What illness have you experienced/recovered from?

Early 2025 I was severely battling with Irritable Bowel Syndrome which I later found out was actually dysbiosis (also known as Leaky Gut, where toxins/bacteria and undigested food enters the bloodstream, this causes mega inflammation not only in the stomach but the entire body). 

I lost A LOT of weight and was unable to eat or hold any food in my stomach for 3-4 months. At the same time and possibly as an effect of one another, I was also dealing with Chronic Fatigue and Adrenal Fatigue/Insufficiency. This means an imbalance of hormones/lack of hormones being created in the adrenal glands (located in the lower back) and is essentially ‘Burn Out’ on a whole other level. My progesterone, testosterone (yes girls need this!) and cortisol were all over the place, resulting in WILD effects on both my body and brain. 2024 had been a super busy year for me and I was constantly tired, eating sugary carbs (to help give me instant energy), running lots and playing netball- just go go go- like most of us gals! I was doing all these things but was always battling with having enough energy. Even after a night's sleep I’d wake up so exhausted! What I didn’t realise, was that because I was doing so much, not listening to my body and allowing myself to rest or have quality sleep, my body was in a state of chronic stress which also meant I was in a state of chronic fatigue as well. This was affecting the rest of my body way more than I realised and possibly what triggered the IBS/Leaky Gut to kick off! 

IBS stripped my body of absolutely everything which was very dangerous as my body was seriously unwell, malnourished and lacking a lot of essential vitamins and minerals, but completely out of my control at the time. After working with a Functional Nutritionist and taking specific supplements plus pre and probiotics my stomach began to finally hold food again. This was the hugest relief and I had never been so hungry in my life! As this development happened it was like my body completely surrendered and the chronic fatigue hit me like a tonne of bricks. I was absolutely wiped every day for months, had the craziest brain fog, muscle aches, no energy - to the point I could hardly walk 10 metres. Work was out of the question at this stage and all my days consisted of were eat, sleep and repeat. 

I am still recovering from all of the above as my body needs time to heal, get energy back (this is the most challenging one) and rebuild/renourish itself. 

How has this affected you physically and mentally?

I have been living in Hong Kong as an International teacher the past 3 years and honestly going through this experience has been lonely. I have had wonderful support from my work and colleagues, however it is quite a hard thing to understand and explain to others. Living in an apartment on my own when my husband has been at work has been the most challenging part. The walls definitely start to feel like they’re caving in, particularly as I wasn’t able to even move some days and the realisation that I’m very far from home kicked in pretty quickly. 

Physically it's been very difficult, as I have been used to moving and exercising regularly. To begin with, walking was a challenge and the constant lethargy / heaviness would drive me mad. Over time I gained small bits of energy which gave me hope and being able to move / get outside for a short walk would be a win! This would also help with the mental side and shows just how important the two go hand in hand. 

What have you demystified about your female body that you wish you knew when you were younger?

Food is 100% your fuel and what goes into your mouth definitely will impact how you feel, recover and operate! As much as I love a choccy and sweet treat (all in balance ) I wish I knew the impact of how important REAL/GOOD food is, especially when you’re super busy. But also allowing myself to properly eat when hungry (e.g a decent portion of protein and loads of veges).

What was your diagnosis experience like?

Scary. For so long I felt sick and off. The IBS made me feel nauseous every day (like I was recovering from a stomach bug) and the amount of testing I did was insane. All results were coming back ‘fine’ which was a relief but it wasn’t giving me any answers whereas, in my heart I knew something was off. Months later, when the Functional Nutritionist I was working with confirmed it was Leaky Gut it all made so much sense.
In terms of Chronic Fatigue, once I read a book about it and did my own research, all the boxes started ticking and it was like a lightbulb went off! It all made sense- this was actually a relief as it finally made sense why I felt so tired ALL the time. The Functional Nutritionist confirmed the fatigue was also linked with the dysbiosis as well- really all the wheels were just falling off at once!
Discovering the adrenal insufficiency / accepting I was completely burnt out, was not a surprise to be honest. I felt so unwell by this stage and so out of balance I wasn’t really too shocked with what else was coming my way. 

How has your condition changed your daily life?

It has completely changed my world. I used to be very reluctant to rest and relax, I was always on the go, whether it be work, catching up with friends or exercising. I have not been able to do these things for a long time as the fatigue and sleep deprivation has made simple tasks like writing an email, watching tv, and holding a conversation very difficult. It has stripped me of so much but also allowed me to truly get to know myself and reframe things into a new perspective. I have never had this much time to really reflect and think about what I want and appreciate how precious life is. Really I am just very grateful, especially to be alive as there were some pretty sketchy moments there. 

What symptoms made you think something wasn’t right with your body?

Constant tiredness. Like I mentioned above, I wasn’t getting enough rest and sleep, however every time I woke up I felt exhausted and just battled through my days. Also being an International Teacher in Hong Kong, I put it down to being tired from work but really it was a lot deeper than that. 

Also not being able to stomach foods for a couple months were major signs something was not right. I genuinely thought with a couple of days of rest it would come right on its own but there was a bit more going on!

Have you tried anything that has helped you manage your symptoms?

Getting proper sleep (like going to bed at 8.30pm) definitely helps. Listening to my body- rather than forcing a workout, I check in to see how I am feeling and either take time to rest (literally just lie on the couch or read/colour in etc) or if I am feeling good, get outside for a gentle walk. And lastly DIET. Food is everything and almost like a form of medicine I reckon. I eat loads of veggies and whole foods to help renourish my body. 

What’s one thing you wish more people understood about women’s health?

I think as women, we have so much pressure to eat, socialise, exercise and look a certain way, which can cause a lot of stress. I never realised the intense impact stress has on our bodies both physically and mentally. Really we do SO much already and I wish we could all take some pressure off ourselves. We are all trying our best! I think if we can listen to our bodies and understand that we don’t need to do so much- then that would be pretty liberating. 

If you could tell younger you one thing about your body, what would it be?

Be kind to yourself, get to bed early (it’ll be worth it) and you’re doing amazing!!!

When your body feels hard to live in, how do you take care of yourself?

Usually a cry helps haha! Eat something nutritious and delicious, get out for a walk, talk to a beautiful friend and be REAL with them about what’s going on. If all that fails- put some music on that suits your mood, eat some chocolate, take some deep breaths and reset.