(My Story Part 4) Chronic Fatigue Syndrome recovery -- in CAMBODIA!

[@charlotteinez3160]

Short summary: She tried to do volunteering in Cambodia but it was too much and she couldn't physically do it. She learnt that we need to put ourselves first and be selfish while we are ill. You can't give to others what you don't have- so don't try to! You need to put yourself first in order to recover. You can give back later when you are whole and have something to give!

[@RaelanAgle]

👍

[@anthrax5655]

Your sense of humour is similar to mine. I may be crying but I’m laughing too. I know what your rooster was but I can’t remember. I travelled like you for a while Raelan. After I initially left Australia and went to Indonesia for a few days, I went to Greece for a few months and ran out of money. I loved Greece. Then a train from Athens across Europe to Hamburg where I decided to split up with the people I was with and continued on my own as you did. It’s a long story. 1980 to 1990. 10 years away from here and eventually I drove my old car all the way round this country several times. Then this issue became very obvious after an enormous amount of stress. I’m a professional trucker too. US and here as well. I’d love to talk stories to you. And THIS story too. You personally with your attitude resonate with me. Thankyou for being there.❤️

[@RaelanAgle]

Wow, that is some serious traveling! Absolutely amazing. And it's always nice to hear that my story resonates - seems none of us are quite as alone in this as we sometimes feel 💛

[@14MellyJo]

I can definitely relate to that feeling of complete denial when having a ‘good day’. You are so right when you say that we need to take care of ourselves first, before we can help others. I spent my life (personal and professional) helping others before I became ill with CFS. It made me happy to make others happy, but I never realised how much it was taking from myself. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and experience 🙏

[@RaelanAgle]

This is so well put, MellyJo! I can definitely relate. It's been drilled into us that self care is selfish and wrong, it can be a tough one to get past! Thank you also for sharing your wisdom and experience 💕

[@katygettingwell]

Denial is massive and I still have to force myself to operate mindfully every day! There was a time last year where I kept pushing through because 'I had no choice' which ultimately taught me a tough lesson the hardest way by sending me into a mega-crash. I learned that there is always a choice and if you are not choosing your health, you are making a mistake that you will pay for big time! Thanks for another great video, Raelan, it's great to hear more about your story.

[@RaelanAgle]

Hey Katy! Even though I know that many of our experiences overlap so much, I still find it so fascinating and somehow surprising. This denial about the illness (in the face of daily suffering) seems so common. As does (unfortunately) the hard lessons that many of us have to learn about the cost of pushing too hard and not taking care of ourselves. Thanks Katy for sharing a bit of your experience and for your support with my own story. You are a true gem! Keep going, warrior ❤️

[@elw4632]

Thanks for sharing this, this is is really important and I have learnt similar lessons the hard way. In my country, high-risk groups for being off work long term with stress-related fatigue is teachers, psychologists, social workers and teachers - female dominated caring roles . Sometimes I think we forget that stress is not only the amount of time you put into work, but that emotional labour and caring can be very tough in this world where we should be so efficient, no matter how rewarding it can be ♥️ and especially when we are not well we need to recognize this😊

[@RaelanAgle]

Hey Elin! This is fascinating and makes a lot of sense. Thanks for taking the time to share 💛

[@integrativehealthcoachkare6198]

Thank you so much for this! I don’t have a Chronic Fatigue dx but I’ve been struggling with my health and energy for years. So much of what you’ve shared is relatable. Much love! 💕

[@RaelanAgle]

I'm so glad it resonates, Karen! Much love to you also for your own recovery journey 💗

[@janielightly1644]

Thank you Raelan, I can resonate and it reminds me of when I was living in South Wales uk and I decided to get a part time voluntary work job in a Cancer research shop and it was literally a few hours a week, I honestly thought I could do this and it would make me feel like I was doing something good but it turned out to be far too much and I was ringing in sick and ultimately letting them down often, I felt terrible and full of despair at the time. I would like to say though that your heart was in the right place and I am sure that you made an impression on those children’s lives but you are so right you can’t pour from an empty cup. 🙏🏻💜

[@RaelanAgle]

It's not a great feeling is it Janie! Even though WE know that it's not our fault that we can't show up for things in the manner in which we would like, I always worry what it looks like to others. We probably think that they are thinking worse of us than they are, but still. I'm so sorry that you had to go through this as well. It seems though that we are both on a better path now, so that is great news. And thanks for being so sweet and supportive as always! Your messages really do make my day 💗💗💗

[@janielightly1644]

Raelan thank you 💜

[@MsDunn93]

I went to Cambodia to volunteer when I was 19 😊 my health starting to become very bad at that point. I had to come home early and it broke my heart. I didn't have CFS at this point but I did get a bulls eye rash in the same beach town you were in!

