I was being treated for dehydration - when suddenly I couldn't move
A woman diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) shares her experience of sudden paralysis and loss of speech. Doctors explained the condition as a brain-related 'crash' often triggered by stress or trauma.
Why it matters
It raises awareness for a frequently misunderstood neurological condition that affects thousands, highlighting the physical impact of mental stress.
Image source, Carmel McConnellogue Image caption, Carmel McConnellogue said she could not speak or feel her face and "everything was numb"
Carmel McConnellogue was in hospital, being treated by medical staff for dehydration, when she suddenly felt she could no longer move her body.
She said she could not speak or feel her face and "everything was numb".
Initial symptoms suggested McConnellogue might have had a stroke - but an MRI scan confirmed that she had Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), meaning there was was a problem with how her brain received and sent information to the rest of her body.
She said she never expected to be diagnosed with a condition she had never heard of.
"I could not believe it," she told BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today programme.
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