My story
Marie-Claire Hermans is a dear friend and her story has really been an inspiration. Many people have Fibromyalgia and other chronic illness and I am sure you will benefit just by reading this beautiful story by Marie-Claire. Toni Allen
I have been interested in food since I was an adolescent. I became a vegetarian when I was nineteen and have been trying out several scopes to find out what was the right fit for me and my family. I cooked macrobiotic, vegetarian, jin yang, Montignac because of the interesting food combining theory. I was focused on eating healthy and learning about the many healing properties of plants. I never smoked or drank alcohol.
I became seriously ill in 2005. I had many worrisome symptoms since several years, from insomnia to temporarily paralysis but went on working like crazy for another year, thinking it was impossible to stop. At the end of that year my body totally crashed and I had no choice but to stop. Because that is what the body does; when you don’t want to listen at its sign language it will refuse what you are asking it to do.
I saw many doctors and none of them believed me. They said it was “all between my ears”, that I had to take anti depressive medication and it would all pass. I knew that I was in serious trouble as all symptoms got so bad that I could hardly walk or do anything anymore. Although I was totally exhausted, I couldn’t sleep a wink.
I had passed through all tests I required for with the doctors. My heart was “normal” -although I felt like I could have a hart attack any moment of the day and night-, my liver was “normal” -although it was hurting terribly-, my lungs were “just fine” – although I couldn’t breathe or talk without panting and felt like suffocating at night-, my muscles were “great” – although I couldn’t walk or do stairs or even simply lift a cup of tea-. I asked each doctor why I was feeling so terrible. I told each doctor that I could feel very clearly something was awfully wrong. “You are a bit depressed” was their answer. “Accept and believe our diagnose!”. I could almost lip them. I was a tough and stubborn client. Thank God!
I started doing research myself on the internet, made a list of all my symptoms (two entire pages) and began my investigation. Several diseases turned up of which I could almost tick all of my symptoms: Lyme Disease, Multiple Sclerosis. This was about the time I was referred to a doctor by the therapist who was trying to resolve my problems with Chinese treatments and deep tissue massage to reduce the pain. He said I had all symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. He couldn’t help me anymore; the weekly intense treatments and high doses of Chinese supplements had no effect whatsoever. He recommended a doctor who would be able to help me with drips and orthomolecular treatments.
I didn’t want to believe I had CFS. I cried out loud in the car that I hadn’t. I didn’t want a disease nobody can cure. I didn’t want a disease of which all doctors say “It’s just a name for something we can’t diagnose”. I resisted and went on with my endless research on what my body was lacking to function.
A new series of tests were done by the new doctor. It turned out I was highly contaminated with heavy metals such as mercury and copper, toxins such as benzene and tetrachloryethene, that I had a high number of Borrelia in my body (causing Lyme disease), I hardly had any lymphocytes left, Mycoplasma was positive, my lungs were infected with the bacteria, my liver was totally exhausted and damaged, my kidneys were in a very bad shape, I had no short memory anymore, my colon flora was completely destroyed, my left heart chamber wasn’t functioning normal, my immunity rate was minus sixteen, I had Candida, Pfeiffer, and the muscle test for CFS was positive. So I was diagnosed with a total burn out, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Tietze and Lyme disease.
Because my body was too exhausted to deal with heavy antibiotics I was treated immediately with drips containing Dioxychloride to kill all viruses and bacteria. The rate of my iron was only “5”. I got drips for my liver with iron and vitamin C and over 40 pills a day to strengthen my system. The bills were so high I had to make a choice between buying food or the necessary pills and treatments to heal. An ironic choice I now realize, knowing that we are what we eat. I felt like dying. That year on Xmas eve, I was trying to catch some air like a stranded fish on the beach, paralyzed, waiting and hoping to survive until morning. I did. I told the doctor I could feel something else was taking over total control of my body. Something else that wasn’t defined until then.
I kept searching, I was stubborn and I got bitter because of the disbelief, the isolation. I wrote down all my experiences in a book because I knew that once I would get better, I wouldn’t know anymore how awful it feels at the bottom. I wanted to remember all the weird sensations no one was taking seriously, the emotional struggle. Once you get better, you forget and become nonchalant, not appreciating what seems to be granted while it is not at all. I knew I would need this testimony to help others and to process the years I lost. I needed this testimony to believe myself while everybody else was doubting me. There were days I could type with only one finger (I couldn’t write by hand anymore), there were days I couldn’t at all. But there were days that I couldn’t stop and managed to get a whole page together.
After about another year of weekly treatments, medication, drips and endlessly amounts of supplements, my body reached its level to start healing itself again. According to the orthomolecular doctor that is. In reality I was still very sick and couldn’t do anything but lay down day and night. But the sign was given that I was allowed to start the treatments to remove all the mercury in my mouth; fourteen of them had to be removed.
At the dentist it turned out I had paradontitis and a serious infection under all my teeth and in my jars. All the treatments took months, lots of pain, efforts and a lot of money. The dentist found two metal pins in my tooth gum and was in shock. So was I; I didn’t know my previous dentist -the “best” one in town- had put them in there. The day after she had removed them, I felt traces of energy flowing into my body. It was an incredible feeling; at that time I couldn’t remember the feeling of having energy anymore. I was moved to tears. Removing the mercury helped me gain some energy and keep it with me for a short while. But I didn’t cross the line of feeling good enough to live a life. I told my doctor over and over there was more. I could feel it clearly.
