Megan Dixon, 21, Faces Double Leg Amputation After 8 Years of Unexplained Pain

6 articles · Updated · LADbible · May 12

Eight years after her legs locked straight, Megan Dixon says doctors have told her double amputation is now the only option because the damage to her knees is irreversible.
Dixon, who has not walked since age 14, said constant pain and an unknown disorder left her legs fixed forward and upward, with her knees unable to bend even under anaesthetic.
A hospital stay that was meant to last four days stretched to 18 months as her condition worsened; she said six surgeons assessed her and five declined to operate before the damage became permanent.
The 21-year-old, who also has functional neurological disorder, said years of being dismissed left her fundraising for an electric wheelchair and urging others with unexplained symptoms to keep pushing for answers.

From a common infection to a double amputation, what does her case reveal about the hidden dangers of post-viral syndromes?

With breakthroughs in limb regeneration, could her tragic outcome have been avoided if her illness struck just years later?

She was told the pain was in her head. How can patients prove an invisible illness before irreversible damage is done?