Rugby league legend Garry Schofield diagnosed with brain damage

[josie andrews]

Schofield is stepping away from the sport for good following his diagnosis.

Garry Schofield has revealed that he has been diagnosed with brain damage. Schofield, who previously played for Hull FC & Leeds Rhinos as well as Great Britain, says he is stepping away from rugby league for good.

Schofield confirmed that he received his diagnosis last March, which came after years of eye issues which resulted in his eye being removed in 2021.

Capped 46 times by Great Britain, Schofield won the Golden Boot and Man of Steel during his career that saw him also represent Balmain Tigers, Western Suburbs and Huddersfield Giants among others.

I was diagnosed with brain damage in March 2023 and have kept it a closely guarded secret until now," he wrote in his final League Express column, Pulling No Punches.

"The symptoms, which I will share with you, are horrendous. I've been told I will end up with dementia, so the time has come for me to walk away from the game and concentrate on my health.

"I can trace my problems back to December 2019 when I had an operation to fix a detached retina in my left eye. But it wasn't successful. Five or six days later, it felt like my head was going to explode. I needed seven more operations and three laser procedures.

"Eye pressure should be between five and 23 mmHg (millimetres of mercury), yet my recordings were 82, 79, 78, 68, 67, 58, 44 and 40 which were quite literally off the chart. The hospital told me I should be on the floor, crying out in pain with those readings.

"At times, it felt like my head was going to explode and my eye was going to pop out, so in September 2021 I approached the consultant to ask them to remove the eye because I couldn’t go on living like this I'd already had 56 hospital visits."

He added: "The plastic surgeon agreed the eye was knackered – his words! Removal was the only answer to stop the retina continually detaching and to sort out the pressure. Life with only one eye is difficult, but I've adjusted pretty well, I think.

"Subsequent health problems have included headaches, migraines, forgetfulness, anxiety and lack of concentration, all of which led to my brain-damage diagnosis in March ‘23. Those symptoms are now part of my day-to-day life. My partner, Alison, is now my carer.

"I used to think a migraine was just a strong headache. Now I know what they’re really like, and they are horrendous. When one comes on, it’s the end of the day for me. I have to go to bed and be in complete darkness. They are intolerable."

Schofield also took a parting shot at the sport, claiming it didn't excite him anymore.

https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/sport/rugb ... 4776833d50

[BriH]

All I can say is you have all my sympathy and best of luck to you and your family.

[josie andrews]

All I can say is you have all my sympathy and best of luck to you and your family.

I’ve sent him a message wishing him well.

[Beryl O'Neill]

So sorry for this happening to you I'm a carer for my husband he was diagnosed with vascular dementia in June this year.hope it doesn't lead to dementia good luck for the future.

[josie andrews]

So sorry for this happening to you I'm a carer for my husband he was diagnosed with vascular dementia in June this year.hope it doesn't lead to dementia good luck for the future.

xx

[kitt green warriors]

Good luck pal,
My Mother was diagnosed at 54, at first it was minor things like repeating the same conversation from a few minutes before then after about 3 years she got worse, at this point she did something, my Dad was still at work at this point as she was relatively ok, she would walk to the butchers and paper shop, she would pick up what my Dad had told them on the phone then he would pay them at the weekend, he'd ring her as he was getting to the M6 at Orrell and she'd open the door,this day he rang but no answer, he got home and the door was locked, looked through the windows and couldn't see her, went round the back and couldn't see her, but saw the bedroom windows was open so climbed up and through it only to find my Mother had hung herself on the stairs, she was purple, my Dad knowing what to do got her going again and rang the ambulance which took her to Wigan hospital, the doctor asked her if she meant to do it and she said "Yes",
anyway my Dad had to retire at that point (59) to become my Mother's full time carer, my Dad was an electrician and has always said caring for my Mother was the hardest job he's ever done,
they came over here twice with the second time my Dad saying he's not coming again with her as it was a nightmare on the plane, when she got here she thought I'd moved to Southport and they had come for a ride, (were in Brisbane, well Sunshine coast), i noticed a big difference soon as she got here she was like a cat being very timid as she didn't know the surroundings, the first day she peed in the bath.
About 4 years ago the dementia people came to see my Dad like they did every 6 months at that point and said he was coping well, my Mother couldn't talk anymore, so a couple of months passed and my Dad took my Mother to Abersoch on holiday as that's where they first went when they met (The Warren if you know Abersoch), whilst there something died in my Mother's brain and she started screaming 24/7, my Dad did 2 days and had to take her home, he put a baby gate at the top of the stairs so she wouldn't fall and looked after her for a good couple of months with absolutely no sleep, i remeone night i was on Whatsapp to hime and he was putting my Mother in bed, he put her in and she went to sleep and he fofgot I was on the phone and he said "Go to sleep now and please dont wake up", when he realidmsed i was still on I told him he needed help with her, so this day the dementia nurse came and her first words to my Father were "You've lost weight", my Dad said "Have I", I didn't notice as I spoke regularly on the computer, she walked in and saw my Mother and said "My God", she was down to just under 7st, she then said to my Dad "You've done enough, it's time" so they organised for my Mother to move into an home in Burscough, but my Dad said "I can't afford £1k a week and I'm not losing my house I've worked for to let her stay besides someone who hasn't", they came to an agreement and she's been in the home for about 4 years now. I don't think you should have to use you're house to pay for care, you work for 40 years and pay your stamp so you should get back.
Ill be honest my Mother died 6 years ago, the shell of a person at the home doesn't know who anyone is, can't talk, walk, swallow proper food, control any number 1s or 2s, my Dad goes and sees her 4 times a week as I said he can't go 7 days a week he's got to consider himself a single man now.
We can put dogs and cats down but not humans, how is that humane?

[Ipinwigan]

On a lighter side, perhaps that explains his bias against Wigan