My name is Lillian & I’m a 19 yo dance student, competitive figure skater & ice dancer. This is my #FNDandUS story.

Because of Covid restrictions, my dance classes were online & I was having to skate whenever, & wherever I could find ice. By Spring 2021 my training was ramping up & if I wasn’t dancing, I was skating. I felt fitter than ever & was so ready for the competition season to start.

But things started to go wrong by Easter, & I was admitted to hospital with severe tonsillitis, then an abscess in my tonsil, then Glandular fever. Looking back, I wasn’t giving my body enough time to recover. I was going straight back to training after every hospital discharge. The day that they told me that I had Glandular Fever, I started to get pain in my hands & feet. Within a couple of weeks I couldn’t walk & I couldn’t use my hands. I couldn’t do ANYTHING for myself.

I was lucky. I was diagnosed quickly. Don’t get me wrong, I was told by multiple doctors that there was nothing wrong with me. I was made to feel like I was wasting their time. I got angry, & I demanded a second opinion, which turned out to be my FND diagnosis.

I went home from hospital in a wheelchair, but I was focusing on getting back on the ice. There was 6 wks until the British Ice Skating Solo Dance Celebration. This was to be the first skating competition since Feb 2020 & I was not missing it. I’d been working towards this for so long. With the support of my coach & Neurophysio, I plotted my route to the competition. British Ice Skating got behind me & by the time I took to the ice in Sheffield, everyone was rooting for me. It was tough, but I did it!

Living with my FND is like trying to solve an ever changing puzzle. It challenges me everyday.

Lillian

#FND #functionalneurologicaldisorder #charity #notforprofit #fndawareness #functionalseizures #LetsTalkFND #FNDAware

@lilli.cub @themgaacademy @ryan_southan_icedance_coach