I got to the root cause of my ME

Apr 23 2007

By Jane Picken, The Evening Chronicle

For three years Lyn White's life was blighted by ME until she discovered a remarkable new therapy. Health reporter Jane Picken discovered how it works and how it helped the mum-of-two. For months at a time, former nurse Lyn White could barely manage to get dressed and make it down the stairs. And once she did, she would be so weak it was to do little more than lie on the sofa for hours on end, only venturing out if there was someone to assist her or a wheelchair on hand. This is how ME, or myalgic encephalomyalitis, affected Lyn for two or three month periods over the course of three years - rendering her unable to look after husband Conrad, 50, and their sons Alistair, now 21, and Christopher, 19. Story continues ADVERTISEMENT But now, thanks to a new technique called reverse therapy, Lyn's life is back on track - with 11-mile walks around her native Durham countryside, skiing trips and kayaking in Sunderland harbour to prove it. And as a trained therapist now herself the recovered mum is using her own experiences to help others trying to overcome ME. "I was incapacitated on the sofa for long periods of time and the boys were left to fend for themselves in a way," remembers Lyn, 48, who lives with her family in Neville's Cross, Durham. "When I started to get better I was so excited to be able to get out and have some fun again and I want to see other people with ME get well too." ME, which is often referred to as or mentioned along with chronic fatigue syndrome, and is a long-term tiredness which simply cannot be cured with a good night's sleep. It can have severely debilitating effects on a person's life and can also lead to muscle pain, as well as possible inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. Women are more likely to get it than men, and there are an estimated 150,000 people with the condition in the UK. Unfortunately no-one knows the exact cause of ME/CFS, although some think a viral infection such as glandular fever can trigger the condition. In Lyn's case a diagnosis came about in April 2003 when her fatigue and muscle pain became too much and the worried mum collapsed. After suffering from a life-threatening respiratory illness Lyn had been recovering in Sunderland Royal Hospital when, with her immune system already low, she started to feel the burn of ME. "I felt this overwhelming fatigue and heaviness throughout my body," says Lyn, who had to give up her job as a staff nurse on a children's ward. "The mum is the lynchpin of the family and they just had to pick up where I left off. "My calf muscles were aching and I was having difficulty thinking properly - I felt like my head was full of cotton wool. It also became really apparent when I was trying to get back to walking and I could barely make the length of the ward." Lyn was discharged feeling weaker than ever and before long started having problems with her bowels. And 11 months later her doctor told her it was ME. Although all the NHS could offer was a diagnosis and a small amount of support, Lyn was determined to find a way to overcome ME. But she finally embarked on reverse therapy after a family member sent her information about the treatment. So what exactly is reverse therapy? Essentially the treatment works by getting to the heart of the problem or the emotional and psychological reasons behind the symptoms of illnesses such as ME, depression and anxiety. It's an educational process which teaches people to get rid of symptoms by understanding and acting on the message of the symptom. "Reverse therapy teaches people to be aware of their bodies and act on what it wants," explained Lyn, who qualified as a reverse therapist in November. "For example I used to get very anxious when I had ME if I was in the car and not driving, but I decided to start doing something about it by asking to drive. "My body was telling me I was bottling my emotions up when I really needed to tell people how I felt. "I was so impressed with how much better reverse therapy made me feel over the six months of treatment I decided to train in it myself. Therapists may also suggest making small lifestyle changes or keeping a journal to identify things that worked and things to avoid. Reverse therapy involves around seven sessions of one-to-one consultation, usually two to three weeks apart. --------------------------------------------------------- It will go but in own time There is no specific treatment for CFS and ME but sometimes a diagnosis and giving advice about how to deal with it can help. ME/CFS tends to last for months, if not years, but most people do recover. There is no cure so treatment tends to focus on easing the symptoms and the effectiveness of treatment depends on how the condition affects you. Early diagnosis, balancing rest with activity, drug treatment to control certain symptoms and self-help measures can all help to varying degrees. Common treatments include adjusting your daily routine so you have regular sleep patterns. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) may identify the thoughts and feelings causing certain behaviour and help you develop new ways of coping. Graded exercise is a gradual increase in aerobic exercise, such as swimming or walking. It's based on a theory that not doing anything can make illness worse and can be helpful to people with CFS. Make sure you discuss any new exercise programme with your GP before getting started. Pacing is an important way of controlling symptoms. It means finding a balance between activity and rest and avoiding large bursts of exercise that may set you back. Learning how to make the most of your energy can help to increase the amount you can do. Antidepressants can be useful for people who have depression with CFS/ME. --------------------------------------------------------- More information For more about reverse therapy contact Lyn via email at lynwhite@reverse-therapy.com  or call 07942 044 800. Or visit www.reverse-therapy.com Action for ME: visit www.afme.org.uk  or call 0845 123 2380 / 0117 9279551 Association of Young People With ME: visit www.ayme.org.uk  or call their helpline on 08451 23 23 89 Invest In ME campaigns for more research into the condition. Visit www.investinme.org NHS Direct (www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk) also has plenty of information about ME and CFS.

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