Joanna, Retired Nz Reg Nurse. Northland, NZ.

I fought tooth and nail against having the MRNA experimental and only provisionally approved Covid vaccine. Sadly I caved when I was isolated from friends and all my family by the Auckland Wall.

I am a NZ reg nurse and not anti vaccinations.

Eight days after the 2nd jab, as I woke to open the blinds I felt an excruciating pain in my neck and across my shoulders. I thought it was muscle cramp and tried to relax. However within minutes I lost feeling and strength in both hands and arms. I called for help as I was unable to dial 111.

I was calm as the ambulance medics assisted me. I naively thought I must have a vertebrae collapse/injury in my neck and surgery would fix that and I'd be as good as new.

I was admitted under the surgical team who ordered Xrays etc. They couldn't explain my symptoms and referred me to the neurology team. Their investigations showed a clot with 32mm damage. A cervical Ischaemic infarction and PICA, medical term. They hunted high and low for the origin of the clot, for the next 3 days, each and every specialist denying that ‘the mysterious clot' could be related to the Mrna vaccine.

I was unable to feed myself or tend to my hygiene cares. It was distressing and humiliating.

Eventually I was told that I'd had a Stroke. I was shocked and distressed, as I'd thought ‘they' would be able to fix me, now I had to fix myself and I wept on my daughters shoulder.

Again I asked, could this be vaccine related? The smug registrar sat on the end of the bed and said, ” Well millions of doses have now been administered and thousands of lives have been saved, it would be silly to think that there wouldn't be some who have adverse effects” I was basically considered collateral damage .

Four days later after a number of serious burn injuries due to loss of sensation, I developed severe burning pain in both arms and hands. I sort of welcomed this as I thought, great my nerves are regenerating and I'm starting to heal, however that was not the case. I was discharged 2 weeks later, struggling to remain independent but needed help with all aspects of my life. My neighbour's and friends helped as able but my life had changed for ever. I couldn't pick up my 2yr granddaughter or walk my little dog.

My diagnosis was a Rare stroke syndrome and no-one wanted to know. No out patients clinic follow up and I didn't ‘fit' with the Stroke foundation. On one and on one wanted to know or offered me help, apart from a shower stool which they came for after 6wks.

I live with neuralgic pain, 24/7 and take pills and more pills with only some relief. Because of the permanent numbness in my finger tips, I can no longer play a uke or banjolele well and I regularly drop mahjong tiles which I love to play. I have improvised with my chores around my home to remain independent but need to pay to have grass and hedges cut.

But I'm able to drive myself again and pull the finger at ACC who used every excuse and a low down ‘External Independent, ACC paid, Specialist' to deny me help for ‘Treatment Injury'