AN ENGLISH teacher who nearly died on her wedding night from a rare disease is sharing her experience with others after recovering.
Shenfield High School's Sarah Thomas, 30, spent six weeks in agony before being diagnosed with a condition called Central Nervous System Vasculitis.
She suffered a series of strokes and fell gravely ill while in Cyprus for her wedding and it was only after she was flown back to the UK and taken to Queens Hospital in Romford that her illness was diagnosed.
She now wants to warn others about the vasculitis group of diseases to try to help people get early diagnosis.
Mrs Thomas, who lives in Dagenham with husband Dean, 37, had suffered with joint and muscle pain for several years.
However, it was in August 2011, when she travelled to Paphos to marry Mr Thomas that matters came to a head.
"When I arrived in the morning I started to get stomach pains which worsened and became severe," she said. "I was put into hospital and they couldn't work out what was wrong with me.
"They let me out to get married for six hours before I had to return and I spent my wedding night there.
"They released me a few days later and that's when it all got worse – I had strokes and was put back in hospital. They decided I wasn't allowed home unless a doctor took me."
A doctor escorted Mrs Thomas on a flight back to the UK and once she arrived she was taken to Queen's Hospital. She said: "I went back to hospital where they put me in a stroke unit and I was the youngest by three decades.
"Thankfully, a neurologist had read into vasculitis and thought I should be tested for it.
"Finally, after six weeks in hospital I got a diagnosis."
Mrs Thomas explained how she was affected.
"I lost my speech and still have nerve damage in my hands and feet," she said.
"Being an English teacher it was quite embarrassing when Year 7s were better at writing than me."
She added: "I am very thankful that the school has supported me and helped me get back into work – you need to focus on something.
"I lost part of what I thought I could do. It's taken some counselling and time – now I know I have to constantly go to the doctors and am on medication and pills to keep my immune system in check.
Mrs Thomas said that the charity Vasculitis UK had been a great support for her, particularly in the aftermath of her time in hospital.
She said: "The cause of the condition is unknown and it seems it can strike at any time.
"More research needs to be carried out and the charity Vasculitis UK is trying to get more money to do that research – the more the better."
Mrs Thomas added: "Up until ten to 15 years ago the percentage of those living beyond the first two years was 20 per cent, but now it's more around 70 per cent. I want to make people aware and try to help out the charity.
"When you type the condition into Google you find horrifying things when you just want some good news.
"Speaking to the charity, particularly John Mills who runs it and also has vasculitis, was nice – it's good to talk to people that have it and could say they understand."
Mrs Thomas' husband Dean, 37, recalled what it was like during the most traumatic stage of his wife's illness.
"I was running on automatic, focusing on the time at hand," he said.
"The arduous part was waiting for diagnosis, not knowing what was happening and how it would affect our lives in the long term.
"I can't thank the staff at the Royal Artemis Hospital in Paphos and the staff on Sahara A ward at Queens Hospital, Romford, enough."
Mrs Thomas' mum Debbie Hewitt, 56, from Wokingham in Berkshire, struggled to explain how she felt seeing her daughter suffer.
She said: "It is hard to express such fear, anxiety and sheer heartbreak to have seen her suffering as she has.
"In looking back I am so pleased we all took that trip to Cyprus as I believe without all the tests and care my daughter was given there we may never have found out that she was suffering from vasculitis."
Mrs Thomas is planning to organise a walk along the Thames in June for people with vasculitis.
She said: "You generally don't hear of people with vasculitis walking long distances."
For more information visit www.vasculitis.org.uk
