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My Journey with MEKatie's recovery story ... in her own words
I was 23 when I first noticed the bizarre symptoms of ME and thought that I was going slightly crazy! I was (and still am) a Primary School teacher and had an extremely busy and tiring term organising a whole school Arts week project whilst still teaching the 30 children in my Reception class and when the half term holidays hit I was wiped out! Then to top it all off I got the stomach virus that was doing the rounds. So I spent the entire week of the holidays in bed, however I was still too weak after one week in bed and ended up spending another full week lying in bed feeling too washed out to move! Little did I know then this was the start. I never felt well again after this point at the end of May 2007. I went back to work and struggled on knowing that I just didn't feel right and would often say 'I am just so tired, I don't know what is wrong with me!'I will never forget going to my usual aerobics class in the July, which was the first time I felt I might be able to manage it since the May, and as I was trying to keep up with the moves I could feel my glands coming up, awful aches in my limbs and my throat beginning to get too sore to swallow! This scared me because I could not work out why I would get 'flu-like' symptoms purely from doing a class I used to love doing! Another trip to the doctors and yet another lot of blood tests- all coming back 'normal'! I welcomed the 6 weeks summer holidays with open arms thinking I just need a good break, however I still never felt I had the energy to do things and would often use the awful phrase 'I can't be bothered'. A trip back to the Drs at the start of September and this is when ME was first mentioned. I knew very little about it at this point and thought 'Oh, ok that's fine.' How wrong could I be! Back at work I noticed more and more strange and horrible things. I always had a headache, was feeling so sick constantly and having the lights on would actually make me physically sick. It was a living nightmare that was just going to get worse and worse. I then got the diagnosis of ME in the October, which came with a mixture of feelings such as relief and the unknown.At this point I was also getting incredible aches from doing things, however these would only come at the end of the day. I carried on working determined not to let ME beat me, but I just made things a lot harder for myself and when it got to the point that I could not move by the time I was getting home from school at night due to the pain I was in I had to stop work. That was in April 2008. I went down hill and at points became housebound. I felt like a prisoner in my own body and although I remained positive it was a huge test of my own strength to sit and watch life passing me by unable to join in. I tried lots of different treatments throughout my journey with ME and found that reflexology helped slightly although this was hugely down to the support I got from my therapist there. However there was nothing that unlocked that door to getting well again! This was until I felt ready to send the forms off to Clare!!At the end of November 2008 Clare finally showed me I had all the tools I needed to feel well again and stop doing the ME! I am extremely thankful to Clare for this because I am a completely different person! I often get asked why am I smiling so much and I usually think which answer to give... Is it because I can now cut a vegetable without having to lie down afterwards, or because I can have a shower, wash and dry my hair all in the same hour whereas a shower was enough to put me in bed with ME or is it because I am able to do whatever I want to do! I will never ever resent the time I spent having ME and I look at it as something that has made me stronger and know that if I can get through dealing with having ME, then I can do anything I want to! This is something Clare has definitely reinforced for me! I have just started back at work teaching on a phased return, something which only a few months ago was beyond my biggest dreams! I am ecstatic about it and am confident I will make it back full time in due course......however now I feel well again the 'world is my oyster' and there are so many exciting things I want to do and am able to do!!Thank you once again Clare and if there is anyone reading this considering the Lightning Process then I hope my story confirms your decision to do it!Katie Update - 10 months after the course....Things have continued to be brilliant for me this year - I actually returned to work full time in the middle of May (6 months after the course - CH)! I was over the moon and it was fantastic to be back with my class and great to feel well enough to cope with everything the job threw at me! Not only that, I went back to the gym to start rebuilding my muscles and gaining my fitness again - slowly but surely I'm getting there and I laugh when I think about it but during my first gym class I actually cried because i was SO HAPPY to be there!! Hehe I had to dry my eyes quickly as I didn't want the instructor thinking I wasn't managing it because I loved every second!Also probably the biggest achievement I have made is full-filling my dream of getting to Thailand!!!!!!! I have just returned from 4 weeks of hectic, full on amazing traveling around the country! I had the best time of my life. I went on my own and met up with a tour group out there, made some wonderful new friends and had so much fun! ... I went elephant trekking, bamboo water rafting, walked/climbed to see lots of different beautiful waterfalls, visited an orphanage, visited numerous temples and just generally travelled around the country!!I also joined a women's running group and entered the race for life (but was away when the race was run on the above trip, ooppps!)I am so pleased because I am actually ticking off the list I made of 'ten things I would do when better' when applying for your course! Everyday is a happy one for me and I am loving every second of my life!!... Yep now it is back to work - a class of 30 little 4 year olds!! My favourite job :) I would love you to go ahead and post an update of my progress! I have included a piccie so you can see exactly how happy I am too - it was taken on Koh Tao in Thailand watching one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen! (Took me about half an hour to decide which pic to send I ended up taking about 400!) :) ...So once again all I can say is Thank you Clare!
Katie |
Video
Katie at Christmas, a few weeks after the LP
Katie on Koh Tao
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