• Loz - My Story

    I'm 27 and my name is Loz or Lou..whichever you prefer. By profession, I am a community worker-media type person...I do media projects to benefit the community.

    I first started noticing there was something wrong whislt working in Bangladesh. I went there in May 2005 and returned to the UK, (going straight to hospital) in January 2006. I had been teaching a group of disabled people video production and doing some adverts and documentaries for this NGO that rehabilitates paralysed people. (Quite ironic that I came back paralysed myself).

    In August, I went to India for a break. When I came back, I felt more tired than usual. I had been working extremely hard anyway and the weather was boiling (monsoon season). India had not been as relaxing as I'd hoped and I felt that I desperately needed to relax, but that never happened, I carried on working. Now, looking back, I've noticed how hard I do push myself, I practically cut all my social life out to do work and have been like this since university (I graduated in 2003). If I wasn't working helping others, I felt guilty..Quite mad I know *Rolls Eyes*.

    Anyway, I stared getting acne, looking like rubbish, but I just thought it was being abroad. In November, I went to Vietnam to do some filming at a conference. It was quite important and I felt I should do it. I was feeling more tired, but thought I'd have a break after I'd done this conference. In Vietnam, I managed to just do my work, I'd collapse in my hotel room straight after every evening. My collegues returned to Bangladesh and I stayed alone for 3 more days. During those days, I think I got a virus. I'd be walking through Hoi Chi Minh city and I'd feel like I was on a boat..I thought this was very bad delayed jet-lag. I felt feverish and weak, just terrible. I was terrified but managed to get to the airport to go back to Bangladesh.

    In Bangladesh, I worked at a hospital, which was lucky. I saw a doctor and he told me I had low blood pressure and I should drink milk and eat more. Before I could get back to my flat, I collapsed, my heart was beating fast, I was hyperventilating, I had no energy, I just thought I was going to die. I was taken to another doctor who did some tests and said I was fine. I spent a month waiting to get my energy back. Whenever I thought I was getting better, it got worse. By Christmas, I could hardly walk to the bathroom or sit up for more than a minute. I could only lie on my left side and talk to certain people for short periods..Others exhausted me. I went into hospital as my insurance wouldn't fly me home until I was diagnosed. The hospital concluded I needed an operation.

    I got a 2nd opinion, then a 3rd and a 4th and found this information to be wrong. But a Neurologist from Leeds urged me to be airlifted home as he suspected my spinal chord could've been inflamed. In February, after lots of insurance company hassle, I managed to get home on the same flight as another European volunteer. I had to buy a business class ticket as a couldn't sit up and I had an ambulance meet me at Heathrow. I then stayed a week in Leeds hospital where I was throughly checked. They decided my brain scan was normal.I was sent home being told I had had a viral infection which had given me a 'bout of ME' and I should walk a little everyday. My symptoms have ranged from complete paralysis and tingling to constantly feeling like I'm on a boat. I have allergies to sugar, E-numbers, caffeine and dairy. I also have concentration and word rememberance problems..Fluey feelings, extreme weakness, shortness of breath, hyperventilation, sore throat, headaches, twitches, palpatations and dissasociation syndrome.

    The dissasociation is very strange. I feel like I'm not in the room I'm in, almost like I'm out of my body and watching a conversation. I've moved my hand to grab something and it's like it's in slow motion or won't go. The extreme weakness is the most scary though. Now it's March 2006. I have had 3 sessions of Reverse Therapy and am generally doing much better. Now I can stay awake all day, I try to go to sleep when my head gets too 'Fluey' this is about 8 or 9pm. I am working on walking further. I can walk for about 5 minutes now. I do get symptoms come and go during the day, sometimes I'll suddenly feel weak or a bit 'Boaty.'..but I'm getting the hang of controlling this. My concentration and ability to socialise has improved greatly, though I don't like crowded areas or being with people I don't know for long.

    Even though this illness has scared the pants off me, I've found it interesting. I'm very grateful that I'm seem to be recovering so quickly. I don't think my recovery would have progressed this far if I hadn't done Reverse Therapy. As soon as I returned to the UK, I began looking into how to beat ME..Even if I don't reach full recovery using Reverse Therapy techniques, I know it's not a permanent thing and I do plan on a full recovery.

    I've found Foggy Friends to be a great and much needed source of support. Thanks guys.