The sickness that saved me

When she woke up one morning and couldn't move, Zephné Weston thought she'd suffered a stroke. It turned out be 'the most common condition you've never heard of': functional neurological disorder.

- ROBYN MACLARTY

The worst thing that has ever happened to me also became my greatest blessing. That’s how I think of it now: without the absolute horror of waking up one day and not being able to move, see, hear, or speak; without the ordeal that followed, I wouldn’t have changed my life. I would still be an unforgiving perfectionist, pushing myself without mercy to achieve, without stopping to consider if it’s what I really want, without any regard for my own well-being… all while presenting an image of a successful woman. I wouldn’t be able to raise awareness of functional neurological disorder (FND), which I believe is probably far more prevalent than people realise – even among healthcare professionals. This is my story.

Climbing the ladder

After working in tourism overseas for over 12 years, I came back to South Africa and began to establish a career for myself in the travel industry here. I had clients from all around the world: Australia, Japan, Europe, North and South America. So there were no ‘working hours’ – I was always on call, always prepared to work at any hour. I was ambitious. I wanted to be at the top. And I got there. I started my own luxury global boutique tour operator business. We worked with high-end clients, private jets and so on.

Along the way, I met my husband; we married and had two beautiful children.

By 2018, I was exhausted. The long hours and constant battle to stay at the top had taken its toll. I was permanently tired. I couldn’t admit to myself that I was burnt out. So I had some blood tests to help me figure out what was wrong, and I was diagnosed with adrenal fatigue.