ME/CFS
Very severe → near normalIll 10 years before improvingNeeds ongoing treatment
From Federal Officer to Wellness Warrior: Vanessa Defeats a Decade of ME/CFS
- Condition
- ME/CFS
- At worst
- Very severe (bedbound, unable to do basic care)
- Ill before improving
- 10 years
- Published
- No date given
Read the original ↗
In their words
- Condition: ME/CFS
she was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome with pots with such a long list
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - At worst: Very severe
could not feed myself, could not go to the washroom, could not get up, could not do anything
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - Now: Near normal
in life and we do have days we need to rest or days where we ... Feeling alive and thriving,
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - Began after: a bacterial or tick-borne infection
when I contracted a parasite a deadly parasite in Vietnam
Also read from Video on YouTube ↗.
The same story is also published at youtube.com; it is counted once.
Summary
Vanessa, a Canadian federal officer, caught a parasite in Vietnam in 2009 and was left with ME/CFS and POTS. By 2017-18 she was bedridden and needed nurses for basic care. She credits DNRS brain retraining from about 2018, plus trauma work, and says a COVID infection in 2021 set her back. She now puts herself at about 75% of her old health and still rests at times. A keto diet led to pancreatitis.
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What they tried
What they credit
DNRS (dynamic neural retraining system)· Helped a lot · mainCurable app and Dr. Sarno's approach· Helped a lotsomatic experiencing, belief work, tapping and inner child work with a coach· Helped a lot · mainprayer at church with the Greek Orthodox priest· HelpedNLP with a coach (with tapping and awareness)· Helpedincremental training with movement· Helped
Also tried
Mediterranean-style diet· Helpedantidepressants· No change12 medications for heart rate and digestion· No changenaturopaths, functional medicine doctors, osteopaths and chiropractors· No changeReiki, shamans, psychics and mediums· No changeacupuncture· No changeprobiotics· No changeantibiotics for recurrent UTIs and sinus infections· No changechemotherapy to eradicate the parasite· Worsevegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, elimination and keto diets· Worsevegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, elimination and keto diets· Worsevegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, elimination and keto diets· Worsevegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, elimination and keto diets· Worsetalk therapy· Worsepace of grace· Not said
Their words about each treatment
- chemotherapy to eradicate the parasite · Worse
I had to do chemotherapy to eradicate it
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - antidepressants · No change
I was put on antidepressants and all the usual treatments for that. And I still wasn't feeling better.
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - 12 medications for heart rate and digestion · No change
I was put on 12 different medications
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - naturopaths, functional medicine doctors, osteopaths and chiropractors · No change
I went to natural paths, osteopaths, chiropractor. I did a functional medicine.
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - Reiki, shamans, psychics and mediums · No change
I did Reiki. I went to shamans. I went to psychics. I went to mediums.
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - acupuncture · No change
from like shamans to acupuncture to Crazy diets
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - probiotics · No change
I took every probiotic out there. ... I honestly did not have much relief from any of it.
- antibiotics for recurrent UTIs and sinus infections · No change
I was also on antibiotics constantly for recurrent UTIs and sinus infections.
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, elimination and keto diets · Worse
none of it was really working, and it just stressed my nervous system out even more
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - Mediterranean-style diet · Helped
that's what works for me
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - prayer at church with the Greek Orthodox priest · Helped
there was something that just kind of gave me hope
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - DNRS (dynamic neural retraining system) · Helped a lot
that was the beginning of my healing journey I started to heal I started to rewire my brain I started to improve
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - Curable app and Dr. Sarno's approach · Helped a lot
That's actually how I cured chronic migraine was using Dr. Sarno's approach and Curable
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - somatic experiencing, belief work, tapping and inner child work with a coach · Helped a lot
it has completely changed my life
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - NLP with a coach (with tapping and awareness) · Helped
it was just a combination of tapping, um, NLP, and just this incredible awareness
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - talk therapy · Worse
So looking back, I know that that kind of got me a bit more stuck
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - incremental training with movement · Helped
I started to incrementally train with movement
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - pace of grace · Not said
I adopt the pace of grace
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions
Approaches: Brain retraining · Mind-body practices · Physiotherapy and rehab · Trauma & somatic work
Their path
How ill they were on the ME/CFS severity scale, estimated from what they describe at each point, with time counted from when the illness began. Hover or tap a point. The first step with a time is 8.5 years after onset: the story doesn’t say how ill they were before that. The dashed part: the story doesn’t say when. 3 steps say too little to place on the scale and are only in the table. What the levels mean.
