Chris Kamara has opened up about how his 'pride and bravado' stopped him from seeking medical help for his apraxia and dyspraxia.
The beloved former Soccer Saturday stalwart received his diagnosis for the rare neurological condition in 2022 - but says the signs had been there for much longer.
Though the illness has not gone away, Kamara is now in a much better place physically and mentally, and he recently completed the Great North Run.
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Kammy: 'Some people thought I was drunk'
However, Kamara told FourFourTwo just how tough it was to get the diagnosis that effectively ended his broadcasting career, saying: "I thought I was imagining it at first. I tried to speak and the words wouldn’t come out, or they came out wrong.
"I was slurring so much that some people thought I was drunk.
"It was maddening. The worst thing is, I felt like it was all my fault. The signs had been there and I’d chosen to ignore them until it was too late.
"It was while we were filming Cash in the Attic that I started to notice my speech slowing.
"The show was really good with me about it and wanted me to continue, but I was worried.
"But I brushed it aside, like I did so often throughout my playing career. As a player, I wasn't really interested in going to the doctor or seeing anybody. I was like, ‘Man up, Chris! What can be so bad?’
"I went through life as a dinosaur, basically. I don’t know whether it's pride, bravado, or whatever. I just kept thinking, ‘One day I’ll wake up and it’ll be gone’."
When it didn't go away, Kamara finally sought help.
He explained: "I went to see my GP and the blood test revealed I had an underactive thyroid - but another doctor told me that he’d never come across a person suffering with thyroid issues whose speech had been affected. He told me to look elsewhere for the root of that issue.
"So I saw another specialist and was eventually diagnosed with apraxia of speech and dyspraxia of my motor skills.
"I was absolutely devastated. I shut myself away and became totally depressed. I cancelled all appearances and TV work. I didn’t want to talk to a soul."
