An Aussie mum-of-four woke up with a Chinese accent and now staff at her local oriental restaurant think she’s being rude.
Jodie Connelly used to speak with an Australian twang.
But she was diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder last May.
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The condition involves weakness and movement problems.
But 51-year-old Jodie also has now got Foreign Accent Syndrome.
The rare disorder leaves sufferers speaking their native language but sound like they are from another country.
She had been suffering with severe headaches and her vocal chords were closing in.
Jodie lost her voice for four days and when it came back, she was shocked to have a completely different accent.
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The mum-of-four says Chinese restaurant staff are rude to her as they assume that she’s putting the accent on.
“People don’t think it’s real,” Jodie, from Brisbane, Australia, told What’s the Jam.
“I’ve had lots of comments from people.
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“When I try to order food at a Chinese restaurant, they look at me with a mean look because they think I’m trying to copy them.
“Then they notice I’m stuttering, but it’s very awkward.
“I do miss my accent and it’s scary thinking my voice won’t come back but I’m learning to live with the new me.”
Jodie had never heard of Foreign Accent Syndrome until she was diagnosed and says she and her family saw the funny side when they thought it was temporary.
She said: “I lost my voice over four days and when it came back, it started to change throughout each day.
“Then it got to the point where it sounded like Chinese broken English.
“I used to have a normal Australian accent.
“I’d never heard of it..
“At first I thought it would be temporary and i’d get my normal voice back when the headaches subsided.
“I asked why I didn’t get a sexy accent. Other people get a sexy Italian accent.
“Me and my family just laughed because I couldn’t say words properly.”
As well as losing her accent, Jodie struggles with loss of memory.
Jodie has been off work since her diagnosis.
She said doctors think the symptoms were caused by prolonged stress due to Jodie’s job as a director with the Queensland government’s health ombudsman.
“I wish I could be normal me,” Jodie added.
“If the new accent is forever, I can deal with it but the daily headaches are the main problem and the loss of cognitive ability.
“Because of the headaches, I could barely do anything, my memory and ability to do all sorts of things like walking were affected.
“The headaches are all day, every day. They don’t stop and it’s really painful.
“I can’t process information fast like I used to.
“I had to teach myself to cook again because I couldn’t understand recipes.
“It can be frustrating because I have to practise saying words and sometimes I can’t find the right ones.”
Jodie has been seeing a neurologist, a neuropsychiatrist and a physiotherapist in the hopes of getting her accent back and curing her headaches.
She’s also signed up to a medical trial in Sydney that starts later this year.
Jodie said: “I get loads of good tips.
“I have to distract myself to get back to my normal voice.
“When I really concentrate on the distractions, I can sometimes get back to my normal voice but I can’t hold it or talk fluently for very long.”
Jodie is sharing her story to raise awareness of FAS and FND.
She added: “There are heaps of people with FAS but not many people have heard of it.
“I see some people in America who are told they’re putting it on and can’t get help or treatment.
“They’re struggling and don’t know where to get help.
“I’ve been lucky to have support around me.”
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