Jess Wuetschner played in the Lions’ 2021 Grand Final win. (Photo by Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images)Source: Getty ImagesWuetschner thought she was going to die but was taken to hospital and discharged at around 5:30am that morning. Unfortunately for her, the situation only worsened from there.
“It was just the worst thing that could ever happen,” she said.
“I walked out of the hospital with no shoes, soaking wet, no way to get home, no family, none of my friends were answering their phone. I had to get in a taxi soaking wet, by myself, to get home.”
After the incident Wuetschner did not feel she was properly cared for by the workplace.
Two weeks later she had a breakdown and tried taking anti-anxiety medication, but had an adverse reaction to it, resulting in anxiety and panic attacks which put her back in hospital.
Anti-depressants helped her get back to some level of normality including playing football – and she went on to play in Brisbane’s 2021 premiership win – but she could not completely move on and some of her friendships fell apart.
“I’m scared to leave the house some days still. I used to travel the world, (but) I couldn’t even think about travelling now. I couldn’t think about leaving anywhere that’s not in my safe zone, in my safe place,” Wuetschner said.
“I’m scared about eating certain things just in case I have an allergic reaction, I’m scared of bugs, I’m scared of any kind of medications that aren’t familiar, I’ll have basically paracetamol and that’s about it. I don’t really like to leave the house still, I still struggle with that a lot just in case something happens. It’s always those what ifs.
“So, that’s kind of what I’ve been struggling with … that’s why it’s ruined my life and I feel like a different person.”
Wuetschner said some of her issues have begun to improve after working with psychologists.
