I am 26 years old and living in Western Australia. I am a stay-at-home mother of three beautiful girls and married to an amazing man.
On January 13th, 2022, the announcement was made by our Premier that to be able to enter certain locations or places you needed to be fully vaccinated.
To be able to visit my own mother in ICU I needed at least two of my vaccines prior to January 31st. Sadly my mother passed away on January 20th after fighting terminal lung cancer for six months.
On January 14th, a day after the announcement was made, I decided it was time to give in and get it because not being able to say goodbye to my mother would have ruined me, as it would have done to many others.
As soon as I entered the walk-in clinic in Bunbury I had a panic attack. The staff did look after me while having this panic attack. I decided the Pfizer would be the one for me. Boy, do I regret that day.
After the vaccination my arm was sore for the day, nothing more apart from being a little tired.
On January 16th, I noticed tingles throughout my toes and fingers. I just ignored it, as I do suffer anxiety so that can be common for me to some degree. January 18th I woke up overnight with a pounding chest, and a pain that felt like someone had taken hold of my heart and was squishing it. I remember having a shower and almost passing out screaming, “Ring an ambulance,” to my husband, as I thought I was having a heart attack.
An ECG was done and my heart was actually okay, but I had a nurse tell me I had pericarditis. She advised me to take some Nurofen and told me I would be right after a few weeks. So I thought, ‘no worries’.
January 20th was the day my mother passed. I noticed my feet were getting tingly but going up my legs, and also my arms started feeling tingly. The chest pain was the same. The next week was a blur of pain and hospital visits, plus another ambulance trip.
This sums up my hospital visits:
- Cardio-vascular, chest wall pain
- Sprain/strain upper limb, elbow
- Cardio-vascular pericarditis
- Cardio-vascular pericarditis
- Aches and pains, generalised
- Aches and pains, generalised
On January 29th it got scary. I started having tonic seizures between January 29th until February 1st. I had eighteen seizures, and the doctors told me there would be more to come, as this would become a part of my everyday life. It turns out I don’t have pericarditis, I actually have FND (functional neurological disorder).
They claimed that my mother’s death is the cause, but if you knew me personally you would know where I stand, and how I feel at peace with my mother’s passing because she is no longer in pain. I was sent home with sleeping tablets and antidepressants and told to rest up and get the mental health support I need to recover.
This isn’t triggered by anxiety. I wake up daily in pain and spasms, even heart palpitations, to be told it’s nothing more than FND.
I honestly don’t know what the future holds for me and my body. I would also like to add I have had to get an exemption from the next vaccine so that I could attend my own mother’s funeral/wake (which happened today) thanks to the mandates.