"Game of Thrones" star Emilia Clarke: Two brain surgeries survived

As a dragon mother, actress Emilia Clarke is bursting with energy in "Game of Thrones" ("GoT"). But aside from her role as Daenerys Targaryen, the 32-year-old Briton faces serious health problems.

In a personal commentary for The New Yorker magazine, she describes how she was diagnosed with two aneurysms - and writes, "I thought I had to die."

The first pathological vascular dilation was discovered in her shortly after the end of the first "GoT" -Staffel 2011. During fitness training she suddenly felt very great pain, almost crawling, she had dragged herself into the locker room. Eventually she sensed that something was wrong with her brain.

Panic attacks and anxiety

"When all my childhood dreams seemed to come true, I almost lost my mind and then my life," Clarke writes in the article on aneurysms. "I've never told this story in public, but now is the time."

In the hospital, doctors had diagnosed a life-threatening stroke. One of the aneurysm-affected vessels in her brain was torn. At the age of 24 years.

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Clarke had to undergo surgery on the brain, although the shooting for the next season was pending. After she could not even remember her own name after waking up, she was in a panic and asked to be allowed to die.

After about a week, the memory came back to the actress. But it should not be the only fatal blow. The doctors had already discovered another vascular dilation in her head.

Second brain surgery 2013

In 2013, when she was in New York for a musical, she suddenly needed surgery again. The bleeding had been severe, the pain even worse than after the first emergency. Parts of her cranial bone were replaced by titanium.

After a month in the hospital she has lost all hope: Clarke writes in the post, she was educated, never to complain. There are still people who feel worse. But at some point she felt like an empty shell. She was sure that it was over.

But Clarke survived. She was now one hundred percent, but she was very grateful. With one of her co-developed charity SameYou, she now wants to work for people who suffer brain injuries like her.

Completing the filming of Game of Throne is satisfying and enjoyable. "I'm so happy to be here to see the end of this story and the beginning of what's coming next."

The trailer is here. #GameofThrones pic.twitter.com/L48jOwsUzn

Clarke has been with "GoT" since the first season. The series is coming to an end (what is known so far, read here), the eighth and final season is to be seen from 14 April 2019 . In parting, she has already tattooed little dragons on her forearm - and called herself Dragon Mother for life.