Megan thought her symptoms were stress, but then she woke up trapped in her own body
A woman who went into hospital for a routine test woke up two years later trapped in her own body. Megan Dixon was left paralysed from the neck down, blind and unable to speak.
The 20-year-old, from Bath, had been experiencing visual blackouts multiple times a day. Putting it down to stress, she didn’t think much of it; until it started to take her a few minutes to get a single sentence out.
She went to the hospital as doctors believed it was a stroke – but she didn’t wake up until two years later, completely trapped in her own body. Now, she’s had to move just under four hours away from her friends and family to undergo intense therapy; though it’s unlikely she’ll ever fully recover.
“Being trapped in my own body feels like a prison sentence,” said Megan, who is currently in Peterborough. “It breaks my heart every time I’m told that I’ll never walk again. The last thing I ever said was ‘I love you’ to my parents.
“It’s so difficult to get my head around. I’m never going to get my life back.”
Megan has since undergone intensive therapy and has regained her ability to speak and control some of her movement, as well as opening her eyes.
Megan used to be very sporty, playing hockey and netball for her local team. Out of the blue, her legs buckled; and that was the beginning of everything going downhill.
She has since been admitted to a neurological care home and diagnosed with functional neurological disorder (FND). The condition affects around 8,000 people every year in the UK, according to the National Institute Health and Care Excellence.
Megan, who used to have up to 100 seizures a day, now only suffers up to 15. She’s also recently moved in with her boyfriend, Oli, 24, and has applied to college to begin a nail tech course.
It’s hoped that surgery will be carried out in the near future to help Megan bend her knees again; though this will ultimately leave her paralysed. The 20-year-old shares her battle on social media in a bid to raise awareness. She added: “I’m tired of seeing the misinformation towards FND. I just want to help others feel less alone, like I did years ago.
“I’m in so much pain in my knees because they are now bent the wrong way. So I need this surgery to get me out of pain. I’ve been turned down by five different surgeons, though, all telling me that my condition is too rare and too complicated for them to want to take the risk.
“This condition may not always be visible or easily explained, but that doesn’t make it any less real. Every small victory – whether it’s moving a finger, speaking a word, or simply making it through another tough day – is worth celebrating. Progress isn’t always linear, and setbacks don’t erase how far you’ve come.
“I keep holding on to hope, because even on the hardest days, I am still moving forward.”