Woman, 28, woke up after wedding unable to see before receiving shocking diagnosis
A woman woke up to find that she was partially blind just days after tying the knot with her husband.
Chelsea Shields, 28, said she feels likes she's 'a 90-year-old' due to the condition she's living with.
The woman, from Doncaster in South Yorkshire in the UK, married her husband Connor, 34, in August, but five days later, she woke up to find her sight in one eye deteriorating.
Doctors initially believed that Chelsea had multiple sclerosis (MS) as her vision began to worsen in her other eye as well.
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Just a few days after waking up with her first symptoms, Chelsea had to be admitted to hospital as things continued to get worse, culminating in a 'thunderclap' headache that left her 'crying out in pain'.
By this point she was in agony, was unable to walk, and had been catheterised.
Eventually, it became clear what awful condition was affecting her.
"I've always had issues with muscle weakness and pains. I've had back-and-forth visits to GPs and A&E for about 10 years," said Chelsea.
"But the worst symptoms I've experienced came five days after my wedding. I woke up unable to see out of my right eye. It was complete darkness.
"I was panicking. I thought in my head - what if I'm going blind? What if I'm not going to be able to see my children growing up?"
Four long weeks later, Chelsea was diagnosed with a condition called functional neurological disorder (FND).
This affects how the brain sends and receives information with the rest of the body.
Chelsea continued: "Before I was diagnosed, I'd never heard of FND, but it's actually more common than people would think.
"It can be very unpredictable, so it can mean anything from seizures to paralysis, which makes it even harder to get the right help."
The condition can be tricky to diagnose, and treatment more often focuses on management with physiotherapy and medication.
"The main symptom for me is brain fog, which is quite bad when you have young children," the mom-of-three said.
"I have a lot of weakness in my legs, so 99 percent of the time I walk with a stick or crutches. There are times when I can't feel my legs and I can't physically walk."
Even though Chelsea takes '20 tablets per day', she still experiences 'constant pain'.
She went on to say: "I've gone from a fully functional mom of three to feeling like I'm a 90-year-old.
"Three months ago, I never thought this would be my life."
Chelsea has since launched a Facebook page to document her journey and to help bring attention to FND, including the daily reality of living with the condition.
"I can't work, so I'm putting all my time into raising awareness," she added.
"I want to share everything, because I know it will help people."
Kit Roberts