My dabble into very expensive Ozone blood cleaning treatments that doctors claimed would help, they didn't! Used all the energy I had to force myself to do this!
Lots and LOTS of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the beginning, this did seem to give me some relief the following day, but never lasted.
Trying high dose IV vitamin C treatments and magnesium, made me feel worse. Not sure how I always had a smile on my face to be honest. I felt awful in all these photos. My amazing best friend to my right <3
I actually bought an at-home oxygen tank since the hyperbaric helped I thought this might too, so I would do it every night for 30 minutes, it didn't really do anything but there's bestie again <3
My angel, Gemma, with me every day and step of the way, always licks my tears when I cry <3
Me celebrating my 30th birthday, after major improvements and the ability to go out and socialize was possible again! I actually danced so much this night and had so much fun! One year after the first photo on the top was taken.
About Zoey's Journey
ME/CFS hit me like a truck head on one morning almost 2 years ago in February 2024. As many probably reading this, I had no clue what was happening. I could barely move. I felt like a massive hangover had hit me without having a sip of alcohol every single day, my body felt so weak like it was full of cement and my brain felt so incredibly swollen some days I could barely speak. Showering, cooking meals and walking my dog became nearly impossible. And the worst part? No doctor could tell me what was going on. I was eventually misdiagnosed with Lyme disease and after treatments for that made me worse... I felt incredibly lost, alone and without any hope that I would live a normal life again.
After crashing out about there being no medical cure or treatment for ME/CFS, I fell into a very dark place. Friends couldn't understand, family didn't get it. It felt like I had no support. I felt like I had died yet was watching the world and everyone I knew continue to go on. It was truly awful.
One day I stumbled across someone on Instagram who claimed they healed their CFS. I messaged him and he told me about the role of nervous system and the brain in keeping our symptoms chronic. He was the small amount of hope I needed. That hope propelled me to do more research. If someone could heal, then there were others too. And that meant, there was a way out. I found YouTube channels, podcasts, books, and plenty of people who were sharing their stories, all with the same premise... the mind/body connection. So I did the work. And throughout the next 6 months, I went from severely ill to moderate. And in the next 6 months, from moderate to mild. And now, I'm somewhere between mild and recovered.
I just passed the 2 year anniversary, it's been an incredibly difficult, exhausting, emotional and brave journey getting this far. But I can gratefully say that I have recovered so much to the point where I'm basically living a normal life again. I work, I travel, I hangout with friends, I don't have any pain, headaches, brain fog, heavy fatigue, etc. Unless I'm having PEM or a "adjustment period" I like to call it. But they are not nearly as awful as they used to be. And AP's will be around up until you're fully recovered anyways, so they don't scare me anymore.
I am truly a different person than I was 2 years ago. I believe this a deeply spiritual, internally sacred path that changes anyone who goes through it, for the better. It revealed so much about myself that I never dreamed I'd discover through a chronic illness. As they say, when you go through this, you don't get your old life back, you get an entirely new one. And it's true. If you want to read more about this you can read my blog post about it!
I hope my words, stories, and information can provide valuable insights on your own healing journey. There's a saying that goes, "may the freed help set others free." And that's what I'm here to do. I want to inspire each person to keep going and believe that recovery is possible. Sharing my personal health story is vulnerable, but I know that if I can impact even one person, it will make it worth it for me.
As someone who has experienced this rollercoaster of a journey themselves, I am working on multiple certifications in somatic and trauma informed life coaching. I aspire to offer mentorship and coaching services in the future, providing a unique perspective, understanding and caring mentor to support you on your own healing path.
Lots of love,
Zoey Isabella
