“I ended up being unable to get out of bed for 14 months,” she told the Sunday Telegraph. The infection resulted in post-viral syndrome – a debilitating neurological condition that can cause weakness, confusion, difficulty concentrating, stiffness and aches and pains. Tyler felt completely depleted and was constantly in tears - her symptoms compounded by sensitivity to sunlight and noise.
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“I've only just started remembering things again. Essentially my brain suffered the most. My body was shocking, but my brain … I mean I couldn't have a conversation,” she said.
After she was unable to recall her birthday party back in March, Tyler knew she needed help. She consulted multiple medical professionals in the hopes of a clear diagnosis, but to no avail. She was forced to put her flourishing career on hold, relying heavily on her loved ones for around-the-clock care.
“I was at my house, my partner Alex did most of it,” she told the publication. “She's probably the one who has seen all of it and can remember more than I can.”
Eventually, Tyler was introduced to neuro-orthopaedic rehabilitation expert Brett Jarosz, who explained to her that overstimulation had caused her brain to shut down.
In just three months, he helped her regain her physical and mental strength – in fact, she’s preparing to compete in the WSL comp in Hawaii this week.
“The @wsl#lululemonmauipro is the next step in my recovery and I’m confident in the work, and that I’ve taken every small step possible before I’ve come to this point,” she captioned an Instagram post.
“The last 17 months have been rough and I’ve spent most of it terrified and overwhelmed. I’m still very much in the healing process from it emotionally. With that said I am excited to be heading to Maui and to be at this stage of recovery. I get to see my friends and put a jersey on and hopefully see if the little competitor within is just waiting to come out to play.”
She continued: “A huge thank you to the great humans that have helped me out of this mess. It feels nice to be in the water and catching waves and enjoying life.”
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