Abscess

Therese Coffey has said she " came close to dying" after The stress of being a government minister left her with a brain Abscess .

The Suffolk MP said she spent a month in hospital after she started hallucinating and slurring her words.

She says she now tries to " live in The moment" after giving up The pressure of her role as a minister.

A brain Abscess is caused by " pus-filled swelling in The Brain ".

The 52-year-old believes she started to became ill in 2018 because she " overdid it and burnt The Candle at both ends".

" Michael [Gove] had come in [as environment secretary] and had really upped The pace and was really pushing on a variety of issues, and we were working very long hours trying to get stuff done and really trying to make a difference, " she told The Paper .

Ms Coffey remembered first noticing symptoms and feeling not " quite myself" around This Time , But brushed it off as brain fog.

However, on The Day of The Local elections of 3 May 2018, she began to realise " something was badly wrong".

" I can always tell when I'm not well because I don't eat, But also when I dragged myself out to vote, I couldn't actually remember exactly where I lived, " She Said .

Her sister, Clare, who has worked in her parliamentary office as a secretary since 2015, phoned St Thomas' Hospital in London and she was told to come in.

After a scan was performed, doctors discovered there was an Abscess on her brain.

Ms Coffey said she spent a month recovering in hospital and was unable to drive for The Next year due to losing " aspects" of her memory.

" I couldn't remember The Words for certain things. I can remember thinking… I can't remember what these thing are. It was slippers, and it still happens now. "

Ms Coffey admitted work had been a source of worry - Even in The First moments after surgery.

" Almost my first thought was, 'I Am going to have to resign as a minister'. I guess that just goes to show The kind of pressure I was feeling, " She Said .

She served in a few cabinet positions over The Past few years - including as health secretary under former Prime Minster Liz Truss - But resigned as environment secretary last month, and now " lives in The moment" and " grabs opportunities".

" I do value life more now than ever. I came close to dying, and I think Looking Back that if My Sister hadn't phoned St Thomas' [Hospital] and they hadn't done that scan, I probably would have been dead in a matter of days, " She Said .

Source of news: bbc.com