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Note:
Infectious
mononucleosis is the real name for glandular fever, although it is also
referred to as mononucleosis, mono, Pfeiffer's disease or indeed
Epstein barr Virus (as this is the virus which commonly causes
glandular fever, along with CMV). If problems persist after the acute
phase has passed it may be referred to as post viral fatigue syndrome.
For the purposes of my work, I refer to it as post glandular fever
fatigue syndrome.
My
name is Gina Burton, and I suffered from Glandular
Fever (known as mononucleosis in
the US)
at the age of 17. I seemed to have every symptom possible:
- swollen
ulcerated tonsils (white blobs on the tonsils)
- pains
around the spleen area
- jaundice
(raised liver enzymes)
- high
temperature
- excessive
fatigue
- pains
under the armpits and around the lymph nodes in the groin
- excessive
sweating
Most of the acute
glandular fever symptoms disappeared after about 3 months . . . but
over the next few years I never really felt 100% (sort of around 75 -
80%) Anybody
having experienced a particularly bad bout of Glandular Fever will
understand exactly what I am talking about !!
- fatigue
not satisfied by sleep.
- recurrent
tonsil blobbing (white blobs on the tonsils)
- chronic
and recurrent sore throats.
- strange
pains in all different parts of the body.
- not
being able to stand lots of noise, people or strong smells (perfume,
cleaning materials etc.) .
- and
many many stranger symptoms (pins and needles, cold hands and feet, not
feeling all there . . . )
- digestive
troubles (bloating, IBS symptoms . . . )
The
pattern of energy
would fluctuate, so that for a
few days or weeks I would feel normal, then, without warning I
would
suffer a big energy slump, with the overriding symptom of chronic
fatigue and the return of bouts
of symptoms (sore throats, blobby tonsils, sweating, aching etc.).
Exercise would often bring this fatigue on, but a couple of days later,
not directly after. Any build up of any physical, mental or emotional
stress on the body also seemed to affect resilience, so that symptoms
would re-surface as though re-activated again.
I did manage
to get
through University and gain a BSC Hons degree, but it was when I
started working that I really started to suffer again. I then had to
stop working in my current job as I was not able to sustain energy
levels needed to work effectively. The recurrent glandular fever
symptoms and energy problems were very prevalent, and also digestive disturbances
then became part of the
picture (this seems to be evident in many cases coming through to me).
At this time
I had
begun reading up in scientific / medical journals about Glandular
Fever / infectious mononucleosis and its post viral effects on the
body, as
well as looking for theories from more complimentary and alternative
medicine. I had already started looking at what I was eating, as I felt
that this somehow played a key part in how I felt from day to day.
Food, health, fitness and human biology had always been of interest to
myself as a young girl anyway. I decided to begin to study effects of
food and nutrition in more detail, eventually looking at it from a more
holistic viewpoint (i.e. from a more complimentary / alternative
approach) rather than a traditional dietetic viewpoint i.e. not looking
at just calories and the major food groups of protein, carbohydrates
and fats but looking at the effects of foods and its properties on
general health and energy levels.
At
29, I qualified as a Nutritional therapist / consultant, having studied
for over 6 years in Nutritional therapy. I then began to plan how I
would specialise in trying to help others manage their health and
energy levels after glandular fever (having read in a number of studies
that it is thought that 20% of those who have glandular fever never
totally regain the level of health they had befroe the illness) -
particularly, it would seem if the liver was involved during the acute
stage or if the epsiode of glandular fever was particularly harsh.
At
37, I have now had my web site up and running for 8 years and work full
time, specialising in helping those who search out my help and advice
via this site. Many of you are keen sports people (some competing at a
high level), many of you are teenage girls, many are young men in their
20's trying to establish a career which has been hindered by this
illness, and an increasing number of you are in your 30's with young
children. I also have more and more older individuals coming through to
me and one or two much younger children. All, it seems, however have
come down with this illness after a period of some considerable stress
. . . too much sports training whilst still growing, too much work
stress, school problems, relationship problems (divorce /separation),
deaths in the family, other compounding problems and pressures etc etc.
