From ME to MMA

Summary

Recovered after a stay at the AiR Rauland rehabilitation centre, which taught mindfulness, energy-pacing (sorting activities into "green" and "yellow" rest zones) and structured daily routines, following a second severe relapse; before that she had seen a psychologist and a manual therapist and taken beta blockers and blood thinners for two to three years plus lifelong thyroid medication for hypothyroidism. She first collapsed at work at 19 after a tonsillectomy, fainting daily (sometimes with concussions) through a year of daily fevers, arrhythmia, muscle pain and light/noise sensitivity, unable to stand upright or shower for weeks; she recovered enough by 22-23 to move to Oslo and work full-time, but pushed herself with 10km runs before 10-12 hour shifts until a second collapse left her sleeping almost 20 hours a day. After AiR Rauland she returned to work gradually, starting at a 20% workload and increasing 10-20% at a time, and a year into that recovery took up boxing, then wrestling, then MMA. She says, "I am well and healthy again, and I work to make sure I stay that way," attributing the illness to a mononucleosis infection she never properly rested from: "I was throwing petrol on the fire." No relapse is reported since; she says she now focuses on "listening to my body" while still giving herself challenges, keeping up daily mindfulness practice and cutting unnecessary stress.

What they credit

Credits Beta-blockers, Meditation, yoga, breathwork, Pacing and the energy envelope, Sinus, jaw and tonsil surgery, Thyroid (T3, T4, NDT), Triple anticoagulant therapy.

Symptoms mentioned

Symptoms: Light & noise sensitivity, Pain & fibromyalgia.