"This service was an absolute lifeline to me"

I had a history of severe migraine from about 5 year old . They worsened over the years, but  I could still live reasonably normal life and work and have relationships etc. after having unvaccinated covid at the start of the pandemic, my head got really bad and vertigo was a new symptom .

I had a few falls as result of this and one of them severe and knocked myself out for quite some time. My headaches were constant, extreme vertigo , vomiting etc .

Was referred to the headache clinic at neurology in QEUH. It took long time as waiting lists long and was in bed all the time. Was awful. The pain was relentless, couldn’t even sleep to escape it,  did not really want to be here any more .

Neurology nurses are amazing and I started to get Botox for migraine and my neck. Took about year, but started getting some relief. Dr Dani asked if I would like referred to psychologist, to help deal with what life is like now. I was very grateful to try .

Community treatment centre for brain injury, Dr Goudie, clinical psychologist sessions began. It was on video calls which were great as I was only able to leave house for hospital appointments, so don’t think I would have managed .

This service was an absolute lifeline to me and Nicola helped me find ways of coping and gave me practical tools to literally get through the day. I started to see a glimmer of hope, something that was gone …

Dr Goudie is very knowledgeable and resourceful and has wonderful way of finding solutions . My head would be bad after session from talking and thinking, I’d be worried I’d forget all this helpful advice in a haze of pain and anxiety. Dr Goudie was on to that too, an e mail would follow summarising all the useful points we’d discussed .  

I have them all still to refer to and use them often. I am so grateful to Dr Goudie for her knowledge, patience, kindness and humour, and shining a wee light into the darkness.

Thank you .