After one of the athletes i look up to, Ellena Reidie, told her story about recently getting
the illness, it brought alot of other out of the woodwork that are now struggling with this once
very rare condition. Tonight im going too tell my story, incase it helps others, as Ellena's post made
me feel a little less alone in the crazy cycle, which is Adrenal/Chronic Fatigue.
It all started when i got into year 7. I was adjusting to the ways of "The Big School"
The first day of year 7, a girl i once was friends with in infant/primary school made up a rumor about me, that made me enemies right from the get go. Great start.
One day in PE, i started to feel sick, i thought it was the heat, so i went home, and slept. This went on until year 9, after many trips to the GP they kept telling me it was anxiety/depression, they filled me with drugs, and the only way i could get to school was mum waking me at 4am every morning with a Maxalon (anti nausea drug) then go back to sleep, so i could wake up for school and get ready without vomiting. I got ready every morning, then sat on the couch, feeling like death, until mum drove me to school, then i always had to sit in the cool coridoor for a rest before i could make it to my locker, or the toilet.
It eventually got that bad that i was bed ridden. Rumors flew round that i was pregnant, and god knows what else. Some friends, and even family didnt believe anything was wrong with me, they said it was all in my head, they said just get up and go to school. They didnt understand.
I still continued going to dancing, as my teacher Adam had once suffered chronic fatigue and understood what i was going through, even if i didnt do much, i still needed to be there, out of that house. I was home schooled for all of year 10. It was the loneliest time of my life. I lost most of my friends, everyone thought i was crazy.
A specialist was suggested to me, so i decided to go and see her. Within about 10 minutes of speaking about what was going on, she stopped me. She said, "I know what is wrong with you". I cried.
After numerous amounts of strange and expensive tests, we received back from Melbourne that i had an Estrogen deficiency, and Adrenal and Chronic Fatigue. She loaded me up with herbal supplements, and gave me a different anti depressant, as i had fallen into a deep depression through the stress, and the not know what was wrong with me.
I started on the supps, gagging and vomiting every morning. A book she ordered for me arrived, Adrenal Fatigue, The 21st century Syndrome by Dr Wilson. It was like someone had written a story about me. From the smallest things like waking up in the early hours of the morning with sugar cravings to thinking mum hadnt salted the potato's, everything now made sense now.
One day, while lying on the family couch, in my blanket, weighing under 50kg from not being able to eat anything but a small amount of soup and breakfast juice for several months, which often came back up, i looked up to mum on her chair, and said, "I want McDonalds Nuggets". I will never forget forget that look on her face. I think me being sick was slowly killing her inside.
From then on i started to improve. I started college in year 11, it was a struggle getting there and working through, but i completed the year with minimal absences. I created some new friends, reunited with some old, and started to get back on track.
My illness went away, but came back soon after. Then it went away again. I have my good days and bad, and i think the stress i have put on my body this year forced it to linger about again, as to why my comp prep was so distressing, but its something you cant cure, you just have to be strong and push through, and after me putting my heart on the line tonight, i hope i help someone push through.
