![\"Chelsea](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/SEI_273922699-2685.jpg\")
\n\t\tChelsea Shields and her husband Connor at their wedding (Picture: Chelsea Shields\/SWNS)<\/p>\n
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\n\t\tChelsea Shields and her husband Connor at their wedding (Picture: Chelsea Shields\/SWNS)<\/p>\n
It was just five days after Chelsea<\/a> Shields had the wedding of her dreams <\/a>that things went wrong.<\/p>\n \u2018I woke up unable to see out of my right eye \u2014 it was complete darkness\u2019 says the 28-year-old from Doncaster. \u2018I was panicking. I thought, \u201cWhat if I\u2019m going blind? What if I\u2019m not going to be able to see my children growing up?\u201d\u2018<\/p>\n But her eyesight was just the start of a period of rapidly-declining health<\/a> since tying the knot with husband Connor, 34, in August; a whole host of debilitating symptoms she now knows were caused by functional neurological disorder (FND)<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u2018I\u2019ve always had issues with muscle weakness and pains. I\u2019ve had back-and-forth visits to GPs and A&E for about 10 years,\u2019 Chelsea explains. \u2018But the worst symptoms I\u2019ve experienced came days after my wedding.\u2019<\/p>\n The morning she realised she couldn\u2019t see out of one eye, she was rushed to hospital, where doctors said they thought she had a viral infection and sent her home.<\/p>\n The next day however, things only got worse.<\/p>\n \t\t \u2018I woke up and the other eye had started going blurry,\u2019 Chelsea recalls. \u2018I went back to hospital for more tests and scans, and there was no field of vision in the right eye at all, but nobody knew what it was.\u2019<\/p>\n With doctors suspecting MS (Multiple Sclerosis), the mum-of-three was given powerful steroids while she waited for urgent scans \u2013 but by then, she was barely able to move.<\/p>\n \u2018I had a constant dull headache and I couldn\u2019t cope with it,\u2019 she says. \u2018My left eye got significantly worse \u2013 and then I was in the kitchen making lunch for my children when I got hit with a sudden thunderclap headache.\u2019<\/p>\n \t\t Chelsea \u2018dropped to the floor\u2019, getting her five-year-old to pass her the phone<\/a> so she could call Connor for help, \u2018crying out in pain\u2019 as she tried to dial.<\/p>\n By the time the ambulance arrived to take her to hospital, she couldn\u2019t even walk up to it without falling over.<\/p>\n \u2018I lost the ability to go to the toilet as well, so at 28-years-old, I had to be catheterised,\u2019 says Chelsea. \u2018I couldn\u2019t get out of bed, because I\u2019d been put down as a fall risk. I could just feel my whole body starting to give up on me.\u2019<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tFunctional neurological disorder (FND)\t\t\t<\/p>\n The NHS says it\u2019s helpful to think of the brain like a computer, in this case. In someone who has FND, there\u2019s no damage to the hardware, or structure, of the brain. It\u2019s the software, or program running on the computer, that isn\u2019t working properly.<\/p>\n Possible symptoms<\/p>\n Other symptoms include: <\/strong>chronic pain, fatigue, insomnia or hypersomnia, migraines, irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety, panic attacks, depression, PTSD, chronic urinary retention, dysfunctional breathing.<\/p>\n Treatment<\/p>\n Rehabilitation therapy is used to improve the quality of life of FND sufferers, in an attempt to retrain the brain. Some many benefit from this, while others may continue to have symptoms despite treatment.<\/p>\n Source: NHS<\/p>\n It was tough to cope, but after four long weeks without an answer as to what was going on, doctors finally gave her a diagnosis: functional neurological disorder.<\/p>\n This complex condition affects how the brain sends and receives signals to the body, causing a range of symptoms from muscle spasms to memory issues. <\/p>\n Living with Functional neurological disorder (FND)<\/p>\n Chelsea explains: \u2018Before I was diagnosed, I\u2019d never heard of FND, but it\u2019s actually more common than people would think.<\/p>\n \u2018It can be very unpredictable, so it can mean anything from seizures to paralysis, which makes it even harder to get the right help.\u2019<\/p>\n FND can be difficult to diagnose, and has no single \u2018cure\u2019, with treatment focusing more on managing symptoms through medication and physiotherapy<\/a>.<\/p>\n \t\t Despite its severity though, Chelsea says the disorder is often dismissed or \u2018not taken seriously\u2019.<\/p>\n \u2018The main symptom for me is brain fog, which is quite bad when you have young children,\u2019 she adds. <\/p>\n \u2018I have a lot of weakness in my legs, so 99% of the time I walk with a stick or crutches. There are times when I can\u2019t feel my legs and I can\u2019t physically walk. <\/p>\n \u2018I take about 20 tablets per day and suffer with constant pain. I\u2019ve gone from a fully functional mum of three to feeling like I\u2019m a 90-year-old. Three months ago, I never thought this would be my life.\u2019<\/p>\n \t\t Determined to fight back, Chelsea has launched a Facebook<\/a> page to vlog her journey and shine a light on FND \u2013 hoping her story will resonate with others battling the same illness.<\/p>\n She plans to regularly post videos documenting her daily reality with the condition, between the rigorous medication routines and how it impacts her mental health<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u2018I can\u2019t work, so I\u2019m putting all my time into raising awareness,\u2019 Chelsea adds.<\/p>\n \u2018I want to share everything, because I know it will help people.\u2019<\/p>\n Do you have a story to share?<\/strong><\/p>\n Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n Arrow Arrow Arrow![\"Chelsea](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/SEI_273922787-4ed4-e1762857430433.jpg\")
\n\t\tChelsea Shields in hospital before her diagnosis (Picture: Chelsea Shields\/SWNS)<\/p>\n![\"Chelsea](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/SEI_273922677-ecd4.jpg\")
\n\t\tChelsea Shields and her husband Connor at their wedding, five days before she partially lost her sight (Picture: Chelsea Shields\/SWNS)<\/p>\n\n
![\"Chelsea](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/SEI_273922798-234a.jpg\")
\n\t\tChelsea spent four weeks waiting for a diagnosis (Picture: Chelsea Shields\/SWNS)<\/p>\n![\"Chelsea](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/SEI_273922691-1ef3-e1762857644362.jpg\")
\n\t\tChelsea is hoping to raise awareness about her condition which isn\u2019t easy to treat (Picture: Chelsea Shields\/SWNS)<\/p>\n
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