You are never truly alone.
As the coal miners of Great Britain began their year-long industrial action for better pay, a London woman -who'll
we'll call 'Anna' was sitting at home quietly reading. The snow had eased-up in early January and now it was just
one of those regular grey, miserable days that the UK was known for. The year was 1984.
Turning a page of her favourite book in the solitude of her family home, Anna became suddenly terrified as she
heard a incorporeal voice.
"Please don't be afraid. I know it must be shocking for you to hear me speaking to you like this, but this is the
easiest way I could think of.
My friend and I used to work at the Children's Hospital, Great Ormond Street, and we would like to help you."
To say Anna was dumbfounded would certainly not be the correct expression, a mysterious polite voice in an empty
room wasn't something the married woman enjoyed during her perusal of literature. Stifling a fit of panic, Anna aimed
her focus back on the book on her lap and when the voice spoke again, she suddenly realised it was in her head.
The terrified woman was certain now, she strongly believed she had simply 'gone mad'.
Anna had heard of the specialised Hospital in London, but unaware of the location and knew she had never visited it.
Her own children were fine and had no health issues, her husband -who was at work at the time, also had no concerning
medical condition. The voice reiterated ''To help you see that we are sincere, we would like you to check out the following''
and told Anna three separate pieces of information, which she did not possess at the time.
Even though the shaking Anna realised she needed to seek help of some kind, she went to look for evidence of the offered
undisclosed information and found that they were true. Nonetheless, all of this was still disturbing and so Anna made an
appointment with a nearby hospital.
After a check-up, the Doctors told the worried woman that she may be suffering from a type of anxiety and that rest would be
the best course of action. Anna disagreed and was so convinced by the mild-mannered vocalizations, she sought a meeting
with a psychiatrist.
Consultant psychiatrist Mr Ikechukwu Azuonye wrote about his treatment of the woman in the British Medical Journal.
In his essay, Mr Azuonye stated his patient had no previous illnesses, she'd been born in continental Europe in the mid-1940s,
and had settled in Britain in the late 1960s.
After receiving sessions of counselling and administering of some medication, Mr Azuonye said Anna appeared to be
cured of the hallucinatory utterances and looked relieved that her world had finally returned to normal.
To fortify the psychiatrist's and Anna's belief that the voice had gone, her jubilant husband organised an overseas vacation
for his wife, himself and their children. Lying in the warm sun with the ocean's waves soothing her body, Anna suddenly heard
a familiar sound in her head. This time there were two voices.
Staring around at her unaware family, the two voices spoke with a tone of urgency and told Anna that she must return to England
and seek a brain-scan. The pair of unknown speakers also stated an appropriate address to obtain such a procedure.
After explaining to her dubious husband that she believed there was a real problem, the family reluctantly returned to England
and Anna contacted the London address that the voice in her head had provided. However, a brain-scan -or CT Scan, being
such an expensive measure at the time, the specific department at the hospital declined Anna's request and told her she needed
to be recommended by a medical professional.
During the car ride to the hospital with her husband, Anna was told by the voices where to go and to ask to have a brain scan
for two reasons. The voices said she had a tumour in her brain and her brain stem was inflamed.
Anna pleaded with the consultant neurosurgeon and after being refused again, the frantic woman returned to Mr Azuonye for advice.
Realising that the tomography scan would be the only way to possibly quell Anna's mental concerns, the psychiatrist telephoned the
particular department and gave his approval.
The initial findings led to a repeat scan with enhancement scanning and after this secondary examination of Anna's skull, a left
posterior frontal parafalcine mass, which extended through the falx to the right side of her brain was discovered.
The Doctors ordered an immediate operation -which of course, the voices told Anna that they were fully in agreement with that
decision.
These were the notes of the operation, carried out in May 1984:
'A large left frontal bone flap extending across the midline was turned following a bifrontal skin flap incision.
Meningioma about 2.5" by 1.5" in size arose from the falx and extended through to the right side
A small area of tumour appeared on the medial surface of the brain.
The tumour was dissected out and removed completely along with its origins in the falx.'and after a short while,
she would fully recover.'
Surrounded by her family, as Anna regained consciousness after the operation, the mysterious voices spoke for the final time.
They told her: "We are pleased to have helped you. Goodbye."
