Latest news with #MeganDixon
Mint
24-04-2025
- Health
- Mint
50 seizures daily: Doctors tell teenager she would not survive to become an adult; check what happens next
Megan Dixon went to the hospital for some tests. She was discharged after two years. The teenager, who started feeling sick at 13, was eventually diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) at 16. She was left completely paralysed after a hospital stay meant for tests. Once unable to walk, talk or open her eyes, she had to spend two years in care. Now, she's preparing to move into her own home in Peterborough. She hopes of becoming a nail technician and rebuilding her life. At 18, Megan moved to a care centre far from her family for treatment. She felt alone and vulnerable. Paralysed and unable to speak or see, she recalled how hard it was, especially for her parents. She was diagnosed with FND, which disrupted signals between her brain and body. At her worst, she had 50 seizures daily. She couldn't speak, see or swallow. She was tube-fed and fully dependent on others. Now, seizures have reduced to 10–15 a day. "It was not easy. I think it was a lot harder for my mum and dad to have to leave me there on my own, but I couldn't do anything for myself. I was paralysed from the neck down," Megan told the BBC. Her life has completely changed after 18 months of therapy. Though she can't walk due to knee contractions, she can now move, talk and see. Once told she might not survive, she's now 20. "I was getting to the point that I nearly died in hospital, my body just shut down that much. The doctors did have to tell my parents to prepare for the worst - they didn't think I would make it to 18 and here I am at 20," she told the publication. As she is saving for a course, Meghan looks forward to living with her boyfriend. First Published: 24 Apr 2025, 05:02 PM IST
Daily Mail
23-04-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
I went into hospital for four days of tests - I came out completely paralysed two years later
A young woman's trip to the hospital for four days of tests turned into a two year battle which left her paralysed and fearing she may never be able to speak again. Megan Dixon was 13 years old when she began to feel unwell. By age 16 her health had deteriorated to such an extent that she had lost the ability to speak. She was taken to hospital for tests which were only supposed to take four days, doctors believed the teenager may have suffered a stroke. Two years later she was completely paralysed. Unable to walk, talk or open her eyes, with doctors saying she may never move again. Megan was diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), a condition which affected how her brain received and sent information to the rest of the body. Megan told BBC News that the condition left her unable to talk or do anything for herself. 'I couldn't see, so I wasn't able to open my eyes. My brain couldn't register the difference between eyes closed and eyes being open,' she added. At the age of 18, Megan was moved from the hospital in Bath to a neurological care home in Peterborough to receive the care she needed. Megan said she was 'just a baby' at the time and had never been on her own before. 'It was not easy. I think it was a lot harder for my mum and dad to have to leave me there on my own, but I couldn't do anything for myself. I was paralysed from the neck down,' she said. Megan said her condition started off slowly when she was 13 but she began to deteriorate rapidly in 2021. She lost the ability to swallow and was fed by a feeding tube in her mouth, which has been replaced by one straight into her stomach. At one point she was having 50 seizures a day, but that has now been reduced to between 10 and 15. Now aged 20, and after 18 months of extensive therapy, Megan is preparing to move into her own home and hopes to become a nail technician. Her life has changed dramatically and she can now talk and move by herself. Functional neurological disorder Functional neurological disorder (FND) is a problem with how the brain receives and sends information to the rest of the body. NHS inform say it is helpful to think of the brain as a computer. In someone who has FND, there's no damage to the hardware, or structure, of the brain. It is like the software, or program running on the computer, that isn't working properly. The problems that cause FND are going on in a level of the brain that you cannot control. It includes symptoms like arm and leg weakness and seizures. Symptoms include chronic pain, persistent fatigue, insomnia, migraines, irritable bowel syndrome. They also include anxiety, panic attacks, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic urniary retention She has contractions in her knees, meaning she is unable to bend them, leaving her legs stuck straight. It means she will never walk again. Megan said she never expected that she would be able to plan a life outside of the hospital. She said her body shut down so much that she nearly died in hospital. She