AFLW star reveals full toll of lightning strike

1 year ago 69

Essendon AFLW prima Jessica Wuetschner has revealed the afloat toll of the lightning onslaught 3 years agone that she says "ruined my life."

Wuetschner was 27 astatine the time, and playing for the Brisbane Lions, erstwhile the crane she was holding was struck by lightning arsenic she unloaded a vessel connected the docks successful Queensland.

It was conscionable weeks earlier the commencement of the 2020 AFLW season.

"A tempest conscionable starts rolling in, and it is pouring with rain, I mean similar torrential Queensland pour, and the upwind is similar 60ks an hour, blowing through, it's similar needles to the face," Wuetschner said successful a TikTok video.

"I accidental to the feline who's moving with me, 'We should not beryllium moving close now, it is excessively atrocious of a storm, to beryllium retired close now,' but maine being conscionable me, small stevedore not successful charge, conscionable does what I'm told."

She said a "big bang, clap zzz" signified the infinitesimal the lightning deed the rod she was holding.

"When this happened, I saw big, bluey achromatic flashes spell up my arms, and past I benignant of like, from there, conscionable benignant of fell to the ground," she explained.

"I was similar fortunate not to beryllium physically affected, I was wearing rubber gloves and rubber shoes, and I was suspended successful the air, which means the energy didn't spell done me, which is my redeeming grace.

"Saving grace to my beingness but not truthful overmuch my intelligence health."

Wuetschner said she thought she was going to die, earlier being taken to hospital.

"After astir 3 hours they discharged me, astatine astir 5.30am-ish... I walked retired of the infirmary with nary shoes, soaking wet, nary mode to get home, nary family, nary of my friends were answering their phone. I had to get successful a taxi soaking wet, by myself, to get home."

She was backmost successful infirmary 2 weeks aboriginal aft an adverse absorption to anti-anxiety medication.

"It was a truly scary clip and that's erstwhile we benignant of came to the decision I needed to spell connected antidepressants to assistance negociate anxiety," she said.

A two-time All-Australian, Wuetschner was a subordinate of Brisbane's 2021 AFLW premiership-winning side. She joined Essendon successful 2022.

But she conceded the anxiousness inactive causes important issues for her.

"I'm frightened to permission the location immoderate days still. I utilized to question the world, (but) I couldn't adjacent deliberation astir travelling now. I couldn't deliberation astir leaving anyplace that's not successful my harmless zone, successful my harmless place," Wuetschner said.

"I'm frightened astir eating definite things conscionable successful lawsuit I person an allergic reaction, I'm frightened of bugs, I'm frightened of immoderate benignant of medications that aren't familiar, I'll person fundamentally paracetamol and that's astir it. I don't truly similar to permission the location still, I inactive conflict with that a batch conscionable successful lawsuit thing happens. It's ever those what ifs.

"So, that's benignant of what I've been struggling with ... that's wherefore it's ruined my beingness and I consciousness similar a antithetic person."

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