[@justritasimi]

Interesting video! Thanks for sharing this . I agree, you can't give what you don't have ...any travel done when recovering should be about letting the body and nervous system heal and create some new neuroplasticity from trying something different..but overstress is counterproductive.

[@christinasteiger388]

So incredibly easy for me to over-estimate both what I am able to give to others, both in terms of time and money. Everything from starting a non-profit, accompanying a choir at church at a point in time I was incredibly sick, but still had the ability to push myself, to signing up for a part graduate theology certificate, or even driving across the country thinking I was capable of returning to my previous job, only to crash when I got there....

[@BelovedShift]

So much love 💕 for your journey, you inspire me 🥰 I’m back on wfpb 40 something days and juice fasting, I can see full recovery this year, 💐

[@RaelanAgle]

You got this, Sylvia! Rooting for you 💓

[@danutachea7537]

I love this video it is very difficult to be selfish where this is not part of your makeup. I thought that I was better so just like you wanted to give something back so volunteered for British Cross shop only to find out that I wasn’t as improved as I thought needless to say I had to give up after few weeks. I tried that twice and had to stop again. Looks like you had a good experience in Cambodia. I love this country my husband is Cambodian and I’ve been there twice. Unfortunately in Cambodia I was infected with dengue fever and that is how my illness has started. I have ME/CFS and fibromyalgia. Sorry probably to much information but for some reason I feel very comfortable after listening to you. All the best

[@RaelanAgle]

All the best to you too! Thanks for taking the time to share a bit of your journey ❤️

[@EvolverWellness]

That was soo great. I can really feel your caring and dedication to helping in this video. Such important lessons. I think stories might be my preferred way to learn...and I am learning EXACTLY the same things... to not do too much, and to take charge of my health with Strength (one of Dr. Kelly Turners 9 Keys, btw). But I don't know if I would call it selfishness, to take care of yourself. I would call it more centered, Wise action. When we have a Spacious view of things, then we have a center...and our action can be wise...and discernment is possible. (Trying to give you new Langua here, to share w others 😉)

[@RaelanAgle]

This is a great perspective Donavan, and I agree that the language we use is important. Thanks for sharing this!

[@geoffreyhussey]

Nice story. Great pics

[@RaelanAgle]

Thank you!

[@JacquiQ]

It is interesting that you went to somewhere so hot. I was living in an extremely hot place when I got sick and I have read extreme heat can 'bring on' symptoms when we are already overloaded. I would go somewhere cold 😅 I could not have handeld the heat, the chaos or the crowds, I can't even do shopping malls. Yes I def steer my own medical ship now.

[@marion6015]

I avoid commitments as much as possible. I've been doing canning because it's harvest in Ontario, and then today I had to pay the rent and take the cat to the vet. I'm exhausted. Especially on the tail end of having it out with a jerk neighbour a couple days ago. The added stress, the commitment - the need to be somewhere at a specific time - plus other responsibilities that need to be done within a certain time frame, all add more stress and it's when you need the energy you don't have it. I'm well aware that I'm not capable of much, and am showing signs of early dementia. I'm 59.

[@RaelanAgle]

This is a lot to face, I hope you are managing ok. Thanks for sharing a bit of your journey here, I'm sure others can relate and appreciate hearing it. Sending support to you as always 💛

[@Tiffyshea23]

I find the denial thing you talk about so interesting... I have been trying to find the line, or the balance, between falling into the victim world where everything is terrible, nobody understands, and I'll never recover, and the denial that anything is wrong and I'm just fine. I think there are a couple of reasons for the denial... 1. ME is so difficult to express or show to the rest of the world. When doctors don't believe you are truly ill, and your partner, as soon as you start functioning at all, treats you like everything is fine... of course you deny there's anything wrong. When I'm around a friend or another person for some reason my body acts like it's just fine (and then I go home and crash), and so everyone around me believes I'm healthy and fine. I think we have a tendency, especially women, to believe what the outside world says is true above or over our inner insight. Secondly, I think sometimes it's easier to deny there's something wrong than to face the problem and figure out what is wrong. Especially when you have been at it for so long, it's easier to throw your hands up. In this way denial is almost a way to give up on the fight to overcome the disease, and giving up feels easier. It's like you have healing fatigue, you're so tired of trying to heal.