As the coal miners of Great Britain began their year-long industrial action for better pay, a London woman -who'll
we'll call 'Anna' was sitting at home quietly reading. The snow had eased-up in early January and now it was just
one of those regular grey, miserable days that the UK was known for. The year was 1984.
Turning a page of her favourite book in the solitude of her family home, Anna became suddenly terrified as she
heard a incorporeal voice.
"Please don't be afraid. I know it must be shocking for you to hear me speaking to you like this, but this is the
easiest way I could think of.
My friend and I used to work at the Children's Hospital, Great Ormond Street, and we would like to help you."
To say Anna was dumbfounded would certainly not be the correct expression, a mysterious polite voice in an empty
room wasn't something the married woman enjoyed during her perusal of literature. Stifling a fit of panic, Anna aimed
her focus back on the book on her lap and when the voice spoke again, she suddenly realised it was in her head.
The terrified woman was certain now, she strongly believed she had simply 'gone mad'.
Anna had heard of the specialised Hospital in London, but unaware of the location and knew she had never visited it.
Her own children were fine and had no health issues, her husband -who was at work at the time, also had no concerning
medical condition. The voice reiterated ''To help you see that we are sincere, we would like you to check out the following''
and told Anna three separate pieces of information, which she did not possess at the time.
Even though the shaking Anna realised she needed to seek help of some kind, she went to look for evidence of the offered
undisclosed information and found that they were true. Nonetheless, all of this was still disturbing and so Anna made an
appointment with a nearby hospital.
After a check-up, the Doctors told the worried woman that she may be suffering from a type of anxiety and that rest would be
the best course of action. Anna disagreed and was so convinced by the mild-mannered vocalizations, she sought a meeting
with a psychiatrist.
Consultant psychiatrist Mr Ikechukwu Azuonye wrote about his treatment of the woman in the British Medical Journal.
In his essay, Mr Azuonye stated his patient had no previous illnesses, she'd been born in continental Europe in the mid-1940s,
and had settled in Britain in the late 1960s.
After receiving sessions of counselling and administering of some medication, Mr Azuonye said Anna appeared to be
cured of the hallucinatory utterances and looked relieved that her world had finally returned to normal.
To fortify the psychiatrist's and Anna's belief that the voice had gone, her jubilant husband organised an overseas vacation
for his wife, himself and their children. Lying in the warm sun with the ocean's waves soothing her body, Anna suddenly heard
a familiar sound in her head. This time there were two voices.
Staring around at her unaware family, the two voices spoke with a tone of urgency and told Anna that she must return to England
and seek a brain-scan. The pair of unknown speakers also stated an appropriate address to obtain such a procedure.
After explaining to her dubious husband that she believed there was a real problem, the family reluctantly returned to England
and Anna contacted the London address that the voice in her head had provided. However, a brain-scan -or CT Scan, being
such an expensive measure at the time, the specific department at the hospital declined Anna's request and told her she needed
to be recommended by a medical professional.
During the car ride to the hospital with her husband, Anna was told by the voices where to go and to ask to have a brain scan
for two reasons. The voices said she had a tumour in her brain and her brain stem was inflamed.
Anna pleaded with the consultant neurosurgeon and after being refused again, the frantic woman returned to Mr Azuonye for advice.
Realising that the tomography scan would be the only way to possibly quell Anna's mental concerns, the psychiatrist telephoned the
particular department and gave his approval.
The initial findings led to a repeat scan with enhancement scanning and after this secondary examination of Anna's skull, a left
posterior frontal parafalcine mass, which extended through the falx to the right side of her brain was discovered.
The Doctors ordered an immediate operation -which of course, the voices told Anna that they were fully in agreement with that
decision.
These were the notes of the operation, carried out in May 1984:
'A large left frontal bone flap extending across the midline was turned following a bifrontal skin flap incision.
Meningioma about 2.5" by 1.5" in size arose from the falx and extended through to the right side
A small area of tumour appeared on the medial surface of the brain.
The tumour was dissected out and removed completely along with its origins in the falx.'and after a short while,
she would fully recover.'
Surrounded by her family, as Anna regained consciousness after the operation, the mysterious voices spoke for the final time.
They told her: "We are pleased to have helped you. Goodbye."
Edith Head Gives Good Wardrobe.