20 years of suffering comes to an end:
From Fibromyalgia, CFS, PTSD, Anxiety and Depression to fully well in 10 months
For Recovery Story Disclaimer, please see the main page here!
Leah McCullough (the fibro lady) tells her story of recovery after suffering for 20 years with ME/CFS, Fibromyalgia, PTSD, Anxiety and Depression.
She explains that working as a soldier, she was preparing to leave for the Gulf War when she became ill. Had she gone, she would have been diagnosed with Gulf War Syndrome, but instead, it was CFS and Fibromyalgia.
We explore her experience at onset, the terrible symptoms she suffered with and the moment when watching daytime TV that everything turned around against all odds. A book changed her focus away from looking for a cure for CFS or looking for a cure for Fibromyalgia – to simply looking to be healthy again.
10 months later, she was discharged from psychiatric care for her PTSD, depression and anxiety and was told that this only happened with 2% of all patients. And in the process, she lost 70 pounds in weight.
Listen to her amazing story here:
Please leave a comment at the bottom of the page!
Please note that Leah no helps other people experiencing Fibromyalgia and you can learn more about her book and what she does on her website : http://unconventionaltraditional.com/
Thank you so much.?
Inspiring! Leah, interestingly I have been called to do some of the things you mentioned doing on your healing path. Great to see you and hear your story. We have met in emails already and I’m glad for the connection and inspiration?
Wow, I did not realize you had been sick for 20 years. Me too, well since 1999-2000. Multiple diagnosis, starting with MDS then chronic allergies, asthma, FM, then lupus, and for me the final straw PNH (the end result of MDS diagnosis after 10 years) for which I must have infusions of an expensive MAB every 2 weeks to avoid the approx 5 year mortality rate without the drug.
I take low dose prednisone and plaquenil to control lupus. Allergy shots and antihistamines and inhalers have pretty much taken care of the allergies….
I KNOW my poor eating habits and lack of a regular exersize program contribute to the problem, however lack of energy makes everything an issue that to a “normal person ” seem ridiculous but for me are huge obstacles.
Most programs I have found I have been unable to complete, although I have taken some lesson and positive change from most. Truly everytime I think I am making progress I get a new diagnosis of something WORSE and seemingly out of the blue….the last one potentially fatal except they JUST literally approved the first treatment for my “extremely rare orphan” disease so that I am actually “healthy” according to all medical testing now, except it is solely due to the infusions and other medications. So it seems that most of my issues now are lack of consistent energy because my body is so busy doing all this extra work, and a very deep fear that if I push my luck the “next” diagnosis will be worse yet and I don’t see struggling toward that result. So I do my day to day routine of meds, Chinese herbs, supplements, physical therapy and or massage, I have a great rheumatologist and amazing people who have helped me, including a TCM doctor, accupuncturist, naturalpaths, biofeedback experts etc…. And I have been in and out of therapy for longer than I have been ill. I know I have a huge internal store of fear, but it truly seems inexhaustible lol. I have also learned meditation techniques and qigong….however it seems that mostly what works for one person doesn’t always work for another, ALTHOUGH I do beleive if I could somehow become CAPABLE of following certain nutritional protocols I might actually be cured, at least up until the rare orphan disease PNH hit. I just now, after 4 years have begun to think about ….. Gee my husband wants to retire…without his income and excellent health coverage all this stuff I am NOW able to do will not longer be possible – possibly not even the twice-monthly for the rest of my life infusions. So then what ? I keep thinking maybe if I just get off ALL the meds and live a healthy lifestyle I WILL BE healthy but then I end up really sick and having to recover is much harder than just going along on a daily basis.
So I feel like whatever your program is, I have not yet learned about it, because I am kind of waiting until I think maybe I can actually DO IT…. I think it may save many lives that are currently struggling with FM and not only make those people well, but save them from future declines into worse conditions. But I wonder, and why I have been holding back, if it will work on someone with my level of issues. I kind of don’t want to rock the boat, because if you look at everything I have been diagnosed with I should not be as well as I am….but when you compare me to a normal functioning person it is just ridiculous how little I ever accomplish. So I am very motivated to HOPE I will find some miracle cure but think realistically it isn’t likely.
IF I could move to a place like Maui and live in tropical paradise, somehow having a clean comfortable home and healthy organic food on a regular basis I think I might be just fine. But I haven’t worked in over 15 years, I have family and grandchildren and a husband who is far to logical to follow my crazy ideas of moving everyone to a self made paradise lol where we wouldn’t have to travel or worry about food or water because we would be totally green and self sustaining ….. I have a lot of time to ponder lol.
So I am about to watch your video. Sadly (?) the thing that gives me the MOST hope is that you were sick for 20 years before getting well. I know what 20 years of chronic illness does to a person, so maybe it IS possible after all !
I am definitely going to join you!!! Thank you Leah so much, I have been using tapping for 30 days now and it helped tremendously with lot of symptoms and the emotions that come with them. I totally agree on the gut issue, because with an anti inflammatory diet as soon as the gut is on the way to heal insomnia, anxiety, fear of what else this illness could be are disappearing and we go back to the old us befofe the illness. GRAZIE Leah for sharing your story and all the best for your happy LIFE.❤️
A wonderful interview, thank you, thank you! It cheered me up no end. Very inspiring and much to learn from it.
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Another inspiring recovery story. Thank you Dan and Leah. It is so interesting to hear about the moment when a person “gets the calling” and decides they will change things for themselves. I believe a brain or mind/body transformation occurs somehow, maybe out of desperation, maybe feeling fed up, maybe some event occurs and serves as a catalyst, for me it was the loss of both parents in a year and a move, but this propels us forward enough to open up to things that come to us, we note embrace the idea that we CAN recover, and then as we move down that path in our thoughts, actions and habits we reach a place where we know we WILL recover, and then we DO.
Yes, there always is ‘that moment’ – I know I remember mine very clearly.
Glad you enjoyed the interview. 🙂
Thanks for sharing your story Leah. Very inspiring.