NEED TO KNOW
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Vicki Purdey, from Dorset, England, discovered she had a serious illness after her flu-like symptoms took a turn for the worse.
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“Over a few days, I just felt worse, and thankfully, my mom was there to call the ambulance,” she reflected.
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Purdey, 37, now relies on a wheelchair, battling brain fog and frequent eye spasms.
A mother is striving to regain her ability to walk after an illness that started with flu-like symptoms left her incapacitated.
Vicki Purdey, a 37-year-old mother of two from Dorset, was “fit and healthy” until she fell ill in March 2024, presenting symptoms like fever, severe headaches, muscle pains, and light sensitivity. In a discussion with a news agency, Purdey mentioned she initially thought it was just a “seasonal illness.”
It wasn’t until her 75-year-old mother, Julie, noticed Purdey beginning to vomit and slur her speech that she called for emergency help.
“I was fit and well and at the peak of my life,” Purdey said. “So when I first started feeling unwell, I thought it was just the flu.”
She remarked, “I remember waking up with a headache and some pains, and I didn’t think much of them. I honestly assumed it was just the flu and that the symptoms would subside. But over a few days, I felt worse, and I was grateful my mom called the ambulance.”
Purdey was taken to Poole Hospital on April 1 after being unable to touch her chin to her chest during a medical examination. A series of tests, including a lumbar puncture, confirmed she had viral meningitis.
“At the hospital, they gave me antibiotics as my body was mostly shutting down,” Purdey recalled. “When I heard the word meningitis, it hit me hard.”
While under treatment, Purdey noticed her body was showing signs of not fully recovering.
“I remember trying to walk to the restroom and completely lost my coordination. It was the oddest sensation, and the doctors thought it was just due to being in bed for too long,” she revealed.
“I also experienced short-term memory loss. At one point, I couldn’t even recognize my neighbor,” she added.
Purdey was discharged after a week but readmitted on April 15 with recurrent meningitis. During this visit, she learned the illness severely affected the neural pathways in her brain, resulting in the significant loss of mobility in her legs.
Further assessments led to a diagnosis of a functional neurological disorder (FND), triggered by the meningitis, which interferes with the brain’s ability to send and receive signals, causing various symptoms, including loss of sensation.
Purdey suspects she contracted the illness a week before her diagnosis.
“My son was feeling unwell, and I found myself in A&E. It seemed like the only time I was exposed,” she recalled.
Her second hospital stay lasted four days, during which doctors advised that regaining mobility could take weeks. However, two years have passed, and she remains dependent on a wheelchair.
“I essentially lost all sensation below my waist, and it has been incredibly isolating,” she said. “I never expected it to be meningitis. Many think it mainly affects babies and young children, but that’s a misunderstanding.”
“It nearly brought me to death’s door, and there are days I can’t be the mom or wife I want to be. FND is impacting my ability to walk and coordinate—this really needs more awareness and support,” she emphasized.
Purdey regularly attends physiotherapy and has been exercising to improve her mobility. Her hip sockets are misaligned, causing her upper body to rotate oddly. Additionally, due to the FND, she deals with brain fog and about 20 eye spasms each day.
“I still have very little sensation in my legs and rely on my wheelchair. I experience flare-ups, which mean I have to relearn how to walk differently each time. It’s challenging, but I’m discovering more about myself, and the support from family and friends has been tremendous,” she mentioned.
Purdey pointed out that resources available for FND patients are “limited,” despite a growing number of individuals diagnosed with the condition.
“The past couple of years have been very tough and I wouldn’t wish this on anyone,” she remarked. “Even though I’m doing my best to recover, I doubt I’ll ever fully bounce back. I just hope my story raises awareness about meningitis and FND.”
“You are not alone,” she concluded.
