Bride-to-be diagnosed with ‘world-stopping’ neurological disorder ahead of big day
- last year
A bride-to-be fears she may not be able to walk down the aisle after being diagnosed with a rare, ‘world-stopping’ neurological disorder.
Holly Attlesey, 27, swapped online searches for honeymoon destinations for research into Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) after being struck down with the debilitating condition.
The disorder means the nervous system struggles to function which results in complications with how the brain and body send and receive signals.
And she has had to shelve plans to buy her first house with fiancé Anthony Clarke, 28, while she struggled with symptoms, including seizures and loss of control of her limbs.
But while their dream wedding is still due to go ahead in November, Holly’s condition has given her an additional worry.
She said: “Most brides are worried about the weather. I worry about not being to walk down the aisle.
“I will take the week off work before the wedding and rest, but I won’t know until the day whether I’ll be able to walk. It’s a stress and a worry."
Despite being left in limbo due to the condition, Holly is determined not to let it ruin her day, insisting: ““My one goal for the wedding day is that I’ll walk down the aisle, whatever happens after that, if I use my chair or sticks, I don’t mind.
"You dream about your wedding day and you want it to be perfect, but life isn’t perfect and I’ll still be marrying the love of my life.”
Holly, of Downham Market, Norfolk, first began noticing her legs felt weak after contracting Covid last July.
Then in August she had a suspected tick bite on her leg and she was unable to talk or walk and suffered problems with her sight.
She spent two weeks in hospital in September but was discharged with no diagnosis after MRI and CT scans came back as normal despite her wide range of symptoms.
When she went back to hospital the following month, a neurologist diagnosed her with FND.
But while she at last had a diagnosis, Holly says she was sent home with just a link to a neuro symptoms website because there is so little understanding of it in the medical world.
She said: “You have to research it on your own. A lot of the treatment is self-referral. There isn’t that help or guidance from the NHS.
“There’s no pathways out there. It breaks my heart really. It’s a pretty scary position to be in.
“We were just about a year out from our wedding, so we were well into the planning stage and I went from looking up honeymoon destinations to researching neurological conditions.
“It stopped everything and it changed my life.”
At its worst, Holly’s condition has caused her face to spasm and caused her hands to seize up.
It can leave her completely dependant on her family and friends to help her complete everyday tasks.
She has moved back in with her mum and has lost her driving licence due to the seizures.
She’s managing her condition with neurological physiotherapy and has returned to work on a phased return.
Holly Attlesey, 27, swapped online searches for honeymoon destinations for research into Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) after being struck down with the debilitating condition.
The disorder means the nervous system struggles to function which results in complications with how the brain and body send and receive signals.
And she has had to shelve plans to buy her first house with fiancé Anthony Clarke, 28, while she struggled with symptoms, including seizures and loss of control of her limbs.
But while their dream wedding is still due to go ahead in November, Holly’s condition has given her an additional worry.
She said: “Most brides are worried about the weather. I worry about not being to walk down the aisle.
“I will take the week off work before the wedding and rest, but I won’t know until the day whether I’ll be able to walk. It’s a stress and a worry."
Despite being left in limbo due to the condition, Holly is determined not to let it ruin her day, insisting: ““My one goal for the wedding day is that I’ll walk down the aisle, whatever happens after that, if I use my chair or sticks, I don’t mind.
"You dream about your wedding day and you want it to be perfect, but life isn’t perfect and I’ll still be marrying the love of my life.”
Holly, of Downham Market, Norfolk, first began noticing her legs felt weak after contracting Covid last July.
Then in August she had a suspected tick bite on her leg and she was unable to talk or walk and suffered problems with her sight.
She spent two weeks in hospital in September but was discharged with no diagnosis after MRI and CT scans came back as normal despite her wide range of symptoms.
When she went back to hospital the following month, a neurologist diagnosed her with FND.
But while she at last had a diagnosis, Holly says she was sent home with just a link to a neuro symptoms website because there is so little understanding of it in the medical world.
She said: “You have to research it on your own. A lot of the treatment is self-referral. There isn’t that help or guidance from the NHS.
“There’s no pathways out there. It breaks my heart really. It’s a pretty scary position to be in.
“We were just about a year out from our wedding, so we were well into the planning stage and I went from looking up honeymoon destinations to researching neurological conditions.
“It stopped everything and it changed my life.”
At its worst, Holly’s condition has caused her face to spasm and caused her hands to seize up.
It can leave her completely dependant on her family and friends to help her complete everyday tasks.
She has moved back in with her mum and has lost her driving licence due to the seizures.
She’s managing her condition with neurological physiotherapy and has returned to work on a phased return.