Kirsty Palfrey
Kirsty's Park Run Southampton page
Fundraising for FND Hope UK
Story
My name is Kirsty, I’m 25 years old with a wife and 2 year old little boy and on the 14th August 2018 our lives were turned upside down!
I’ve suffered from seizures for 11 years, on 14/8/2018 I had a normal, for me, seizure except I woke up completely numb from the waist down losing urinary continence.
I had a urethra catheter for 2 weeks switching to self catheterisation and was completely wheelchair bound.
On 22/10/2018 I went to get out of my wife’s car but I couldn’t. I was crippled in pain with severe lumbar spasm and experienced complete left leg paralysis. I was admitted to hospital and after multiple tests on 24/10/2018 I was diagnosed with FND, Functional Neurological Disorder. A disorder that means the brain doesn’t communicate with the nervous system properly, meaning signals are miscommunicated, slowed down, or not recieved at all.
I went into bladder retrain which was partially successful but still experiencing incontinence.
I was put on a Neurological Rehabilitation Programme currently which involves both Physiotherapy and occupational therapy to retrain my brain to communicate with my lower body.
I progressed and I’ve come so far from where I was 6 months ago!
I unfortunately relapsed again in December 2018 leaving me hospitalised for 3 weeks in the January 2019 where I was given intense inpatient physio therapy and progressed further now able to walk unaided indoors on flat surfaces. Unfortunately, upon discharge, I was told that it was unlikely I’d make the full recovery I had wanted. It was bittersweet, a harsh pill to swallow but brilliant to finally have some answers.
I’m currently receiving low intensity physio therapy to enable me to be the best I can be. I had originally hoped to have been walking by Christmas 2018 and able to run the 5km Park Run Southampton for FND Hope UK on 13th April 2019 for International FND Awareness Day. Although running is very unlikely, my physio has agreed to help me train to possibly walk the run, aided. Failing that I will complete the run whether I run, walk, roll or have to crawl!!
I hope you will join me in my journey and help raise as much money for this charity as we can to pump more awareness, understanding, education, rehabilitation centres and possible treatments for those suffering daily with FND, like myself!
Thank you for reading my story!
FND Hope UK is a recognised charity #1173607. We promote awareness of FND through education and raising public understanding. We are dedicated to supporting those individuals affected with functional symptoms by advancing research into practical applications for the prevention, treatment and recovery of FND.We are a force for change, uniting patients and their families with leading researchers and advocates to pioneer a new standard of care for FND.Our mission is to promote awareness, support affected individuals and advance research.
I’ve suffered from seizures for 11 years, on 14/8/2018 I had a normal, for me, seizure except I woke up completely numb from the waist down losing urinary continence.
I had a urethra catheter for 2 weeks switching to self catheterisation and was completely wheelchair bound.
On 22/10/2018 I went to get out of my wife’s car but I couldn’t. I was crippled in pain with severe lumbar spasm and experienced complete left leg paralysis. I was admitted to hospital and after multiple tests on 24/10/2018 I was diagnosed with FND, Functional Neurological Disorder. A disorder that means the brain doesn’t communicate with the nervous system properly, meaning signals are miscommunicated, slowed down, or not recieved at all.
I went into bladder retrain which was partially successful but still experiencing incontinence.
I was put on a Neurological Rehabilitation Programme currently which involves both Physiotherapy and occupational therapy to retrain my brain to communicate with my lower body.
I progressed and I’ve come so far from where I was 6 months ago!
I unfortunately relapsed again in December 2018 leaving me hospitalised for 3 weeks in the January 2019 where I was given intense inpatient physio therapy and progressed further now able to walk unaided indoors on flat surfaces. Unfortunately, upon discharge, I was told that it was unlikely I’d make the full recovery I had wanted. It was bittersweet, a harsh pill to swallow but brilliant to finally have some answers.
I’m currently receiving low intensity physio therapy to enable me to be the best I can be. I had originally hoped to have been walking by Christmas 2018 and able to run the 5km Park Run Southampton for FND Hope UK on 13th April 2019 for International FND Awareness Day. Although running is very unlikely, my physio has agreed to help me train to possibly walk the run, aided. Failing that I will complete the run whether I run, walk, roll or have to crawl!!
I hope you will join me in my journey and help raise as much money for this charity as we can to pump more awareness, understanding, education, rehabilitation centres and possible treatments for those suffering daily with FND, like myself!
Thank you for reading my story!
FND Hope UK is a recognised charity #1173607. We promote awareness of FND through education and raising public understanding. We are dedicated to supporting those individuals affected with functional symptoms by advancing research into practical applications for the prevention, treatment and recovery of FND.We are a force for change, uniting patients and their families with leading researchers and advocates to pioneer a new standard of care for FND.Our mission is to promote awareness, support affected individuals and advance research.