This story is strange and very sad for the lady suffering, but I could not help but laugh at the "terrifying" quote.
She lives in Bristol and works in Bath. But Louise Clarke became convinced she was French.Link via Lucianne.A rare brain disorder left the 30-year-old recruitment consultant believing she was living in Paris.
She started speaking French all the time, rang her friends to invite them to stay in the French capital - and asked to eat croissants.
She was also plagued by migraines and hallucinations and ended up so confused that her worried family took her to hospital.
After months of tests, she became one of only 200 people in the world to be diagnosed with Susac's Syndrome.
The disorder is thought to be brought on by stress and affects the brain, ears and eyes, mainly among young women. In Miss Clarke's case, it appears to have brought back memories from when she was living in France four years ago and confused them with the present.
"It might sound funny to others, but suddenly thinking you are French is terrifying," she said.
In October 2004, she began to become confused, disorientated and suffered cloudy vision. "It started with migraines and hallucinations," she said. "I eventually got so confused that my sister took me to A&E.
"I was gabbling away in French in my hospital bed. It was a really tough time for my family.
"At one point, my sister discovered I had phoned all my friends and told them to come and visit me in Paris. She had to ring them all back to explain what had happened." Miss Clarke also thought she was in Vietnam, a country she had visited a few months before she became ill.
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Comments (13)
"It might sound fu... (Below threshold)1. Posted by Old Coot | December 13, 2006 2:33 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Doesn't sound funny to me. Geeze, wake up one morning and find yourself a stinky-cheese eating surrender-monkey? And then find John Kerrey trying to hook-up with me? Yeah, really funny.
1. Posted by Old Coot | December 13, 2006 2:33 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on December 13, 2006 14:33
2. Posted by DBO | December 13, 2006 2:33 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
I can think of nothing more terrifying then suddenly thinking that you are French...
2. Posted by DBO | December 13, 2006 2:33 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on December 13, 2006 14:33
3. Posted by Steve Crickmore | December 13, 2006 3:07 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Yes, but at least you would think you are living in Paris, rather than having to commute to Bristol every day or being stuck in Vietnam.
3. Posted by Steve Crickmore | December 13, 2006 3:07 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on December 13, 2006 15:07
4. Posted by Lee | December 13, 2006 3:09 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
DiSCLAIMER: The views expressed by the far-right wingnuts in the GOP party are not necessarily those of the American citizenry.
We now return you to our broadcast of "Who Do I Hate", already in progress....
4. Posted by Lee | December 13, 2006 3:09 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on December 13, 2006 15:09
5. Posted by SShiell | December 13, 2006 3:16 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
"We now return you to our broadcast of "Who Do I Hate", already in progress...."
Lee - You are a PIECE OF SHIT and I HATE YOU. Make you feel any better there bubba?
5. Posted by SShiell | December 13, 2006 3:16 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on December 13, 2006 15:16
6. Posted by IllTemperedCur | December 13, 2006 3:24 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Now now. There ARE good, brave Frenchies out there. Like Pepe LePew and.....uuuuhhhh......
Okay, she's terminal.
6. Posted by IllTemperedCur | December 13, 2006 3:24 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on December 13, 2006 15:24
7. Posted by HERMIE | December 13, 2006 3:57 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Maybe that was what John Kerry was suffering from when he made his 'Christmas in Cambodia'.
Which also explains his unnatural obsession with the French.
7. Posted by HERMIE | December 13, 2006 3:57 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on December 13, 2006 15:57
8. Posted by Old Coot | December 13, 2006 4:14 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Don't hate the trolls, even the dumbest of them. Their self-hatred is what has turned them into drooling idiots. Pity them, shun them, but please...don't hate folks who no longer can control their emotions. Nancy will soon take care of them and perhaps they won't bother us so much.
8. Posted by Old Coot | December 13, 2006 4:14 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on December 13, 2006 16:14
9. Posted by jpm100 | December 13, 2006 4:30 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Quick, call the CDC, I think there's been a break out at the Democratic Leadership as well as a few study groups.
9. Posted by jpm100 | December 13, 2006 4:30 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on December 13, 2006 16:30
10. Posted by SurfinKC | December 13, 2006 4:35 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Didn't the French screw up Vietnam to begin with?
There might be a "connection".
JK. That is a freaky story.
10. Posted by SurfinKC | December 13, 2006 4:35 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on December 13, 2006 16:35
11. Posted by Mnemosyne | December 13, 2006 5:37 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Terrified she's French.
It turns out, she's really John Kerry.
11. Posted by Mnemosyne | December 13, 2006 5:37 PM |
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Posted on December 13, 2006 17:37
12. Posted by mojo | December 13, 2006 6:03 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
"I think I'm turning Froganese,
I think I'm turning Froganese
I really Think so..."
12. Posted by mojo | December 13, 2006 6:03 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on December 13, 2006 18:03
13. Posted by RobRealtor | December 14, 2006 1:30 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Wow, am I terrified:
I might be a french speaking viet-cong insurgent stuck in Fallujah.
Damn.
Adeiu.
13. Posted by RobRealtor | December 14, 2006 1:30 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on December 14, 2006 01:30