Meath GAA legend Graham Geraghty has opened up on the experience of having a bleed on the brain that saw him undergo a seven-hour operation.
It was October 2020 when Geraghty felt a pain in his head that he described as 'horrific' to BBC Sounds' The GAA Social podcast.
Geraghty was rushed to hospital, where he explained the lengths the doctors went to with a 'coiling' operation that aided his recovery.
“The first week was horrific. On a scale of one to 10, the pain was probably about 15. I couldn’t stick the pain really - I was in so much pain I just said 'I've had enough, if you want to take me, take me'. I was on a lot of mediation and pain killers," Geraghty said.
"Because of Covid I didn't see any family or friends in my 16 days in hospital. A lot of things go through your mind - are you going to see your family and friends again?
"It kind of brings everything home, really.”
As to how he is feeling now, Geraghty says he is not quite at 100% but he is much better.
“I’m generally good. I get very tired, a couple of naps a day, I still have to. If I do anything I feel quite faint or get dizzy.
“Then that goes again when I sit down or rest. I would take that any day. I could have been paralysed, loss of limbs, speech or anything like that. I count myself very lucky that I have no real side effects.”
Graham Geraghty
Graham Geraghty spoke to The Sun and said that at one stage he was praying for death.
"The pain was just so horrific and it wasn’t getting any better. I wouldn’t be religious, but at one stage I just remember saying, ‘God, just let me go, let me die’. Because I didn’t want to go on.
“Then about ten minutes later, I heard the curtain being pulled back, this guy looked in and I kind of opened one eye, could just about make out he was a priest.
“I called him in, started telling him I wasn’t doing too well. He asked me my name, where I was from, asked about my family, was I married, had I kids, he got me talking about them.
“He said, ‘You’ve a lot going for you’. That made a difference, he really helped me at that particular time because I wasn’t doing well.”
Minister confirms some fans to return for Ireland’s summer tests
Download the brand new OTB Sports App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!
Subscribe to Off The Ball's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.