said: 'The doctors did have to tell my parents to prepare for the worst - they didn't think I would make it to 18 and here I am at 20.' Megan is now saving up money to take an online course to become a nail technician. She is looking to move out and find a home with her boyfriend. Megan now shares her experiences of the condition on TikTok. On her account she has shared herself using a wheelchair for the first time and how she was able to walk for the first time in a swimming pool. One video shows her using the stairs for the first time in over three years, using her arms to pull herself up and lower herself down again. She said that at times she had been left isolated, frustrated and exhausted due to how 'unpredictable' life with FND had been. Now she says every small victory such as moving a finger or speaking a word is 'worth celebrating'.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
'I went into hospital for four days and came out two years later'
Megan Dixon was 13 years old when she started feeling unwell. By 16, her health had deteriorated to such an extent that she was taken to hospital after losing the ability to speak. Doctors believed she may have had a stroke. She had only been due to remain there for four days for tests, but came out two years later completely paralysed. Unable to walk, talk or open her eyes, she was told she would never move again. Megan was diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), which meant there was a problem with how her brain received and sent information to the rest of the body. Having stayed in a neurological care home in Peterborough, she is now preparing to move into her own home with the hope of becoming a nail technician. Megan said at the age of 18, when she moved to Eagle Wood Neurological Care Centre, she was "still just a baby". She had never been on her own before and had to move away from her family near Bath to receive the care she needed. "It was not easy. I think it was a lot harder for my mum and dad to have to leave me there on my own, but I couldn't do anything for myself. I was paralysed from the neck down," she told the BBC. "I couldn't see, I couldn't talk. I hate the word, but I was very vulnerable at the time. "I started feeling poorly when I was 13. It started off very slowly, very gradually and then in 2021, things just declined rapidly. "I was taken into hospital because they were concerned I had had a stroke, or something, because I lost the ability to talk. "I was taken for four days of tests and came out of hospital two years later." Her illness was eventually diagnosed as FND. "It stops the functioning of signals from the brain to your body from working properly and causes all sorts of neurological symptoms," she said. "I couldn't do anything for myself, I lost the ability to talk. "I couldn't see, so I wasn't able to open my eyes. My brain couldn't register the difference between eyes closed and eyes being open." She also lost the ability to swallow and was fed by a feeding tube in her mouth, which has been replaced by one straight into her stomach. At her worst, she had 50 seizures a day, but that has now reduced to between 10 and 15. After 18 months of extensive therapy, her life is completely different. She said: "I can move everything now. Obviously I can talk, I can see. I can't walk and I'm never going to be able to walk again, but that's because I've got contractions in my knees. "I need surgery in order to bend them because my legs are stuck straight. It's very painful, but I'm waiting on surgery, and it means I'm never going to be able to walk again. "Honestly, it was something I never thought I would be planning when my parents took me to the care home. They thought that was it - that it was going to be my home for the rest of my life. "I was getting to the point that I nearly died in hospital, my body just shut down that much. "The doctors did have to tell my parents to prepare for the worst - they didn't think I would make it to 18 and here I am at 20." Her dream is to be a nail technician and she is saving up to complete an online course. "I really can't wait to finally move out and get a place with my boyfriend," she said. "I'm very excited." FND Action said the brain network disorder encompassed neurological symptoms including limb weakness, paralysis, seizures, walking difficulties, spasms, twitching, sensory issues and more. "For many, symptoms are severe and disabling, and life-changing for all," it said. It added that while the basic wiring of the nervous system was intact, people with the disorder had a problem with how the brain or nervous system was "functioning", and the brain failed to send or receive signals correctly. "Historically FND has often been viewed as resulting purely from psychological and emotional trauma, this has frequently led to stigma and dismissal from medical professionals," it added. "This view is now seen as outdated, and psychological trauma is now viewed as a risk factor for developing the condition rather than the root cause." Megan said she had been left isolated, frustrated and exhausted at times due to how "unpredictable" life with FND had been. She now shares her experiences on TikTok. "Every small victory, whether it's moving a finger, speaking a word, or simply making it through another day is worth celebrating," she said. Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. 'My GP told me to get moving after I was paralysed' 'Anytime I want to talk, I sing in my head' 'The most common condition you've never heard of' FND Action PJ Care
