So, it was last school year, eighth grade after Christmas break. We were coming back to school. I came back to school the first day after Christmas break the next day, I got totally sick. My stomach was horrible. I had headaches and everything. It was just horrible and that continued for two weeks. I went to the emergency room. They weren’t helpful. I went home. That was it and so after a while. It was just like getting really really bad. So I couldn’t do anything. So I went back to the hospital after a little while. I’m trying to tell this right because it’s a little blurry here and there. But this is what I remember. I went back to the hospital, like a week later. And they were like, Oh, this could have to do something with my other medical things that I deal with because I have EOE eosinophilic esophagitis, which has lots to do with my esophagus. And everything. And so I went to a specialist and they were like, Oh, this is really weird. They put me in the hospital and they were gonna do an endoscopy to make sure that nothing was happening with my EOE and to make sure that everything was fine on that end of things. So I went to get the endoscopy done and I ended up staying in the hospital. They talked about how my endoscopy ended up being fine. So it had nothing to do with that. That wasn’t why I was sick. They talked about some other things that could have possibly been happening. But I left and I was actually feeling a little bit better.  

So I decided to go to school the next day. I went to school the next day and this had been like two weeks since I had gone to school. I go back to school. I didn’t even make it half an hour in school. My legs started tingling throughout. I felt they almost felt like jelly. So I had to call my mom. I went home right away. I didn’t even make it to first period. I went home and my legs just totally gave out on me. This was January 21 When my legs gave out on me.  

They totally gave up on me. I couldn’t move them, I couldn’t walk. It was tingly and numb all throughout my legs. So that night I ended up going to Arnold Palmer hospital and I stayed there and they did tests. They did CTS, they did CAT scans, they did everything possible like they did, but nothing would show up. They were like “oh you could have this but we really don’t think so”. There were no answers. I went home and it was kind of like oh you have bad circulation. Oh you need to wear these circulation tights and maybe your legs will start getting better and I was like it didn’t really help me with anything at all. A little while went by and I still couldn’t walk and couldn’t move. Nothing. I went to lots of doctors to try and find answers. I ended up in my wheelchair because I really could not move at all after like a couple of days. Because when it first hit I couldn’t move with help.   

A while after I went to a neurologist and the first neurologist I went to I ended up having a very bad experience with he told me I was crazy. And that it was all in my head and that I was making everything up. He told me I was lying and I was manipulating my family and that none of this was real. He told me to get up and walk. We didn’t go back to that doctor. After that, we found another doctor and on March 21 I got actually diagnosed with FND which felt like a miracle, because from January 21 When my legs gave out to march 21, which is kind of coincidental that they’re both the 21st but it was like I had no hope because I had no idea what was going on. So it was like a lot to deal with.  

I think maybe that has something to do with why I have so much anxiety and everything. I was very very depressed for a while because I couldn’t do any of this. I was not seeing anybody. After I got diagnosed, he explained to me what it is that could come with it. He explained to me things that I can do to help it. He also explained that this is something I kind of have to live with for the rest of my life. It’s not gonna go away and it’s not like something you’re always going to be in a wheelchair. I can walk and everything but there are certain times where it’s going to flare up is what he explained to me.

So after I got diagnosed I went and I started physical therapy at Nemours – Children’s Hospital. And that was what helped me a lot. I did it three days a week for an hour, every day. And the people there were the nicest I had the greatest PT’S ever, but I worked really hard and I started off really really slow. Just like with basic things. Like pedaling a bike was like one of the things toward the very end cuz I started off really, really slow but I ended up getting it. August 4 was my last day of PT so it wasn’t even that long before we started school.  

August 4 was my very last day of physical therapy. I was walking again, it was amazing. I was back to normal, everything was totally fine. And that’s that. I mean, I’m still struggling with it now. Like there are days where it’s just really really bad and acts up but it’s getting better and we’re working on it every day. So that’s that.

Now that I’m back at school, I get to see my friends every day. I love them to death, but sometimes it is harder. Sometimes actually I have to go to school in my wheelchair. I don’t think with my really good friends that it affects it at all. I think they’re really amazing, honestly.. They are great and they helped me to the best of their ability. And they’re the sweetest and nicest people ever. Seriously, I couldn’t love them more. 

I mean even with the people I’m not super close with they’re still super nice about it. Even random strangers I don’t know will ask me like oh hey, are you okay? What happened? And people are really really nice about it. Most people give me support.