Last summer, Lisa McHugh was hospitalised after temporarily losing the use of both legs and experiencing excruciating pain in her face and head. Following extensive tests, she was eventually diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), a condition that affects how the brain and nervous system send and receive signals.
“It basically means there’s a nervous system problem and your brain isn’t sending the signals properly to your limbs or body. They call it a software problem in your brain, not a hardware problem,” Lisa explains.
The diagnosis saw her go from touring and raising two young children – Milo, now four, and Hallie, 18 months – to being unable to carry them and relearning how to walk using a frame.
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And speaking to RSVP Country, the country singer says while the past year has been the hardest of her life, it is also somehow one she is deeply grateful for. And she admits while excited about returning to the stage, she has learned the importance of prioritising her own health after years of pushing herself to the brink.
“We’re seven months into recovery, and I keep reminding myself that this wasn’t like having a tooth pulled – you lost your body”, she admits.
“My body basically shut down, the nervous system completely shut down, brought on by a lot of things. Stress is a big one; there was a lot going on at home, with my family, with Hallie not being well. There were worrying times, and all of that took its toll on me. I didn’t look after myself the way I should have,” she reflects.
“Recovery-wise, I’m good with everyday things, but I want to do gigs and live performances again at the level I was doing them, without feeling completely exhausted for days after. That will take time – I need to build up slowly and give my body a chance to get back into the swing of things. But I fully believe I will be fine again.”
However, she insists she will never return to the hectic pace of her former life, adding: “I’ll get back to performing while managing my energy carefully. I won’t put myself in the position I was in this time last year because I know that only ends one way, and that’s the last thing we want.”
Speaking about the stresses that lead up to her becoming so depleted she discussed how like so many working mothers, she tried to do it all: “I definitely know I was wearing a lot of hats, or trying to.
“Hallie was very sick and in and out of hospital for most of last year, which was very worrying. You have the constant stresses of being self-employed, trying to get enough hours in the day, dealing with the kids, and then thinking about social media, gigs, emails. Are there things I’ve missed? Then school, shopping, dinners, being a wife, a daughter, a mother – all of those things take a toll.
“I’ve had to learn that there are things I need to do that are non-negotiable. But there are some things I can do tomorrow. At the end of the day, your health is the most important thing, and the health of your family.
“Work is important, but it’s not life or death if you don’t get back to that email until the following day. It’s about balancing everything and making sure I have even half an hour to myself to rest and recharge.”
While the past year has been extraordinarily difficult, Lisa reveals it has also strangely changed her for the better, and shown her what is most important in her life.
“I 100% believe that. As tough as it was and still is, I also feel very lucky,”, she reveals.
“It could have been much worse. I might not have had the outcome or the chance of recovery and to reset things like I have. So yeah, it’s been tough, but I feel very lucky that it happened because it made me physically stop.
“I knew I was run down, tired, struggling, stressed, but I clearly wasn’t willing to stop and relax. So my body said, okay, if you’re not going to stop, we’ll make you stop. Looking back, what did I expect? It was only a matter of time, and thank God it was this and not something worse.”
She also shared her gratitude for her fans, who have showed Lisa an outpouring of love and support through her illness: “The response was overwhelming – the messages, cards, flowers, gifts, emails were constant, and still are to this day. I genuinely have the best fans in the world. Their prayers, well wishes, and support have helped me get to where I am now.”
To read Lisa’s interview in full and see all the stunning pictures, pick up the Spring edition of RSVP Country on shelves now.
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