I remember looking at Ian’s website and reading the success stories. They were very impressive BUT…….. my CFS was nothing like that. Most people wouldn’t even know I had it. I had learnt to mask it and to be honest my health was probably 95% most of the time with the odd bad day/week. I worked 5 days a week & still exercised. It was only mild CFS, but my immune system was shot (Candida and regular sore throats) and my digestion was my worst enemy. So it was mild enough to push through and put up with it for years.
So I didn’t really relate to many of the stories on his website. But I thought the approach made sense.
I even asked him if would work for only mild CFS. In hind sight that was pretty silly 🙂
After the training I realised that what I thought was ‘normal’ wasn’t. I had got so use to feeling a particular way after work. I got used to it and thought everyone felt shattered. I had a full day of work after all. But it wasn’t normal. More importantly I had lost myself along the way. I stopped socialising because I convinced myself I wasn’t a social person. I was, it was just too hard. But after the training I realized how much CFS had snuck up on me. I might not have shown it from the outside but it had taken so much from me. Not in the bedbound or house bound way but in other subtle ways.
Ian actually didn’t take me when I first applied. He felt I wasn’t ready. I remember him saying that the enemy of a great life is a good life. That was so true for me. Life was OK so I didn’t have the strong motivation to change.
But I decided I really did want that extra bit badly enough to work for it. I am so glad I did.
So on the old scale, I am better than 100% well. (if that makes sense).