Kate Garraway has revealed she was rushed to hospital after collapsing backstage at GMB amid husband Derek Draper’s health battle.
TV presenter Kate, 56, recalled the terrifying moment she thought she was having a heart attack in her new book.
Hospitalised after heading into work despite a “sharp and excruciating” pain in her chest, Kate underwent a series of medical tests.
And while she didn’t suffer an attack in that moment, the telly star was warned by a cardiologist that heart issues could not be dismissed.
GMB star Kate Garraway on ‘temporary paralysis’
In an extract from The Strength Of Love published in The Sun, Kate explained early one morning, in November of last year, she woke up for work at GMB but was unable to turn off her alarm. That’s because her arm wouldn’t move as she attempted to silence her 2am wake up alert.
Kate wrote her fists were clenched, with arms over the duvet pointing upwards, as if she was about to take a punch. Kate went on to detail how she eventually managed to roll out of her bed onto her knees despite her “temporary paralysis”.
Like someone had punched their fist through my breastbone, snatched hold of my heart and squeezed.
She said: “There was a searing pain in my chest — as though someone had punched their fist through my breastbone, snatched hold of my heart and squeezed.”
‘I didn’t want to accept it’
Kate vomited before managing to make it into the car taking her to the GMB studios. But she had to ask the driver to pull over so she could vomit again. And Kate was unable to take in anything from her briefing notes for that day’s episode.
Unable to comprehend why her body was reacting in such a fashion, she recalled pondering whether she was having sympathy pains for Covid-stricken husband Derek.
When she arrived at work, Kate said she “collapsed” onto her sofa in her dressing room. A worried producer immediately insisted Kate tell Dr Hilary Jones about her symptoms.
He told her in a phone call to get to hospital. But at that point Kate felt she was still going to co-host the show. “I didn’t want to accept it. Keeping going and being the resilient one was what I clung on to,” Kate sadly admitted.
‘Doctors are now keeping an eye on it’
Kate relented over going to hospital. However, she went in a taxi with a member of the GMB production crew, rather than an ambulance. When they arrived, that staff member “ended up half-carrying, half-dragging” Kate through A&E.
Soon Kate’s chest was being monitored. She also underwent blood tests, and blood pressure rates and oxygen levels were measured. Thankfully, Kate was cleared on this occasion. But she added: “My scare seems to have been a one-off issue, but doctors are now keeping an eye on it — it might have been stress-related angina.”
Kate also pondered whether her condition could be related to stress. She said her experience compelled her to consider making life changes.
And so, she explained how she has permitted herself to “grieve” for her family’s old life. Kate also added: “I’ve started slowly to put in place some rituals and techniques to help me achieve some mental space.”
Read more: Kate Garraway reveals terrifying health ordeal with husband Derek: ‘He went blue’
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