A Royal Navy veteran has spoken of how she suffered severe neurological damage and now has to use a wheelchair after being repeatedly prescribed an anti-sickness drug by her GP.
Petra Walker-Barrera, 68, from Dover, Kent, who claims she has been 'robbed of her life', is no longer able to smile and suffers issues with her movement, speech and vision after she was repeatedly given metoclopramide, a drug intended to combat nausea. Despite NHS guidance that the medicine should not be taken for a period of more than five days, Ms Walker-Barrera was repeatedly given the drug from 2008 all the way to 2019.
Ms Walker-Barrera reported serious health concerns to doctors multiple times over the years, but each time was dismissed as having anxiety and her problems weren't linked to the drug until it was too late. In 2019, a specialist neurologist finally identified the cause, but by then, the damage was irreversible. Now, she is unable to clean, cook or even do her own makeup.
Petra Walker-Barrera worked in the Navy as a radio operator from the age of 16 (Courtesy Petra Walker-Barrera / SWNS)
The mum of four and grandma has now been left with sever neurological issues after being repeatedly prescribed a drug (Courtesy Petra Walker-Barrera / SWNS)The grandma, who worked on a cruise-ship after her naval career, eventually took legal action over her treatment and was awarded a settlement, lawyers Slater Gordon confirmed. She said: "What happened has robbed me of my life. It's truly taken my life away.
"I can no longer do things for myself. I constantly have to rely on people - even for something like cooking a meal. I've had to come to terms with being in a wheelchair. I don't want people to see me like that. I also lost my job on a cruise ship - because you can't work at sea if you're disabled. And I've worked at sea all my life."
Hospitals run out of oxygen and mortuaries full amid NHS chaos
Losing her job and at-sea lifestyle has been particularly hard for the mother of four, who worked as a radio operator in the Navy from the age of 16 until she married at 21. Later escaping an abusive relationship, she returned to the water to work in relations and accounts on cruise ships.
She said: "It's really upsetting because I've been at sea my whole life and I can't do that anymore, because if the ship was in trouble I would no longer be able to help. I also feel like I've lost my identity because in my roles I had to be well-dressed and take pride in my appearance.
Ms Walker-Barrera has been 'at sea her whole life' but is now unable to walk or do every day tasks alone (Courtesy Petra Walker-Barrera / SWNS)"But now, I cannot wear nice shoes because my feet have twisted inwards, and I cannot put make-up on because I can't use my hands. I decided to dye my hair red because it helped me feel in control."
Ms Walker-Barrera now has a deep-brain stimulation device, which uses artificial electrical currents to the neurons in the brain which helps her control her speech and movement. However, she will be left with the effects of the drug for the rest of her life, including a heart defect and neurological movement disorders tardive dystonia and dyskinesia. She wants to warn others of the dangers of long-term of metoclopramide.
She said: "I want people to realise how dangerous this drug is. And I want GPs to start listening to patients and stop this practice of endless repeat prescriptions. I was told so many times that my symptoms were anxiety, or because I was a woman, or because of my age.
"This was because GPs would only listen to one symptom at a time - and I was never given reviews for my medication. I'm fearful that this will cost someone their life - if it hasn't already. And it will affect so many people."
Ms Walker-Barrera worked on cruise ships after leaving the Navy when she was 21 (Courtesy Petra Walker-Barrera / SWNS)
She now lives with a heart condition and debilitating symptoms but wants to warn other about the risk of repeat prescriptions (Courtesy Petra Walker-Barrera / SWNS)Ms Walker-Barrera stressed that the effects of the drug haven't only affected her, but those around her too. She said: "It's important to think about the fact that this hasn't just impacted my life - it's also impacted the lives of my children who have had to take on the roles of carers"
She mentioned how the situation has weakened her faith in UK healthcare, saying: "When the NHS was set up, it was brilliant. But it's changed - and not for the better. And I think things are going wrong at GP level. Doctors aren't picking issues up like they're supposed to and things like this happen. Now, I cost the NHS a lot of money with all my care."
She added: "But that all could have been prevented if someone had listened to me - and if doctors hadn't prescribed me with a drug for much, much longer than they were ever supposed to."
Ms Walker-Barrera had a deep-brain stimulator implanted to help with her neurological symptoms (Courtesy Petra Walker-Barrera / SWNS)Ms Walker Barrera added that the sum she received in her settlement will never fix what she has lost and now mourns the loss of her own life. "I was asked by legal teams to submit details about my loss of earnings, but it wasn't just the pay. It was the lifestyle. It was being at sea. It was being able to take my children on cruises in the Caribbean.
Mystic Mag's 2023 predictions include strikes, sleaze, self pity and separation
"You can't quantify the loss of something like that."
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
