Big Brother star Imogen Thomas has been left ‘coughing up blood’ as she issued a warning to her Instagram followers
Imogen Thomas has revealed she contracted a ‘deadly viral infection’.
The Big Brother star, who starred on the show in 2006, took to social media this week to share her terrifying health scare with fans and revealed she was coughing up blood.
Imogen explained that after alerting her doctor, he insisted on calling in paramedics. The TV star was left so unwell that she was unable to eat for nearly a week.
She wrote: “Day 6 in bed. For those mocking the flu this case has been all over the news of how savage it is. I couldn’t breathe so I called my doctor and he called the paramedics.”
Imogen continued: “Drastic I know but I’m so grateful he did because this viral infection has been deadly and scary. Today I’m coughing small amounts of blood. I’m assuming it’s from straining as the cough has been continuous.
“It’s been so painful but I feel grateful it’s happened now and not Christmas when my mum is with me who is vulnerable. I woke up not shaking today so I’m praying this is the start of recovery.”
Imogen also said that her children had fallen ill, however weren’t suffering with as bad a bout of the flu as she did.
She concluded: “I will try and eat today too. It’s been impossible to keep anything down for 6 days! My girls have also had it but not as bad as me so u can imagine my household. Pray for me for a speedy recovery so I can enjoy my time with my family.”
Imogen’s latest health scare comes almost a year after she shared her devastation over the fact her beloved mother had been diagnosed with a major health condition and issued a plea to her fans on social media, asking them to get in touch if they or anyone they knew were living with the same condition as her mum.
Imogen had known about her mother’s Motor Neurone Disease diagnosis for six months. But in January, she felt compelled to share the sad news after watching an episode of Coronation Street.
Fans of the long-running ITV show will know that the character Paul Foreman, played by Peter Ash, had his life shattered by a Motor Neurone Disease diagnosis of his own. The heartbreaking scenes that aired on Corrie hit home for Imogen, who was moved to share her mother’s brave battle.
Taking to Instagram, the Welsh reality star shared a montage of images and videos of her mum. She also wrote an emotional message alongside the montage, revealing: “There is no easy way to say this… Six months ago- Our mum was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND).
“For those who are not aware of MND, it’s an uncommon condition that affects the brain and nerves. It causes weakness that gets worse over time. It’s rapidly progressing, life-threatening condition that affects six people in the UK every single day. The worst part is there’s no cure. It’s been a journey we never expected and hoped it would never be.”
Imogen continued: “Whilst we try to navigate through this difficult time we think it’s important to share because it’s in these moments that we find the strength to raise awareness and for our mum to connect with others who understand what she’s going through. Sometimes Counselling just doesn’t cut it.”
Referencing Corrie, Imogen went on: “The Wednesday’s Coronation Street storyline featuring Paul and Billy struck a chord we never expected. It felt like watching our own emotional rollercoaster, the ups and downs of trying to pin down what’s going on.
“Can you believe we went through three misdiagnoses? Spent a fortune in Harley street to be told anything but MND. We even sent my mum to rehab in Leeds for a month believing she would make a miraculous recovery as she was told she had FND which is a neurological disorder. Looking back now her determination during rehab was incredible.”
Explaining that she’s hoping to ‘connect’ with other people living with MND, Imogen continued: “My sister and I are heartbroken and still in disbelief. It’s hard to wrap our heads around. We just don’t want to believe it. My mum has some great friends. We would love to connect with others in the same situation to share experiences and support each other.”
She added: “We’re trying to stay as positive as possible by ticking off the bucket list… life is short and precious. We are grabbing it with both hands for as long as we can… As I said above my mum and I would love to connect with anyone experiencing the same as us.”
The devastating update provoked a flood of support from followers – with many sharing their own heartbreaking stories. One fan responded, writing: “Make the most of your time together that’s all we can do I’m in the same situation my mum has MS we got to enjoy the good days.”
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