my story
From the best to the worst time of my life
In the midst of what was one of the best years of my life, filled with excitement and fun, I headed on a journey to East Timor to do some volunteer work. I had visited earlier in the year to volunteer and felt a connection to the place and its people. However, as I prepared for my second trip, a nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach told me it was too soon after the whirlwind of the past few months. Ignoring this, I pushed those concerns aside and boarded the plane.
As the days in East Timor passed, my body began to send alarming symptoms. Fatigue, dizziness, stomach pain, and a parasitic infection I’d contracted from a mosquito bite started to build in my body. Wanting to make the most of the last bit of our trip & unaware of quite how rough I was beginning to feel, I continued my volunteer work, took a mountain trip and spent time with friends. But eventually I crashed with the symptoms and found myself spending days mostly confined to our apartment, staring at the four walls and wondering what had gone wrong.
Returning to Northern Ireland, I presumed I’d just quickly bounce back, especially since I’d taken antibiotics I was given by a doctor in East Timor. But my health continued to deteriorate. What began as a few troubling symptoms in East Timor turned into a relentless cycle of sickness and recovery that seemed to have no end. This is the story of my journey through illness, the search for answers, and the incredible health transformation I experienced through Mickel therapy/Mind-Body Reconnect (MBR).
Back in Northern Ireland, my symptoms persisted
My life was a rollercoaster of temporary relief and debilitating crashes. I sought help from numerous doctors and specialists, having countless tests and treatments, but no one could provide a definitive diagnosis. Frustration mounted as I was repeatedly misdiagnosed and given treatments that only offered fleeting respite. Determined to find answers, I flew to London to visit a tropical disease clinic. Despite another very strong antibiotic, my health continued to decline, leaving me in a state of constant uncertainty and disappointment .
The lowest point came when I was diagnosed with ME/CFS. Initially I cried with relief to have a name for what was going on in my body and a hope that I would get better now that doctors knew what I had but sadly I soon realised that traditional treatments and rest & more rest weren't working for me. My health deteriorated rapidly, leaving me almost bed-bound (some days I could manage a walk but that would be it for the day) for what would be the next four years of my life. I was unable to perform even basic tasks without overwhelming fatigue and I found myself with a growing list of symptoms. Most simple things felt like an insurmountable challenge, and the isolation of my condition deepened my despair, my hope of healing began to fade. It was a dark time, but I clung to a small spark of optimism, I firmly believed there was a way out of this, I just had to find it. I could not allow myself to believe what I had been told by doctors that what I was experiencing was life long, I could not resign myself to a life with no socialising, no hobbies, no work and stuck within the same four walls. There had to be a way out.
Hope & Healing
A friend recommended mind body training to me. Keen for a solution, I decided to give it a try. It changed my health. Through this method, I began to understand that, as Dr Gabor Mate teaches, we cannot separate the brain systems that process emotions from the immune system, nervous system, hormonal apparatus and overall health. They are all intimately connected.
With this training I started to regain my health. The debilitating symptoms that once controlled my life began to diminish, and I found myself able to engage in activities I had long missed. It was a process but my energy returned, my pain subsided, I got back to being able to work, socialise, exercise, travel and generally living life again. I no longer fear having another crash in the future since I now have the tools to care for myself. I’m so grateful for this treatment it has been a turning point in my health.
I now teach this method that got me better to others. If you are struggling with chronic illness or pain and have lost hope, I encourage you to explore MBR.
