I am an 18 year old male. In 2013 I contracted glandular fever which hugely impacted my immune system and because of this, I developed allergies to new things that I had never been affected by before. I suffered a serious allergic reaction to a brazil nut which required me to be rushed into hospital. As a result of the allergic reaction and the weakened immune system from the glandular fever, I had developed and was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS).
Up until 2013 I had been very fit, active and a good student. I was playing a lot of football and competing regionally at athletics. I had a good diet and a healthy lifestyle. I was able to complete my GCSE’s after taking 4 months out of year 11.
I managed to get a place on a course studying sport while playing football for Chelsea Football Club in their development academy. After recovering from glandular fever I thought that my life would return to normal but instead, it had snowballed into CFS. I wasn’t diagnosed with CFS until halfway through my first season at Chelsea.
Apart from the fatigue, I was also suffering from persistent headaches, tummy upsets, an inability to concentrate, vision impairment, psychological difficulties, sleeping problems, muscular pain and I developed more allergies to things like grass pollen which lead to eczema.
In early 2015 my father had read online about the benefits of manual lymphatic drainage massage for CFS and sent me to see Lesley for some treatment.
“I saw immediate benefits after the first treatment”
I saw immediate benefits after the first treatment. I had the best sleep in months and felt a lot more energised and restored the next day. Within 4 weeks of having weekly treatment I was able to start some gentle exercise. It was the first exercise I had done in months after being used to at least 5/6 vigorous football sessions a week.
A couple of months before the summer I was able to return to college on a temporary basis and complete my first year. I am also now able to go to the gym several times a week.
After going to see my consultant for a check up on my CFS, he has placed me in a very good prognosis group and said that my recovery progress has been a lot quicker and better than he initially expected. This is thanks to Lesley and the treatment she has provided me with.
I do still have lymphatic treatments although not on a weekly basis any longer, and I hope that I will be fit and able enough to re-join Chelsea for the coming season and to complete my studies.
