As an active person, Monique (31) was fully immersed in life when she began to experience increasingly strange complaints. 'Already a couple of years ago I slowly started to lose strength and sometimes the control of my hands. Carpal tunnel syndrome was diagnosed, but after the necessary surgery, I continued to experience symptoms. In fact, I gradually found myself unable to move my right leg properly,' she says. 'After a few weeks, I also experienced difficulties with certain movements in my le

A burden lifted off her shoulders With the correct diagnosis of Functional Neurological Disorder, a great weight was lifted off Monique's shoulders. 'For a long time I noticed that my health deteriorated without an obvious cause. When scans don’t show what is going on and you have to rely on your own perseverance for proper care, it creates a lot of uncertainty. Also, the symptoms of FND can be really confusing. If I consciously wanted to lift my foot, it wouldn't work, but it would in a reflex.

Going to the office on crutches 'I'm not a workaholic,' Monique says with a smile. ‘But still, after a few weeks, I enjoyed returning to the office, even if it was just for an hour per day. I needed to go by bus, despite living within walking distance from the Deloitte office.' Monique began her career at Deloitte in 2015 as a working student in Tax & Legal. Two years later, she started in Human Capital, where she worked on digital and strategic transformation projects in the public sector. ‘Peo

More awareness for FND  'I've been lucky,' Monique continues. 'Within a few months, I went from someone who skated the alternative Elfstedentocht on the Weissensee to not knowing how to walk. However, with an accurate diagnosis and treatment, I will – hopefully – be able to ice skate again next year. I wish anyone with FND would be able to recover as well as I have. Even though FND can be just as disabling as other well-known neurological conditions, it is still quite unknown. Fortunately, more