CFS Recovery - The Untold Story
Before I even start this post, I should state that a full recovery from the Chronic Fatigue that started at the end of 2017 is not the case, at least not yet. But I can say with confidence that I am significantly better than I was this time last year, almost back to what was my 'normal' before it started. I've made reference in previous posts to the various tweaks, changes and interventions that I've taken on board to address this condition, but I've omitted something that has proven highly significant to me, and for the wrong reason, namely that discussing it is right out of my comfort zone.
I'm well accustomed to informing myself (in depth) and cross-referencing what I find to help me to better understand how to improve my health. I first discovered this almost two decades ago when I decided to find a natural way to heal the recurrent endometriosis I was experiencing. On that occasion, just one book was enough - mainly because I didn't place the same value then on finding supporting evidence for my chosen course of action, but also because the book I found was thorough, and sufficiently based in science to inspire confidence in me. And herein lies my discomfort. I like proof, not necessarily that which becomes tabloid headlines - that's too much of a rollercoaster ride, as in 'what made you ill last week is super healthy for you this week' and vice versa. And anyway, too many of these headline stories have an agenda that maybe does wonders for lining the pockets of those who have pushed them to the fore, but whether or not they're truly trustworthy and helpful to me is about as random as the lottery; I need background research based on sources that over time have demonstrated reliability, at least in terms of an honest belief in the information being conveyed. This is how I operate, and those who know me know it. But this is not how I have approached this recent illness. That's not to say that I haven't done my research; previous posts will go some way to highlighting the process I went through, starting with the whole story of magnesium deficiency (and I'm so glad I found out about it), but the key information and advice I've followed in recovering from Chronic Fatigue has come from an unverifiable source, and those two words fill me with unease.
Would you take the advice of an unassuming and uncharismatic individual in another country claiming that his information comes spoken into his ear by a spirit that has been with him since he was aged 4? Well, I certainly wouldn't! .. But I did. The man is Anthony William, better known as the Medical Medium (for reasons just alluded to). He was on the periphery of my awareness already, but I'd never been interested, not because the sort of advice he offered was in anyway objectionable, but due to the means by which he claims it comes. However, a friend unexpectedly and gently suggested that I might find his book useful (as it seemed it had been for her), and since I knew as a minimum that his food advice went in the general direction of the way I was already eating, I decided to satisfy my curiosity.
What ensued was enlightening. There was no prevaricating around what might be the cause of Chronic Fatigue, it was, he claimed, a virus and specifically the Epstein Barr Virus. I was already convinced of a viral cause as it had followed a nasty dose of flu. I was less certain that it might be Epstein Barr, as I'd never had glandular fever, but he claimed it need never have been a full-blown case of mono (he's American), but may instead have been something much more muted and easily passed off as a scratchy throat. Some weeks later, I had a kind of confirmation of the Epstein Barr Virus (I use the word 'confirmation' with caution as there's as yet no standard scientific proof to support what was revealed to me). It showed up on a bioresonance investigation. This was also outside of my comfort zone, but was at least a little more 'solid' than spiritual pronouncements and it seemed like one thing supported the other: the diagnostic tool also highlighted a very compromised liver which, as I had read, was a likely outcome of playing unwitting host to a long-term 'squatter' - the Epstein Barr Virus.
I had no good reason now not to put Anthony William's advice into practice, in fact I'd already made a start and the bioresonance results for heavy metal toxicity in my body were very favourable - the Medical Medium heavy metal detox smoothie was something I'd taken on board some weeks previously as the 5 ingredients were undeniably highly nutritious whatever the other potential benefits. Gradually, but noticeably, the fatigue was easing; I could walk longer distances and at a faster pace. The heart palpitations became a thing of the past and the elbow and thumb joint pain diminished. Best of all though, was the return to 'me'; I'm no longer debilitated by anxiety. It didn't matter whether my external circumstances were good, bad or indifferent, I could experience anxiety and overwhelm at any given moment and it was grim both for me and for Graham.
