As part of Her Campus Exeter’s Mental & Physical Health Awareness Campaign we will be exploring the dangers of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. This campaign hopes to raise awareness of mental & physical illnesses within the student population and break the misconception that if you can’t see it then it’s not there.
Tiredness is so common that we often complain about it without thinking. But, what if you had a legitimate reason to be exhausted all the time? How would you react to being diagnosed with an illness that controls you and everything you are able to do? I never thought about these questions until it happened to me…
What is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?
I was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (also known as ME)– a low-grade inflammatory response to chronic low-grade infections, in late 2014. The syndrome, which is not uncommon in students, is basically, a build up of viruses that prevent your immune system from working effectively. The inability for my cells to generate enough ATP (energy) leaves me feeling fatigued all the time.
So what’s my story?
I would like to stress that this is only my experience of living with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and that different people may be affected in different ways. My story does not seek to challenge any other stories of living with the illness but just raise awareness of what it may be like to live suffering from it.
One day in September 2014, I woke up with an intense headache and that was essentially how it all began. My ability to focus drastically deteriorated as the term went on to a point where I could only focus for a maximum of four hours per day. I was incredibly tired and found myself in bed at every possible opportunity. I had some form of migraine almost every other day as well as a constant headache and was struggling to learn and remember anything (what I later learned was called brain fag). I dreaded going to lectures and was so low on energy I constantly felt like I was about to faint. I was living in hell, no painkillers would work, and I would wake up from 13 hours of sleep feeling drained. Simple tasks like going food shopping became extremely hard and maintaining conversation for more than a couple of minutes was near impossible.
By December 2014 and the Christmas holidays I had barely moved off the sofa for a few weeks. Getting changed out of pyjamas was a struggle and I was losing hope about returning to University for the next term. With a letter from my neurologist I deferred my January exams, there was no possible way I could revise for even an hour, let alone take an exam. It was definitely the right decision for me and in no way do I regret seeking mitigation.
May 2015 and I was starting to feel better and more like myself again. But then came exams and stress. It wasn’t surprising that I relapsed and ended up deferring another exam.
In June 2015 as part of my degree I got to go to the Bahamas and managed to keep my illness under control for an entire week with lots of energy being used on snorkeling. I felt happy and strong and it gave me an insight into how my life was improving.
August 2015 – The dreaded exam week. I wouldn’t want to go through this ever again but I found myself testing my limits and was amazed at my strength. Thankfully my results reflected all the hard work that I put in!
Now in February 2016, some days are better than others. There are still times when my headache/migraine is so bad that I can barely move from bed. However, there are more good days than bad so for now, life is good.
So, how am I fighting this?
I was referred to a neurologist and take medication to reduce the amount of headaches and migraines that I get – it took time but we finally found something that works, to a certain extent.
I also go to the Dove Clinic of Integrated Medicine, who used live blood analysis to diagnose me with CFS in December 2014 and got me on to a long list of supplements. It sounds weird but since conventional medicine only treats the symptoms, addressing CFS as a whole is actually quite empowering. When I relapsed, I was prescribed a course of intravenous vitamin C and ozone treatment. This has honestly been one of the best treatments I have tried and the Dove Clinic is just amazing.
I have tried Phytobiophysics medicine (basically sugar balls with vibrational plant essences) but it is difficult to know whether or not this helped me.
Massages just exacerbated my symptoms and it became too painful so I quickly gave up on that option. Nevertheless, having reflexology and craniosacral therapy really taught me to listen to my body and the way I was feeling.
In total, I have sought treatment from eight different professionals and the list probably wont stop there. I was lucky that I was diagnosed so early as many people suffer for years without finding any effective treatments.
My advice
Our bodies are amazing and if this whole experience has taught me anything then it is how strong and resilient I can be. I embrace the curve balls that life throws at me and I honestly believe that I wont suffer from this forever. My advice if you are struggling from something that is invisible to most people, like CFS, then just listen to your body and learn your limits. It can be frustrating but it will help your recovery so much. I hope your friends and family are as supportive and understanding as mine. If not, find new friends-you deserve more, it honestly makes all the difference!
If you want to learn more about Chronic Fatigue Syndrome please visit these websites: