24-Oct, 23

A Journey With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)

I was your typical outgoing female in my mid-30’s. Very social, active and enjoyed doing many things to the extreme. Life resembled a bit of a party and most of my friends at the time reflected those choices. I was definitely no stranger to over indulging at times, both with food & alcohol whilst trying to balance it all out with exercise and natural therapies. I loved to jog at least twice a week, regular walks, gym sessions and always on the go either with work, family or friends; your typical A type personality. I don’t think I had a clear bill of health by any stretch but I was functioning well and very able.

In mid-2017 I was diagnosed with glandular fever - it’s an infectious disease caused by the Epstein Barr virus. In the lead up to being diagnosed, I slowly found myself losing energy, struggling to focus and zero energy to exercise. I instantly knew something wasn’t right…

In the lead up to being diagnosed, I slowly found myself losing energy, struggling to focus and zero energy to exercise

Once the virus had properly set in I was struggling to get out of bed, unable to shower whilst standing, severe brain fog, headaches, swollen glands, back pain and basically unable to leave the house without falling in a heap.

Naturally, I was unable to work during this time which was one of my biggest concerns. Lucky for me, my work was extremely supportive and worked towards helping me as best they could. I was also very lucky to be living with a very supportive upbeat friend at the time which really helped my sanity and got me through the tough days. My closest, dearest friends were also a great support, including family. As they say, hard times will always reveal your true friends.

I went to a naturopath to get some nutritional advice and suggestions on supplementation. She loaded me up with so many pills, I’m sure I would have rattled if someone shook me. I didn’t care, I honestly would have done anything if that meant getting my life back.  I battled the effects of Glandular fever for at least 3.5 months. I kept thinking positive thoughts (mostly) and imagined getting better, approaching the 4 month mark I slowly started to improve. I could stand up for longer periods, shower standing, walk to the end of my street and each day I was getting stronger. By the end of 2017 I was almost back to feeling myself and easing back into work. I remember thinking to myself, I kicked Glandular Fever’s butt! Finally…

I started getting back into my old routine of being social (making up for lost time), spending time with family, full time work and exercise. A few months went by and I still felt okay. Not 100% but as close to. Until…July 2018, I started feeling exhausted every day, found it incredibly hard to get out of bed, headaches, dizziness, slight brain fog and a general sense feeling of unwell. This progressively got worse.

I went to the doctor for a series of blood tests. I asked my doctor at the time ‘can you get glandular fever twice’ he said ‘no, I don’t believe so, I think you’re just tired, you need to rest more’. I left his clinic feeling very defeated and a bit teary.

As I slowly went downhill I had to stop working full time, stop socialising, no exercise and simply focus on my health. For me, that was like chopping off my right arm, actually no, both arms! It was incredibly challenging.

My health journey saw me with several medical professionals, both Eastern and Western to try and get some answers, relief and ultimately, find a cure.

I saw specialists, doctors, a Chinese herbalist, physician, acupuncturist, weekly IV vitamin infusions (Myers cocktail), daily bone broth, superfood smoothies, energy healing, naturopathy, chiropractor, craniosacral and so many tests I lost count. All of these specialists and healing modalities had me dishing out thousands of dollars and emptying my savings account but with minimal improvement.

I felt like my life had ended abruptly without an understanding of when or if I’d ever get it back. Without an end in sight, unable to socialise and no exercise, my mental health was challenged. The toll it took was fairly significant even though I’m a pretty positive person.

I just kept thinking I am not sure how, but I will, I will find a way out of this. At my worst, I was struggling to walk to the end of my street and back (similar to when I had Glandular Fever). Finding it very hard to stay in a conversation for long periods of time – and when I say long, I mean 3-5 minutes.

In late 2018 into 2019, I saw some improvement. Enough to make me think I was getting better and I was on the right track. I could function about 50-70% most of the time with major brain fog and constant exhaustion being my main symptoms but I could get by, just.

I was so excited by my progress I booked a trip to Europe with a group of friends for August 2019. As the trip got closer and closer my health declined again and I was not getting better so I almost cancelled my trip. But after realising I wouldn’t be refunded for the cost outlay, I decided to go ahead with the trip and off to UK, Croatia and France I went. Most days I struggled in one way or another but pushed through. I’m so grateful I went, I experienced some of the most incredible moments with some very special people in my life. Sometimes you can surprise yourself when challenged and in a different environment.

Several months after returning from Europe my health crashed again and after trying my hardest to overcome these hurdles I just couldn’t get back on track. I finally hit the point of pure frustration and exhaustion – I was just so over it. This happened as we approached the pandemic lockdowns. I said to myself, if I can’t find something to cure me now, I give up.

About a month later, I came across a doctor on YouTube, based in Port Charlotte, US. He was definitely a little unusual and very extreme in his methods but once again, I was willing to try anything at this point. He was known as the doctor people go to if all others have failed. He certainly suited my situation! Funnily enough I really resonated with this Doctor and he came across like such a genuine human, wanting to help others in any way possible. I did some further digging and found a specialist in Sydney trained by this doctor, so I got in touch with her immediately and begun implementing his unusual methods. I went 100% vegan and basically consumed only fruit with liquid herbs (tinctures) for months on end (minus a few hiccups along the way) along with a few other supporting modalities. Within 2 weeks I could feel a big shift and within a month I could walk 2 kilometres (3-4 times a week) and within 2 months I was walking 5 kilometres. I also connected with a special individual, a man that had been through a similar experience to me. He had CFS and healed himself with diet, meditation and exercise. He was happy to mentor me for a little while, just to help me get on track. He was a huge support to me, knowing he understood what I was going through made it so much easier. He also introduced me to meditation which helped immensely.

My transformation was unbelievable - everyone that knew me could see I had transformed my health and witnessed the change. I went from strength to strength and finally got back to performing better in all facets of my life.

So, here I am now, basically 6 years since being diagnosed with glandular fever and I’m feeling much stronger (mentally), more able and clear headed than I did before I was sick. I’m still working on getting my physical fitness and strength back to where it was but I’m getting stronger each day. I just take it one day at a time.

I can quite honestly say, I am grateful for what I had to go through but I would never wish it upon anyone. Not only did I learn how to slow down and practice self-care on a level I never knew existed but I learnt to appreciate the small things in life. It slowed my life down to a pace that’s more manageable. I also don’t feel the need to always be doing something or socialising and if I don’t feel like doing something, I simply don’t do it and feel much better for it.