- Name
- Rachel
- Diagnosis
-
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Disease Course Over Time
-
After coming down with infectious mononucleosis/glandular fever she left school . "Exhaustion felt like lead had been poured into my limbs and body and brain. I lived in a cognitive fog and found it difficult to read or even watch television.
Over time the muscle pain that I experienced in my body spread to the muscles in my eyes and I was unable to read for more than minutes at a time before my eyes could not focus on the page (my eyesight was tested and proven to be perfect).
I also had insomnia."
Rachel also developed hypersensitivities to noise and light and suffered from days of dizziness.
After five years was able to sit up for an hour or more and began taking short walks
- Symptoms
- Extreme fatigue, widespread pain, brain-fog, insomnia, hypersensitivity to noise and light, orthostatic intolerance and later, depression
- Positive Test Results
- Abnormal gut bacteria
- Treatments That Made A Big Difference
-
Elimination diet and probiotics.
After more than 10 years ill an elimination diet takes several months to work but Rachel's symptoms for the first time, start to lift. Rachel achieves 50-60% functionality, got her drivers license and has a boyfriend.
Rachel's very restrictive diet, however, is metabolically unsustainable. She feels much better on and can't get off without suffering from diarrhea, but begins to weaken.
When bowel tests reveal poor bacteria, she begins minute amounts of probiotics (1/8 tsp to begin) and works her way up. She has to use different kinds of probiotics to find ones that work. Over two years, her food intolerances mostly disappear (gluten still a factor), her weight returns to normal
- Treatments That Helped
- Meditation and Satyananda yoga.
- Present State of Health
-
- Fully recovered - no restrictions at all
- Words of Advice
- I became interested in mediation, Buddhist philosophy and yoga. The yoga I did was Satyananda Yoga, a gentle form of yoga which emphasises awareness and meditation over postures (asana). This philosophical learning was a new and transformative world for me which helped me to find meaning in my restricted existence and to learn methods to help me manage my health. I recommend it to all!"
"One small thing I found that did help was focusing everyday on five things that I was greatful for that day. This helped me to connect with the good that existed in my life and to get through the day. I was still depressed but I found gratitude to be transformative, even in little doses. "....
I became interested in mediation, Buddhist philosophy and yoga. The yoga I did was Satyananda Yoga, a gentle form of yoga which emphasises awareness and meditation over postures (asana). This philosophical learning was a new and transformative world for me which helped me to find meaning in my restricted existence and to learn methods to help me manage my health. I recommend it to all!"
At the time of her story Rachel had been recovered for eight years.
I became interested in mediation, Buddhist philosophy and yoga. The yoga I did was Satyananda Yoga, a gentle form of yoga which emphasises awareness and meditation over postures (asana). This philosophical learning was a new and transformative world for me which helped me to find meaning in my restricted existence and to learn methods to help me manage my health. I recommend it to all!"
At the time of her story Rachel had been recovered for eight years.
