Background
Jane’s symptoms had been getting progressively worse over the years so she came to me to get relief. She is 39 years old, works in a job with a lot of responsibilities, and is married with two children. It has been 5 years since she really felt good.
Her ongoing pain and fatigue forced her to call in sick to work pretty regularly, and she found she wasn’t able to enjoy her kids, husband, or hobbies. She frequently had pain is mostly in left upper shoulder (front and back) and the back of her neck. When her fibromyalgia flares, she also has back pain and pain in the knees & hips.
She had recently gone to a fitness boot camp to get into shape. After one session she was wiped out for 2 weeks and her pain caused her to miss some days of work.
Her medical history includes two surgeries and Epstein-Barr virus infection in 1990.
Her top 3 complaints:
- Fibromyalgia
- Pain
- Fatigue
Other complaints:
- Sugar cravings
- Decreased libido
- No energy
Her goals:
- No pain
- Have energy
- Be within a healthy weight range
Her medications included pain medications, muscle relaxants, and sleeping pills.
Main sources of stress:
- Work
- Pain
- Money
She rated her energy and productivity low.
Lab Results
The results of her 4 point cortisol saliva test revealed stage 3 adrenal fatigue.
I created her Personalized Energy Plan (PEP)™ consisting of lifestyle changes, dietary changes, rebalancing supplements, and supplements to improve energy right away.
Progress
1 month on the program
About 1 month after beginning her PEP™ she declared “I feel better!” Although she was still struggling with sticking to the dietary plan and still had a sweet tooth, she was sleeping better and had more energy. She rated her energy as average and her productivity as high. She hadn’t missed any work in the last month (a big improvement for her), and she was feeling more positive about the future.
2 months on the program
She was already feeling much better, and in fact was not only now attending her daughter’s softball practice, she was playing catcher while her daughter pitched! If you’ve never caught for a pitcher, you’ll want to know that she was squatting, reaching, standing and throwing over and over. This woman who 2 months before had bad fibromyalgia pain and fatigue was now very active and only needed a half day to recover.
She rated her energy and productivity as high.
5 months on the program
Jane had found new motivation along with her energy–she surprised me by telling me she was going back to school for her masters’ degree! When I asked her if she thought she could’ve even considered getting a masters’ degree 5 months before, she said, “Oh, my word, no!”
In just 5 months she had become a more involved wife and mother, a more productive employee with great attendance, and enrolled in a masters’ program that she will complete while working full time. Wow!
Image courtesy of graur codrin / FreeDigitalPhotos.net