[@marylukes3597]

Tiffiny Wine Great insights! Thanks for sharing. I especially appreciated the part about how your body acts like it is fine when around people then you go home and crash - (now I know it is not just me who behaves this way....) I can totally relate and it is so strange and SO frustrating!! This is why I have so often heard ‘you seem fine’ when I try to explain to those closest to me why I am not doing more with my life. Blessings to you Tiffany!

[@RaelanAgle]

10000000% YES!! Very well said, Tiffany. I think you are spot on. Thanks so much for sharing ⭐️

[@johnmacgregor324]

Spent many years in Cambodia working in the aid sector & volunteering in orphanages - most of it in denial of chronic fatigue, barely getting through the day. Pity we didn't run into each other.

[@RaelanAgle]

My heart goes out to you, John! ❤️

[@beyond_the_brand]

Hi again 😊You said in the recap that you were 50% better before you went to thailand. What was it that you did to get 50% better. I missed that in the videos before

[@RaelanAgle]

Hey Anna, this is a tough one to sum up. I did a lot in the beginning and so many things at once that it's challenging to determine what was the cause of the initial partial recovery. I suspect it was mostly cleaning up my life and diet and mental health and learning to pace. But I can't be sure!

[@south2_0307]

Thanks for sharing your story! It resonates with mine a lot. You're an incredibly strong and positive person, you didn't give up and now you're fully recovered, now I know that recovery is possible! Because sometimes it feels like it never gonna end, or its gonna take another couple of years of my life or decades... But what you did it great, I myself wouldn't be able to travel especially in those conditions like guests houses, lack of comfort life, necessity to socialise.. And I've got few questions, how did you manage to sleep while you were travelling? With my anxiety level its hard to sleep at my home with perfect conditions for sleep like comfy bed, dark room etc... I'd be completely stressed out if I travel like you did... And I got sick while I was travelling, I got very stressed by 3rd month of moving around the globe and eventually got sick and had to go back to my home town... Travel is my passion but I decided that I won't be travelling at all until I fully recover, but again your experience is so motivating and inspiring. If managing wisely all of the symptoms then why not, right? If not pushing yourself too hard then it all becomes possible. And my second question would be - how did you do all of this with brain fog? Did you still have it when you were travelling? And at what stage of your recovery it disappeared? Was it hard to communicate with people, to have to think about your next move all the time? wasn't it mentally exhausting? Thank you again for great videos! It's the best recovery story I ever saw on youtube, lots of great tips!

[@RaelanAgle]

Thanks for sharing a bit of your experience and I'm so sorry to hear that you are facing this too. And I hear you about the sleep issues! I'm the same - about 9000 things have to be perfectly in place for me to sleep well. While traveling it was tough and I didn't sleep that great a lot of the time. I spent a lot of time outdoors in the sun during that time and that seemed to help things somewhat , but it was still a struggle. But I was so happy being on such a great adventure that I seemed to get by. Plus I took a lot of naps! And although the brain fog hung around for most of my illness to some extent, it was by far the worst during my first couple of years (before I went traveling). It was much better by the time I left Canada, so I found that I did fine with this. Plus I did almost no planning and just figured things out day by day. It probably should have been mentally exhausting but I was happier than I'd probably ever been and it's been amazing for me how much this impacts the way I feel and my tolerance and endurance for things. Removing stress and adding joy is such a game changer for me. Thank you so much for your kindness and support here (and for your questions!) and I'm so glad you enjoyed the video. I hope you find your way back to your travels soon 💙

[@south2_0307]

@@RaelanAgle Thank you for your comment! I'll definitely spend more time in the sun, I also thought talking a hot bath before sleep was a great advice that I saw in another video, I've already started doing that, I also apply anti stress oil on my body afterwards so it helps me to relax even more, I can see a positive effect right away! In terms of brain fog, maybe you remember what exactly made change? Did it disappear when you implement smth or it just gradually disappeared as you regained your energy back? Coz I really struggle with finding the root cause of it, I've tried gluten/wheat/sugar free diet (I'm still on it), I also take lots of probiotics with my gastrointestinal doctor, but I see zero result after 3 month on it, not even a tiny change. I heard a lot of people get rid of it when they stop gluten and sugar, in my case it seems not to be working... I'll appreciate if you share some more details on this subject. Thank you! Looking forward for your reply!:)

[@RaelanAgle]

@@south2_0307 For me, my brain fog gradually disappeared as I slowly overall recovered.There isn't one thing that I can pinpoint and say that it helped with this. I do know that other people have shared with me that healing their gut has helped a lot with brain fog. Like you I also didn't find probiotic supplements to help at all but as soon as I started taking them in food form (fermented foods like sauerkraut, kombucha, kimchi, etc.) I started seeing immediate results. I'm not sure if this is the answer for anyone else but it definitely helped me a ton. Good for you for working so hard at this and I hope you find all your answers soon! 💛

[@south2_0307]

Raelan Agle thank you!!❤️

[@marion6015]

You had a young lady who used ayurveda to recover. I bought the book she suggested and changed my sleeping hours and lo and behold, I feel better already.

