My life was turned upside down in a single night back in October 2018. I went from navigating the typical health challenges that accompany the approach of 50, such as occasional fatigue and aches, to a frantic struggle of survival. It began as an innocuous set of symptoms, but soon spiraled into a whirlwind of medical appointments and consultations - multiple doctors from various specialties scrutinizing my condition, each offering their own theories but no clear answers. I endured numerous treatments for Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO), a trip to the Mayo Clinic seeking hope and clarity, and even kidney surgery that was both necessary and daunting. After countless diagnoses and misdiagnosis, I found myself entrenched in a battle that seemed unending.
As time marches on, one of the most profound shifts I have experienced is in my mental health. The toll of chronic illness is not limited to physical suffering; it seeps into every aspect of life, often leaving a shadow over the flickers of joy I once knew. I'm tired...really tired. The optimism that once buoyed my spirit has slowly withered away, replaced by a sense of fatigue that feels both profound and unrelenting. I've lost the believe in my future filled with ease and comfort, and in its place, doubt looms large. yet, despite the heaviness of it all, I persist. This relentless drive to keep going is woven into my very being; it is what I do. Each day I wake up and take another step, however small, in this ongoing battle for my well-being and that persistence has now lead me to try the hyperbaric chamber.