BBC News
22-04-2025
- Health
- BBC News
FND: 'I went into hospital for four days and came out two years later'
Megan Dixon was 13 years old when she started feeling unwell. By 16, her health had deteriorated to such an extent that she was taken to hospital after losing the ability to speak. Doctors believed she may have had a stroke. She had only been due to remain there for four days for tests, but came out two years later completely paralysed. Unable to walk, talk or open her eyes, she was told she would never move again. Megan was diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), which meant there was a problem with how her brain received and sent information to the rest of the stayed in a neurological care home in Peterborough, she is now preparing to move into her own home with the hope of becoming a nail technician. Megan said at the age of 18, when she moved to Eagle Wood Neurological Care Centre, she was "still just a baby". She had never been on her own before and had to move away from her family near Bath to receive the care she needed. "It was not easy. I think it was a lot harder for my mum and dad to have to leave me there on my own, but I couldn't do anything for myself. I was paralysed from the neck down," she told the BBC."I couldn't see, I couldn't talk. I hate the word, but I was very vulnerable at the time."I started feeling poorly when I was 13. It started off very slowly, very gradually and then in 2021, things just declined rapidly."I was taken into hospital because they were concerned I had had a stroke, or something, because I lost the ability to talk."I was taken for four days of tests and came out of hospital two years later." Her illness was eventually diagnosed as FND."It stops the functioning of signals from the brain to your body from working properly and causes all sorts of neurological symptoms," she said. "I couldn't do anything for myself, I lost the ability to talk."I couldn't see, so I wasn't able to open my eyes. My brain couldn't register the difference between eyes closed and eyes being open." She also lost the ability to swallow and was fed by a feeding tube in her mouth, which has been replaced by one straight into her her worst, she had 50 seizures a day, but that has now reduced to between 10 and 15. After 18 months of extensive therapy, her life is completely different. She said: "I can move everything now. Obviously I can talk, I can see. I can't walk and I'm never going to be able to walk again, but that's because I've got contractions in my knees."I need surgery in order to bend them because my legs are stuck straight. It's very painful, but I'm waiting on surgery, and it means I'm never going to be able to walk again."Honestly, it was something I never thought I would be planning when my parents took me to the care home. They thought that was it - that it was going to be my home for the rest of my life. "I was getting to the point that I nearly died in hospital, my body just shut down that much. "The doctors did have to tell my parents to prepare for the worst - they didn't think I would make it to 18 and here I am at 20."Her dream is to be a nail technician and she is saving up to complete an online course. "I really can't wait to finally move out and get a place with my boyfriend," she said. "I'm very excited." FND Action said the brain network disorder encompassed neurological symptoms including limb weakness, paralysis, seizures, walking difficulties, spasms, twitching, sensory issues and more. "For many, symptoms are severe and disabling, and life-changing for all," it added that while the basic wiring of the nervous system was intact, people with the disorder had a problem with how the brain or nervous system was "functioning", and the brain failed to send or receive signals correctly. "Historically FND has often been viewed as resulting purely from psychological and emotional trauma, this has frequently led to stigma and dismissal from medical professionals," it added. "This view is now seen as outdated, and psychological trauma is now viewed as a risk factor for developing the condition rather than the root cause." Megan said she had been left isolated, frustrated and exhausted at times due to how "unpredictable" life with FND had now shares her experiences on TikTok. "Every small victory, whether it's moving a finger, speaking a word, or simply making it through another day is worth celebrating," she said. Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