[@RaelanAgle]

This is amazing to hear! I'm so happy for you 😀

[@anothercampervanchannel]

You can't pour from an empty cup, that is true. I think out of many health issues, fatigue is one of the most debilitating. I have fibromyalgia so live with chronic pain. However, I'm now suffering from post covid fatigue and have to say that it is worse than the chronic pain. At least I could manage to do some things with pain but fatigue is something else entirely... 😕

[@satiatedghost9216]

Lmao “my sister had that… she died” 💀

[@greatawakening999]

SO... How'd you get better?

[@RaelanAgle]

Great question! And one that's a bit challenging to sum up in a few sentences (trust me, I've tried!). But I've shared a lot of this in my videos here. The playlists on my channel for CFS exercise, diet, and mental health cover a lot of what worked for me. I'll have more videos coming out soon as well that sum up the main things that helped. Also, I've written a book that explains all of this in great detail called "Finding Freedom: Escaping from the Prison of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome." Hope that helps!

[@tessgirl383]

I have burning legs after I’ve walked abit. It’s latic acid build up isn’t it . That’s a classic sign in converting o2 & glucose? . Common in CFS I’m worried

[@RaelanAgle]

Hi Tess, I'm so sorry that you're facing this. I would imagine that not knowing what is happening is quite scary too. I just shared this in another comment to you but I'll put it again here in case you missed that one . There are some places online that you can see the diagnositc criteria for CFS and perhaps looking at the symptom lists will help you see what's happening. Of course you will need a good doctor to fully sort this out, but this might be a good place to start. Here are a couple places you can take a look: me-pedia.org/wiki/Fukuda_criteria www.me-pedia.org/wiki/International_Consensus_Criteria I hope this helps and that you get past whatever this is soon 💛

[@tessgirl383]

Raelan Agle thankfully I don’t have most of those symptoms. I have post viral fatigue . I’m praying it will go

[@GoodVibesOnly1914]

Did you ever give ozone therapy a good try? Specifically intravenous?

[@RaelanAgle]

Hey Jake - no, I haven't tried that one. And I thought I'd tried it all! Is this something that's been helpful for you?

[@GoodVibesOnly1914]

@@RaelanAgle I'm surprised you haven't! Blood is extracted and swished around with ozone in a bottle and injected back in. The 03 hyperoxygenates red blood cells and peroxides produced stimulate mitochondrial and white blood cell function. It is commonly paired with UVB that kills all cells in the blood (including your own) including latent viruses that are floating around undetected, cells walls are broken down and the body is able to tag them and make more antibodies (in theory). So weather chronic fatigue is caused by a metabolism issue or viral induced autoimmunity, it may help with both! Seams most benefit from 4-10 treatments 4-7 days apart and transfuse at least 6oz of blood per session. It's most used for chronic EBV and Lyme or other herp viruses. I have had one treatment of 2oz and didn't notice anything, but am going in for my first real session tomorrow for 6oz. I'm pretty in tune with my body and was in fantastic physical and mental health until i was stricken with mono and have had chronic fatigue for about 7 months so I will let you know how it goes after 3-4 treatments. This is a staple first hand treatment in many other countries, germany, sweden, austrailia, but is not very common in the U.S. Theres a whole community of functional docs out there that swear by it with a lot of research and not a whole lot of naysayers, seams pretty concrete. Check it out!

[@RaelanAgle]

@@GoodVibesOnly1914 wow, Jake, that is fascinating! Thanks so much for sharing all of that. It sounds very promising and I hope you see great results from it. I'll definitely be interested in hearing how this goes for you! How incredible that there are more and more treatment options out there for us 🙌

[@GoodVibesOnly1914]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/fmS0aKdpjbNqjpo

[@tessgirl383]

Have you recovered? As you say in title

[@RaelanAgle]

Hi Tess! Yes, fortunately I have recovered. You can check out some of my recovery playlists if you're interested in hearing more about it 😊