GLANDULAR
FEVER PATIENTS
(Infectious
mononucleosis patients)
WHO
HAVE I
HELPED SO FAR ?
I
have now helped over 800 people
since my web site was set up in 1998. In this way I have been able to
provide a service that reaches those all over the world. Now with free
internet telephony (using Skype) it is even easier to establish a good
verbal working rapport as well! I continue to learn more and more
everyday, so I can give as much advice and support as I can in
encouraging patients to manage their health and energies as efficiently
as possible. It is hard work on both my part ,in putting together
recommendations, and the patient's part, but the end results are
certainly usually worthwhile. I can put together a very individualised
eating and lifestyle regime, according to symptoms and health
backgrounds. Many hours are poured in to assessing each case, speaking
on the phone or Skype and then putting together a set of comprehensive
recommendations. Patients are encouraged
to keep in e-mail contact for
as long as they wish, so that they can update me with their progress
and I can reply to questions, offer further suggestions etc. I also
recommend other sorts of help which may be of benefit, to run alongside
the eating and nutrition.
As
well as this
I now offer a more basic service (see service
offered)
Many
people have found my help very useful and have begun to come out of the
haze of fatigue, tiredness and lethargy . . . eventually getting back
to a more normal healthy existence! Some, however do struggle and in
these cases I try and help support by also recommending other types of
help which could be useful alongisde. I use experience from working
with so many different cases, to suggest appropriate assisted help,
alongside my own.
Each
case is thought out and much energy is ploughed in to helping patients
return to a more "normal existence." I do understand and empathise with
the frustrations of on-going glandular fever troubles . . . and the
isolating feeling that 'nobody else really understands' .
Due
to the amount of serious responses I now receive, all my working days
are spent working on glandular fever and infectious mononucleosis cases
coming directly from this
site.
Hope
I can continue to help many more of you . . . I will certainly try my
hardest to do so!
Here
are just a few testimonials!
Dear
Gina - thank you for all your advice and
support you have given me over the last few months. Right from the
first contact, you were always very postive and enthusiastic, and this
really helped me. Before I contacted you, nobody really understood how
I was feeling. I know there is no magical cure but you have helped me
manage my health and energies, so that I can get on with a more normal
life again. I now understand more about
what helps and what doesn't - thank you also for giving me
extra
advice for other ailments I have, particularly with my
digestion.
Remember, I used to suffer quite a lot of bloating and IBS symptoms
. . . I don't any more . . . your very simple
remedies
seemed to have improved this within a few weeks. I do appreciate all
the time you put in to my case. The offer of on-going
help
has really been very positive and reassuring for me - someone there who
understands and has been through it before. I wish you all the best as
you continue to help others.
Hi
Gina - Thank you so much for helping our
daughter Lauren. From being one of the brightest, sportiest girls in
the 6th form, glandular fever completely wiped her out and left her
with no energy or confidence. You helped us guide her through her A
levels, and then take a good period of time out, stress free, following
all your advice. Gradually over time we have got our old Lauren back!!
She refuses to go back to her old ways of eating and has been
tansformed back in to a girl who knows where she is going again. She
managed to get her place at University and is back on track again. No
doubt she will be taking her set of recommendations with her however -
just in case she needs to check in with them! Thankfully, she does now
feel more in control
of her energies.
Hi
Gina - remember me - I was the 15 year old swimmer you helped . . .
(this young man was training every day but suddenly was unable
to
continue as his stength and stamina were serioulsy undermined by
the after effects of glandular fever). "My dreams of being a top
swimmer were shattered. Your help and support has got me back in the
pool again (yes after you made us have a meeting with the coaches to
impress on them how important it was to take some time out and go
easier for a while!). I am now managing to cope with my full training
programme again. I stick fairly rigidly to your recommendations even
now, and they keep me going. Thank you so much for your other help and
recommendations as well. They have helped alongside the eating advice
SO MUCH. Thank you for giving me my swimming life back and for making
my family
happier . . . I am easier to be around now and my Mum is not
continually worrying about me . . . . not all the time anyway!!"
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