MERLE'S Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Fibromyalgia continued.

My husband had a bad fall in 1981 and was confined to bed unable to care for himself, so I became his main carer. Then in 1983 we had underneath the house sprayed for white ants. In the same year I went down with  a bad bout of the flu, which turned into pleurisy. The usual antibiotics were prescribed. I had severe headaches, vomiting and extremely tired. At this our local GP prescribed Plaquenil for my husband and he was slowly improving and I was going down with an illness. But what? Trying to walk a few yards from my bedroom to the bathroom was like climbing Mount Everest, my body was in so much pain that I thought a train had run over me during the night. I soon became allergic to medications, foods, and household cleaners. I was very sensitive to bright light. If someone was talking on the phone near my bedroom the sound of their voice made me very sick and sometimes I would vomit. If I went to doctors I used a walking stick to push myself along, but soon I needed a walking frame, and eventually a wheelchair.

My local doctors were at a loss to find an answer to mystery illness. My husband was my carer helping me with dressing and drying my hair. He did all the shopping, cooking and washing.

In 1986 I was referred to Professor Denis Wakefield at Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney who ordered blood tests then diagnosed me as having Myalgic Encephalomyelitis. Two years later after pressing my tender points he also diagnosed me as having Fibromyalgia as well. I was breaking out in bruises on my arms and legs. Professor Wakefield prescribed a 10ml gammagloblin injection fortnightly, but I was soon in extreme labour like pains down the right side of my body. I broke out in severe acne rosacea on my nose causing me acute systemic pain. Professor Wakefield prescribed strong antibiotics.

I was soon referred to a specialist at West Mead hospital who told me to stop having the gammagloblin injections and I would be better in three weeks time. However when the gammagloblin was stopped I was still in constant pain. The acne rosacea was still breaking out on my face. I was taking 6 Digesic tablets daily and one Normison tablet at night. I was referred to Dr Rob Loblay at the Royal Prince Alfred hospital and he recommended a restricted diet, but when I stopped eating wheat products I developed severe withdrawal symptoms.

I was referred to Dr Joachim Fluhrer at Manly who gave me a course of intravenous Vitamin C treatment. He suggested I buy a water filter to purify our drinking water. This helped a lot. He referred me to Dr John Marshall who prescribed the hormone patch for me but after a few weeks I was again in severe labour like pains, the patch was discontinued. 

Dr Les Simpson from New Zealand gave lectures in Lismore explaining how the misshapen red blood cells was unable to carry oxygen through the small capillaries to the hypothalamus. Dr Les showed how evening primrose oil softened the red blood cells to enable them to pass through these capillaries. After having a blood test done through Dr Les, I found that evening primrose oil helped me and I did not have any more bruising and not quite so tired.

The University of Newcastle, NSW was doing urine research on people with M.E/CFS and with the help of Dr Ian Buttfield I sent a urine sample to the research team and I started on a course of serine tablets. I was able to gradually reduce the number of Digesic tablets I took each day. I was still tired spending days in bed, my muscles were often very stiff and sore. I still needed help with dressing and drying my hair. I used a wheelchair or walking frame around the house and when I went out. My husband still did the shopping, cooking and washing.

In 2009 I started taking glyconutrients and have had astonishing results. I am now my husband's carer. I am not in constant pain. Catholic Health Care assists us to live in our home and helps me with the cooking and some cleaning. I do the washing and CHC brings the washing off the line. CHC takes me to do the shopping. I do not use a walking frame or wheelchair. I no longer need to spend days in bed. To find out how this may help you please send me an email.