed”.
“Things at home weren’t good – I had moved away from Coventry to the Valleys,” she said, adding: “I’m not one to blame other people. I took those drugs myself.” Lauren stopped taking drugs at the age of 19, following the birth of her daughter Keria – who’s now seven.
Since her last consultation, Lauren says the attacks have become less frequent but are becoming increasingly harder to deal with.
The condition became so difficult to deal with that Lauren said it pushed her into a deep depression and she eventually tried to take an overdose.
Lauren is now learning to cope with the condition and says she has “good days and bad days”.
Describing the attacks, she said: “If this was the 1800s I would be burnt at the stake - I look possessed.”
But Lauren says she’s determined not to let the condition take over and is making every effort to carry on with normal life.
Lauren’s consultant has now asked her to document her attacks by taking videos and pictures.
She says there’s a chance she may have to undergo open brain surgery in London, an operation which would see her awake as surgeons operate.Lauren has also spoken openly about her experience on social media in the hope of helping others who may be going through similar experiences.