MY HEALTH EXPERIENCE:Tara Keane was struck down with a mysterious virus which resulted in part of her foot being amputated. This is her story, as told to LORNA SIGGINS
THIS TIME last year I was working as a training consultant with Pfizer in Dublin, doing a little photographic work on the side to supplement my income.
I thought that some day I would like to quit my day job and work full-time as a photographer but never quite made the leap at that time as I had a mortgage and other financial commitments.
But it was to happen in another completely unexpected way. Last September I contracted a virus which I initially thought was the flu – but it turned out to be much more serious.
I didn’t want to go running to the doctor, but after about 10 days of being very ill I had to call the GP to the house – he agreed with my diagnosis and prescribed antibiotics.
My condition deteriorated rapidly over the next couple of days and I eventually called an ambulance. I was taken to St James’s Hospital and subsequently transferred to the Mater.
Everything after that is a blur. I woke up a month later, unable to move or speak, connected to so many tubes, machines and monitors that it was hard for anyone to get close to the bed without tripping over.
I was on so much medication when I came to that I suffered some pretty horrific hallucinations. It really was a terrifying experience.
A friend who is a nurse came in to see me in intensive care, and he knew that the most serious cases were in a small cubicle at the end. He couldn’t believe it when he realised that this was where I was. At that stage, I was on life support, having suffered several cardiac arrests and multi-organ failure. I was even on the heart transplant list for a while.
Doctors were forced to treat my condition aggressively to save my life and, as a result, there were complications.
There were concerns that I had suffered brain damage but thankfully that was not the case, although my short-term memory has been affected.
I also developed a blood clot in my leg which led to the amputation of half my foot and I had to have a defibrillator implanted as my heart function has been severely compromised.
The road to recovery has been painfully slow. I was dependent on the nurses and care assistants for everything, even down to turning over in bed. I was blown away by their dedication to the patients in their care.
It was hard for me to adjust, being so helpless, until one of the nurses reminded me that you leave your dignity at the door on your way in, and collect it again on your way home.
The physiotherapists at the Mater were brilliant also, in firmly but gently pushing me to do a little more every day than I thought I could. There were tears all round when I took my first tentative steps again.
I gradually regained my strength and I was finally released from hospital last January after a stay of four months.
My sister Fiona and her husband have been taking very good care of me since I was discharged. We are so much closer as a result of my illness – I honestly don’t know how I could have coped without them.
They put their own lives on hold for me. Fiona even gave up work to be with me, and she never left my bedside. My aunt and uncle were fantastic too, visiting every day with home-cooked meals.
I’ve now progressed from the wheelchair to two crutches and I hope that I’ll eventually be able to walk unaided.
They never did diagnose the virus. I had been in Africa the previous year but my doctors don’t think I picked it up there – I guess I’ll never know.
I was in a state of total shock when this happened, but I am over that now and I’m just keen to get on with my life.
Since I had all this time on my hands, I thought I would try to make a go of my photography business. I approached RTÉ radio’s The Business programme, looking for a mentor.
They put me in touch with Gerry Kennelly, the founder of Stockbyte in Kerry, who has been very helpful in terms of advice and introducing me to people who are willing to share their time and knowledge with me.
Photographers such as Gerry O’Leary, George Doyle and Belfast-based photographer Ciaran O’Neill have been very helpful with time and advice. I’m at the stage now where I have a specialist service to offer.
I’m photographing babies and young children in their own homes, giving parents the option of studio-quality portraits, without the hassle of dragging their family to a studio.
The result is a session that is fun, and portraits that capture a child’s personality.
I suppose it helps that I love being around children and I can quickly develop a good rapport with my younger subjects.
I am now doing “a year in a their life”, where I visit a newborn baby three or four times during their first year and produce a leather-bound book of portraits.
I may have to face further surgery to give me back the functionality I’ve lost, as the prosthetic I’m wearing has been painful lately. A new one is being designed, so I’ll wait and see how it works out before I even contemplate another amputation.
I try not to dwell on my experience, as I’ve met so many people in rehab who have had far worse experiences than I.
And I know that one way or another I am going to walk again – and I am looking forward to developing my career in photography.”
www.keaneeyephotography.com; e-mail keaneeye photography@mac.com