It was a cold, dark, wintery night in October 2018 when Katrina Burchell was commuting from her job as a solicitor in London to her home in Hertfordshire. Burchell, feeling tired and confused, accidentally boarded the wrong train and when it reached the end of the line in north London, she found herself alone on a dark platform, miles from home.
“It was the third night in a row I had got on the wrong train,” she says. “When I eventually stepped off the train I was completely lost and confused. The train driver took one look at me, and realised something was wrong.
“He kindly took me back to the main station, and while he did so I explained I had pins and needles in my hands and feet and felt tired and confused. He looked worried and concerned and asked me why I wasn’t getting any treatment. His last words to me were, ‘You deserve to be listened to. Do not leave the doctor’s office until they agree to help you.’”
For some years, Burchell had been grappling with debilitating
brain fog and fatigue. She was concerned it was a sign of dementia or a brain tumour, but wasn’t getting any answers from her GP.
A few days later Burchell had a referral appointment with a haemotologist, and with the train driver’s words in her head, she told the doctor she was not leaving until things were sorted. Soon after she was diagnosed with pernicious anaemia, an autoimmune condition that affects your stomach and is the most common cause of
vitamin B12 deficiency.
