Diagnosed – The Day That Turns Your Life Around

What happens when your body stops responding… but no scan or test can clearly explain why?

In this episode, host Lee Cunningham speaks with Sarah from Lincolnshire, who lives with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) — a complex and often misunderstood condition that affects how the brain and body communicate.

Sarah’s story began in 2018 with a sudden and severe neurological episode, followed by seizures, loss of speech, paralysis, and a long and confusing journey to diagnosis. What followed was not just a medical challenge, but a deeply personal one — learning to adapt to a condition that can change from moment to moment.

This episode explores:

• The sudden onset of FND and early symptoms
• The experience of diagnosis — and lack of explanation
• Living with unpredictable neurological symptoms
• The emotional impact, including grief and identity
• Why lived experience and peer support matter

This is not medical advice — it’s a real conversation about what it feels like to live with FND.

🧠 About Functional Neurological Disorder (FND)

FND is a condition where there is a problem with how the brain sends and receives signals to the body. Symptoms can include non-epileptic seizures, paralysis, speech difficulties, sensory changes, and more — often without visible damage on scans.

It is real, complex, and increasingly recognised — but still widely misunderstood.

🤝 Support & Resources

If you or someone you know is affected by FND, these organisations may help:

• 🌐 FND Hope UK (Facebook Community)
  https://www.facebook.com/FNDHopeuk/
• 🌍 FND Action (UK Charity)
  https://www.fndaction.org.uk/

👥 Get Involved

If you would like to share your story on the Diagnosed podcast, you can join from the comfort of your own home.

👉 Learn more:
https://www.you-id.me

🎧 Listen to More Episodes

🌐 You ID Me Podcast Page
https://www.you-id.me/diagnosed-podcast.html

🍎 Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/diagnosed-the-day-that-turns-your-life-around/id1886506614

🎵 Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/7hNUex376hWcC7InxXZknO

▶️ YouTube Playlist
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLA_ByyWLsMH3aawW6N1yEtvH348jay1Kj

💬 Final Thought

As Sarah shares in this episode — with FND, there are no fixed rules. But there is strength, community, and the possibility of finding your own way forward.

In this episode of Diagnosed – The Day That Turns Your Life Around, host Lee Cunningham speaks with Katherine Hill from Cambridgeshire, who has lived with multiple benign meningiomas and undergone numerous surgeries and intensive treatment.

Katherine’s story is one of resilience, clarity, and determination - continuing to work, adapt, and live life on her own terms despite significant challenges.

This is a powerful conversation about diagnosis, identity, and what it really means to keep moving forward.

Katherine has very kindly offered to be contactable by anyone who's undergone a similar diagnosis. If you've been affected by the same or similar brain tumour diagnosis as Katherine, send your email to katherine@aheadsolutions.co.uk and we'll forward this on on your behalf.

In the UK, fibromyalgia is estimated to affect between 2% and 6% of the population, with some studies suggesting around 5.4% of people may be living with it (PMC). That translates to up to around 2.5–3 million people across the country (abdn.ac.uk) — though exact numbers are hard to pin down due to underdiagnosis and the complexity of symptoms.

In this episode, I’m joined by Shawna from Oldham in Lancashire, who lived with the chronic pain of fibromyalgia for more than six years before finally receiving a diagnosis.

For Shawna, that diagnosis — in November 2025 — came as a relief. After years of uncertainty, it brought clarity, validation, and a starting point for understanding what her body had been going through.

Since then, life has begun to feel more manageable. Through support groups, pain management strategies, and connecting with others online, Shawna is finding ways to cope — and to rebuild a sense of control.

This is a conversation about being heard, being understood, and learning how to live with a condition that doesn’t always make itself visible — but is always there.

Each episode we aim to speak to a person who has been diagnosed with a different medical condition to see how their journey before diagnosis day, on diagnosis day, and there on after has affected them.

What strategies and coping mechanisms did they learn and where did they get them from? How did they cope emotionally, practically, spiritually and financially even with their diagnosis.

In this short introduction host Lee Cunningham tells you a little bit more about DIAGNOSED: The Day That Turns Your Life Around.

Takeaways

• Relief: The confirmation of a treatable condition brought immense relief to the guest, Phill Connell, and marked the beginning of a new chapter in his life.
• Understanding Diabetes: The conversation sheds light on the emotional and practical aspects of living with diabetes type 1, providing valuable insights into the impact of the condition on daily life. Acceptance and Management
• Reliable Information

Chapters

• 00:00 A Lighthearted Start
• 07:13 Timeline of Diagnosis and Treatment
• 19:03 Emotional Impact of Diagnosis
• 26:29 The Reality of a Cure
• 32:23 Seeking Reliable Information
• 38:05 The Impact of Medical Advancements

Note: Diagnosed is not medical advice or guidance. We strongly encourage listeners to consult their GP or medical consultant about any aspect of their medical condition.