From the world of Game of Thrones to the dramatic story of Me Before You, and all the way to a galaxy far, far away in Solo: A Star Wars Story, Emilia Clarke has made herself known in some of the world’s largest pop culture properties. With this level of fame and recognition, it’s surprising to find out that she battles with something quite deadly. In an article that Emilia Clarke wrote herself for The New Yorker on March 21 of this year, she opens up about the struggle that she has dealt with since the first season of Game of Thrones. If you are in need of a neurosurgeon, be sure to contact Dr. Yashar to talk with him about any symptoms or concerns you may have.
Emilia’s Battle
Emilia Clarke’s story begins in 2011, right after she finished filming for the hit HBO series, in which she plays one of the most popular characters. Even though her character was one of the strongest females to ever be created, Emilia did not reciprocate that feeling and was quite intimidated by the new level of fame that her character propelled her to. She quite literally felt naked and exposed in front of these responsibilities and developed an anxious side she had not had before, which makes her next obstacle all the harder to overcome.
During a workout session, she felt a headache start, which turned into such searing pain that she was unable to even stand. Like many people who have experienced extreme trauma and distress, she knew right away that something was not right and that it was linked to her brain. She was quickly taken to a hospital, and learned that a very fatal aneurysm had occurred, which required immediate surgery if there was even a chance of recovery. The scary situations of press junkets and crazed fans no longer seemed as dire compared to what she now faced. Like many twenty-four-year-olds, a life-threatening health problem was not even close to being a concern, and the timing was completely inconvenient. An up and coming actress on the rise cut short by an aneurysm was not the way Emilia Clarke wanted to be remembered. In fact, her aspirations her entire life was to be a successful actress, and now that opportunity had arrived, but the looming shadow of mortality hung above her like a dark cloud.
Unbeknownst to Emilia, she had been showing early warning signs her whole life, mistaking low heart rates, low blood pressure, migraines, and even passing out a few times as a normal part of growing up. Emilia recalls a time of true panic during her first recovery from the aneurysm where she couldn’t remember her name, a fatal flaw for any actor whose lifeblood depends on remembering things.
After a month of recovery in the hospital, Emilia was able to make it back to her “normal” life, but the remnants of that aneurysm, and a smaller one that remained shadowed her everywhere. But as a true actor always says, “the show must go on.” Eventually, the doctors advised her to “take care” of the remaining smaller aneurysm, but the surgery did not go according to plan. Emilia was rushed into emergency surgery where they accessed the brain through the skull to try and save her life. Luckily, she was saved, but the recovery was going to be as difficult as the first surgery.
All this time, Emilia dealt with anxiety and depression but was able to keep the incident under wraps because this was her battle to face, and not the worlds to watch. With time comes healing, even the emotional kind, and although the fear of this unspeakable condition may creep up, Emilia has made it back to one hundred percent, and is not wasting her double cheat of death.
She is now an avid proponent for charities dealing with brain trauma and will continue to follow her dreams despite the setbacks she faced. This can be inspirational to all that even when we think we have it rough, there is always hope.
If you are experiencing any symptoms, such as headaches, dizziness, or fainting, be sure to talk to a neurosurgeon to make sure your brain is healthy. Dr. Yashar is one of the top neurosurgeons in the country and can help you catch any early warning signs of brain trauma.