I was a difficult client who wouldn’t accept diagnosis from doctors. I had to go in therapy again to “accept’ my disease and “live” with it. But I didn’t want to live with it! I was very decided I wanted to cure! My new therapist (two previous ones already gave up on me because I was hopeless) had Addison himself and recommended me to visit his doctor in Brussels. I didn’t feel like seeing one more doctor but made an appointment to please him. By the time I entered his office I was totally exhausted after waiting for five long hours in the waiting room (with appointment!) My spirit was totally broken and when he asked me why I was there I could only whisper; “I don’t know anymore why I came.” He saw immediately how sick I was and said “Darling, you are going through hell but I will help you through it!” I cried because he could “see” me. He was the first doctor who examined me, touched me, asked me many questions and… believed all I said. He was my saving angel.
After numerous new tests on my arms, legs, a scan of my neck and back I got very scared of hearing that I had Multiple Sclerosis. I had no reflexes whatsoever in my hands and arms. My veins were so swollen that they looked as if they would burst any moment. I couldn’t make my own body temperature anymore and constantly felt as ice. I had moments of incontinence. My eyes couldn’t focus on distance anymore. My skin was totally insensitive: I didn’t feel one puncture of his sharp needle all over my body, or the numbers he wrote on my skin, the touch of his feather, his finger nail in the sole of my feet. When he asked me if I could feel what he was doing I answered; “Did you do something? Can you do it again?” I cried out loud when he tried to turn my head to check out the mobility of my neck.
This doctor had an awful worried look on his face and I could tell it was no good. I was diagnosed with Poly Neuritis, inflammation of all the nerves and Myelitis, inflammation of the spine marrow. All the pieces of my puzzle fell into each other in one minute while he was talking and explaining. The cause was a car accident I had six years ago and when nobody found it necessary to treat my whiplash, even if I couldn’t move my head. Two vertebrates were moved and turned around, most of my spine marrow had withdrawn and was almost gone. I was dying indeed. Slowly.
That very day I had to start wearing a hard plastic brace to stabilize my neck and give my spine a chance to build up its Myeline, take a boost doses Cortisone for the inflammation, omega 3, 6, 9 and Lecithin for the nerve system and the brains which were damaged due to lack of oxygen, high doses quinine and DHA for the exhausted adrenals, he gave me a six week long antibiotic treatment to kill the Mycoplasma bacteria which the CFS “specialist” ignored. I wore the brace for four months, 24/7, day and night. “It is a very tough and painful treatment” my angel doctor said, “but if you are consequent, you can cure”. This was all I needed to hear to bite myself through this awful time. I started curing. Very slowly.
My doctor was as happy as I was that he was able to help me. He told me only afterward how bad it was and how afraid he had been I wouldn’t have made it. After the treatment I had to go through rehabilitation for several months, three times a week until I could keep my head up again. Most of the awful symptoms started fading. But I was still carrying the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia in my body. “We can’t cure this one” my doctor said sadly. “It is impossible”. I answered; “But I will cure! I have come this far and I WILL cure!”
I found a doctor in Holland who was specialized in CFS and food. It intrigued me that a doctor was concerned about food so I made an appointment. I had to fill in a very detailed and impressive form about my food habits. He was the first doctor who asked me what I was eating and it turned out that even though I had eaten healthy, I was eating all the wrong foods for my metabolic type. I was eager to know more and bought the book he gave me some copies from to adjust my food “The Nutrition Solution, A Guide To Your Metabolic Type.” With this book, my life changed.
All these years I had been planning my healing, step by step by step. I came across “Bikram Yoga” and didn’t hesitate one moment after reading how healing it was for the entire body, mind and spirit. I went the next day. The heat (107°F or 42°C) felt as a gift from heaven to my body, which was still cold as ice. After only four sessions I felt so much better. I was stunned that I could do all the exercises, I who couldn’t walk up the stairs and only could walk 100 meters on a good day.
Because of the book I was reading I started eating 50% of my food raw. In the dressing room during showering a woman said to me: “You should eat everything raw!” I didn’t know why so Googled the term “raw food” and discovered a whole new world and its extra ordinary benefits. I knew immediately: “This is it!” This was my “Aha moment” and I went 100% raw overnight with the thought “I am giving myself three months to cure this last disease!” I was inspired by the thought that I would be healthy soon.
After ten days I suddenly realized I had no pain. “Hey…” My muscles weren’t sore, didn’t feel acid when I walked my short daily walk, I could move without too much effort. After three months I could stay up all day without laying down. I could feel a flow of energy and what more; I could build up energy, I could do something without being punished for days. I could vacuum without being totally exhausted and having to rest for days, do the dishes without dropping the cups. A next muscle test in Holland was negative. I told my angel doctor in Brussels that I was cured from Fibromyalgia but he said “It wasn’t Fibromyalgia then, but I am very happy we got you this well”. Sigh.
A year and a half later I was able to start a new life. I still have some issues, am still in care to control them regularly, but they aren’t life threatening anymore. I can function again, I am smiling again, I can walk the stairs, work in the garden. I have my life back.
Now, after two and a half years I am helping others who are experiencing health issues and not understood or believed by the doctors. I am building up a business to let everybody know how powerful raw food is and that you don’t always have to believe what doctors want you to believe. They promised me a wheelchair and look at me now! I have a mission, am serving the world, making ripples.
I am the living proof of what raw food can do to a body. This is only a small part. The benefits are endless, going from natural weight loss and resolving skin problems to healing chronic illnesses, diabetes, heart diseases and more. I can help you, teach you what I know. I want to inspire you with what I know and do. Knowledge can save your life when you implement it daily.
I love you Marie-Claire Hermans for your awesome diligence and all the help you give to so many who are silently suffering!!!!!!!! Toni Allen
Notice the “open mind” of MC versus the “narrow” minds of her doctors… C. De Cooman
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