There are a couple of symptoms I haven't yet mentioned: a good night's sleep is still frequently elusive; it's one aspect of the illness that's made me realise just how long I've had it ... I haven't slept well for decades. Meditation helped, as did being loved by Graham, my husband of 8 years now .. I know I'm fortunate. But the 2017 flu and what followed threw all of that under a bus and left me really needing to 'work' at resting effectively. There are signs of progress, but there's clearly no rapid resolution here. The other symptom has also been with me for several years (although not decades); a pain emanating in my neck and shoulders and often travelling up and over my head and down to the back of (usually) one eye and occurring seemingly at random. This too has been easing and I seem to have precipitated its progress by using visualisation! I read the revised book 'How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body' by David Hamilton PhD shortly after Christmas this year and decided to give it a go. This is perhaps easier to take on board as it's packed with scientific examples which really assist the reader in believing what it proposes. Of course it's helpful to know what to visualise, so the Anthony William description of the Epstein Barr Virus attacking the central nervous system, and particularly the vagus nerve has made it decidedly do-able. I've been visualising daily for a few weeks now, and it's been a consistently effective intervention. Any pain now is at worst moderate rather than screaming at me, and more often than not, it disappears quickly. I can't deny it, it feels somewhat miraculous. Both of these authors are clearly driven by a committment to serve others and in each case their work is having a positive impact on very many people. I've swapped suspicion and mistrust (especially in the case of Anthony William) for gratitude for what they do.
So what is my purpose for writing this post? Well, it's partly to 'come clean' and admit I'm doing something that a previous version of me would have disapproved of and dismissed as nonsense, but it's also to maybe inspire others to listen not only to the voice in the head (at least when it's being reasonable) but also to the heart. Not everything can be proven, and yet there's plenty that we 'know'. Science doesn't know everything yet - it would have to hang up its white coat and retire if it did. Medical science in particular is stuck when it comes to responding to modern day illnesses and conditions, lost in a world that only sees medication and surgery as first-resort responses. So if in your search for a solution you come across something that will almost certainly do no harm, genuinely seems to have helped others AND feels right, then why not try it? Why not open up your world beyond the narrow confines of current thinking? You might be glad you did.
I'm well accustomed to informing myself (in depth) and cross-referencing what I find to help me to better understand how to improve my health. I first discovered this almost two decades ago when I decided to find a natural way to heal the recurrent endometriosis I was experiencing. On that occasion, just one book was enough - mainly because I didn't place the same value then on finding supporting evidence for my chosen course of action, but also because the book I found was thorough, and sufficiently based in science to inspire confidence in me. And herein lies my discomfort. I like proof, not necessarily that which becomes tabloid headlines - that's too much of a rollercoaster ride, as in 'what made you ill last week is super healthy for you this week' and vice versa. And anyway, too many of these headline stories have an agenda that maybe does wonders for lining the pockets of those who have pushed them to the fore, but whether or not they're truly trustworthy and helpful to me is about as random as the lottery; I need background research based on sources that over time have demonstrated reliability, at least in terms of an honest belief in the information being conveyed. This is how I operate, and those who know me know it. But this is not how I have approached this recent illness. That's not to say that I haven't done my research; previous posts will go some way to highlighting the process I went through, starting with the whole story of magnesium deficiency (and I'm so glad I found out about it), but the key information and advice I've followed in recovering from Chronic Fatigue has come from an unverifiable source, and those two words fill me with unease.
Would you take the advice of an unassuming and uncharismatic individual in another country claiming that his information comes spoken into his ear by a spirit that has been with him since he was aged 4? Well, I certainly wouldn't! .. But I did. The man is Anthony William, better known as the Medical Medium (for reasons just alluded to). He was on the periphery of my awareness already, but I'd never been interested, not because the sort of advice he offered was in anyway objectionable, but due to the means by which he claims it comes. However, a friend unexpectedly and gently suggested that I might find his book useful (as it seemed it had been for her), and since I knew as a minimum that his food advice went in the general direction of the way I was already eating, I decided to satisfy my curiosity.
