Amy Benn, Lincs
“Andrea has been a life saver for me.”
It has been so great to be able to talk to someone who just “gets it”. I feel very lucky to have met her…
In April 2012 I got married and went to Lanzarote on honeymoon, exhausted from the wedding, we basically slept for the first 4 days.
I couldn’t even be bothered to lift a book!
We met newlyweds Andrea and Phil, and Andrea mentioned that she was Gluten intolerant and that she’d had a bit of a tough time in the years before she knew what was wrong, but we didn’t get into anything more in depth than that.
My husband and I felt like lazy bums though – these guys had so much energy and went out on trips every day, while we just laid on sunbeds, ate and drank! I didn’t know it then, but I was suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome, but it was another few months before I was diagnosed. I must have seen 6 different doctors who all gave contradictory advice until one decided I “probably” had post viral fatigue syndrome and told me I needed to “compartmentalise it” in my life. I’m sorry, what the heck is that supposed to mean?! I cried and cried all the way home and that evening. I am shocked by the lack of support from “conventional” doctors when it comes to post viral / chronic fatigue.
Having stayed in contact via facebook, I in-boxed Andrea asking advice …. It turned out Andrea was a holistic health coach (of course she probably did tell me this in Lanzarote but the “brain fog” had made that all a bit of haze!) and after a free initial consultation and realising that she had actually suffered with chronic fatigue herself, I signed up for six months working with her.
After the initial hours chat, with a bit of a health questionnaire, I did a food and symptom diary for 2 weeks. You really get out what you put in with this, so honesty and detail pays off. I actually still do the food diary for my own benefit now and share it with Andrea when I want to. Every two weeks we have a 50 minute session on skype (no video though, I’m too self conscious!) and usually set around 3 goals for the next two weeks. She has taught me what I should be eating more of and why (the what I should be eating less of I already knew!) and more importantly she has taught me how to relax and take care of myself. If a method doesn’t work for me, then we change it. So I tried yoga, it was ok, but I preferred meditation to relax, so this is now my preferred choice.
I have gone from feeling 30-40% well in July to 90% in January, by taking control and responsibility for my own recovery and having the support of someone who really does care. She’s there for me on email and text whenever I want, and she’s my lifeline when I go into panic mode or just feel a bit down.
I have learnt to: pace myself; to say no to people; to appreciate the importance of good health; to think about what I am putting into my body; to take deep breaths; to take time out; to dance like no one’s watching (on a regular basis) and appreciate life so much more. OMG, I sound like bloomin’ Andrea now!… In short, in the last six months I have learnt so much about myself and I have regained perspective on life. Of course, I have signed up for another six months, as I now have my health back to where I want it to be, things can only get better with Andrea at the other end of a Skype call 
Amy Benn. Lincs.