Show as a table
| When | What happened | Where they were | After |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Caught a dangerous parasite in Vietnam; chemotherapy before her weddingmy journey started in 2009 um when I contracted a parasite a deadly parasite in VietnamWatch the video ↗From the video’s captions | Not stated | |
| 2009 to 2017 | Kept getting sicker with new diagnoses; cane, wheelchair, at times bedriddenfor eight years I had to use a cane there were times where I had a wheelchair there were times where I was completely bedriddenWatch the video ↗From the video’s captions | Severe | |
| 2017 and 2018 | Month-long hospital stays with POTS; could not sit up, feed herself or use the washroomit all really peaked in 2017 and 18 where I had you know month-long hospital staysWatch the video ↗From the video’s captions | Very severe | |
| about six months later | Prayer at church gave hope; started DNRS and began to improvethat was the beginning of my healing journey I started to heal I started to rewire my brain I started to improveWatch the video ↗From the video’s captions | Not stated | Brain retraining programs (DNRS, Gupta, ANS Rewire, Primal Trust) |
| a year to a year and a half into DNRS | First big family trip to Greece, still with symptomsa half mark, I had gone on my first big vacation to Greece with my familyWatch the video ↗From the video’s captions | Mild | Brain retraining programs (DNRS, Gupta, ANS Rewire, Primal Trust) |
| about three years into DNRS | After Curable and trauma work: working, exercising daily, moved houseFeeling alive and thriving,Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions | Near normal | Trauma work (EFT, EMDR, TRE) |
| December 2021 | COVID, father died within two weeks; long COVID with pericarditisthen I suddenly had long coveted you know the pericarditis and CFS symptoms and and I felt like I'd crawled right back into that hole for a timeWatch the video ↗From the video’s captions | Not stated | |
| about a year and a half later | Recovered quickly from long COVID, off all medication, trip to Greece; still healingthankfully I recovered quite quickly from the long covid stuff I was able to get off any medication I was onWatch the video ↗From the video’s captions | Near normal | Trauma work (EFT, EMDR, TRE) |
Adverse events
- Antiparasitics“I was really sick on my wedding day from the side effects.” Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions Side effects
- Keto and low-carb diets“I even did keto and developed pancreatitis from it.” Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions Side effects
- CBT and psychotherapy“I was retraumatizing myself every single time.” Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions Made symptoms worse
Symptoms mentioned
Anxiety & low moodBrain fogBreathlessnessGut problemsHeadaches & migraineHeart symptoms & palpitationsNeuropathy & tinglingPOTS & dysautonomiaPain & fibromyalgiaPost-exertional malaise
Their words about their symptoms
- POTS & dysautonomia
I kept having a syncope every time I stood up
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - Brain fog
the fog was so bad
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - Post-exertional malaise
and then I would crash even harder
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - Headaches & migraine
That's actually how I cured chronic migraine
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - Gut problems
I had gastroparesis
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - Breathlessness
from the breathing perspective
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - Neuropathy & tingling
I had small fiber neuropathy
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - Heart symptoms & palpitations
the pericarditis and CFS symptoms
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - Anxiety & low mood
depression, agoraphobia, panic disorder, anxiety
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - Pain & fibromyalgia
I had chronic pain
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions
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