What ensued was enlightening. There was no prevaricating around what might be the cause of Chronic Fatigue, it was, he claimed, a virus and specifically the Epstein Barr Virus. I was already convinced of a viral cause as it had followed a nasty dose of flu. I was less certain that it might be Epstein Barr, as I'd never had glandular fever, but he claimed it need never have been a full-blown case of mono (he's American), but may instead have been something much more muted and easily passed off as a scratchy throat. Some weeks later, I had a kind of confirmation of the Epstein Barr Virus (I use the word 'confirmation' with caution as there's as yet no standard scientific proof to support what was revealed to me). It showed up on a bioresonance investigation. This was also outside of my comfort zone, but was at least a little more 'solid' than spiritual pronouncements and it seemed like one thing supported the other: the diagnostic tool also highlighted a very compromised liver which, as I had read, was a likely outcome of playing unwitting host to a long-term 'squatter' - the Epstein Barr Virus.
I had no good reason now not to put Anthony William's advice into practice, in fact I'd already made a start and the bioresonance results for heavy metal toxicity in my body were very favourable - the Medical Medium heavy metal detox smoothie was something I'd taken on board some weeks previously as the 5 ingredients were undeniably highly nutritious whatever the other potential benefits. Gradually, but noticeably, the fatigue was easing; I could walk longer distances and at a faster pace. The heart palpitations became a thing of the past and the elbow and thumb joint pain diminished. Best of all though, was the return to 'me'; I'm no longer debilitated by anxiety. It didn't matter whether my external circumstances were good, bad or indifferent, I could experience anxiety and overwhelm at any given moment and it was grim both for me and for Graham.
There are a couple of symptoms I haven't yet mentioned: a good night's sleep is still frequently elusive; it's one aspect of the illness that's made me realise just how long I've had it ... I haven't slept well for decades. Meditation helped, as did being loved by Graham, my husband of 8 years now .. I know I'm fortunate. But the 2017 flu and what followed threw all of that under a bus and left me really needing to 'work' at resting effectively. There are signs of progress, but there's clearly no rapid resolution here. The other symptom has also been with me for several years (although not decades); a pain emanating in my neck and shoulders and often travelling up and over my head and down to the back of (usually) one eye and occurring seemingly at random. This too has been easing and I seem to have precipitated its progress by using visualisation! I read the revised book 'How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body' by David Hamilton PhD shortly after Christmas this year and decided to give it a go. This is perhaps easier to take on board as it's packed with scientific examples which really assist the reader in believing what it proposes. Of course it's helpful to know what to visualise, so the Anthony William description of the Epstein Barr Virus attacking the central nervous system, and particularly the vagus nerve has made it decidedly do-able. I've been visualising daily for a few weeks now, and it's been a consistently effective intervention. Any pain now is at worst moderate rather than screaming at me, and more often than not, it disappears quickly. I can't deny it, it feels somewhat miraculous. Both of these authors are clearly driven by a committment to serve others and in each case their work is having a positive impact on very many people. I've swapped suspicion and mistrust (especially in the case of Anthony William) for gratitude for what they do.
So what is my purpose for writing this post? Well, it's partly to 'come clean' and admit I'm doing something that a previous version of me would have disapproved of and dismissed as nonsense, but it's also to maybe inspire others to listen not only to the voice in the head (at least when it's being reasonable) but also to the heart. Not everything can be proven, and yet there's plenty that we 'know'. Science doesn't know everything yet - it would have to hang up its white coat and retire if it did. Medical science in particular is stuck when it comes to responding to modern day illnesses and conditions, lost in a world that only sees medication and surgery as first-resort responses. So if in your search for a solution you come across something that will almost certainly do no harm, genuinely seems to have helped others AND feels right, then why not try it? Why not open up your world beyond the narrow confines of current thinking? You might be glad you did.
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