I was an M.E sufferer for eight and a half years, but was only diagnosed around five years into the illness - not by my GP but by a homoeopathic doctor.
Before becoming ill at around the age of nine, I was an extremely active and healthy child. Ballet dancing, horse riding and swimming were just some of the hobbies I enjoyed on a regular basis.
During the length of my illness I gradually accumulated more and more symptoms, which increasingly worsened, until at the age of 18 I feared I would end up in a wheelchair.
Apart from the usual and predominant fatigue, I was plagued with awful headaches, brain fog, memory loss problems, painful joints, weak and aching muscles, sore throats, swollen lymph glands and food intolerances. And in the final six months, my legs virtually gave way. I couldn't get up and downstairs unaided and I was unable to stand for any length of time without becoming dizzy and faint. Walking any distance was impossible, as my legs felt like lead weights.

My parents and I were despairing of ever finding a cure. We had already tried numerous so-called "cures" without success - ranging from exclusion diets to acupuncture. I was encouraged to take prescriptive drugs such as sleeping pills and tranquillisers, but I always refused because in my heart of hearts I knew they were not the answer. Homoeopathy did actually alleviate some symptoms and made them almost tolerable, and the aromatherapy massage I enjoyed once a week relieved my immense joint pains and was very relaxing to me.
But it looked as if nothing would remove the M.E completely. Until a chance meeting between a friend of ours in South Africa and a lady who had been cured of CFIDS by a doctor in South Africa. As it happened, my parents and I were going there on holiday for three weeks, for my 18th birthday. I was born there, and had never been back since my parents brought me home to England at the age of 11 months. Our friend insisted on making an appointment for me to see this doctor, even though we knew nothing about him or his method of treatment. The rest, as they say, is history! After two weeks on the Petrovic Protocol, I began to notice significant improvements in my condition and after two months I felt 80% better, which was incredible. Around six months after that, I felt completely well.

Now, almost two years since taking the treatment, my health is sustained and I have suffered no relapse of my previous condition. I feel like, and everyone says I am, a totally different person. And I have almost forgotten what it feels like to suffer from CFIDS. I never imagined that I would be able to say that!

I am now able to go out with my friends and socialise like any other person of my age. Although I am still continuing to improve and build up my stamina levels. Unfortunately M.E interrupted my education quite badly and I was unable to attend university as I had planned, but it is something that I have in mind for the future. Now however, I am working part-time and attending computer and maths classes at my local college. Apart from enjoying a great social life, one of my other loves is my computer. In fact, I met my American fiance 18 months ago on the Internet! Because Dr. Petrovic has literally given me my life back, I feel that the only way I could repay him was to spread the word and tell other CFIDS sufferers about him and his amazing work.

I was only the second UK patient to be cured, and now our house has become a centre that provides information for potential patients, and advice and support for those undertaking the treatment. My mother and I deal with enquiries from people nation-wide, and indeed world-wide, by phone and email, re-telling my story over and over to people in the same position as we were pre-Dr. Petrovic. Over the five month course, I estimate that I swallowed 10,000 tablets! A daunting thought, but it was certainly worth it. And I've never looked back, only to a future of renewed hope. A future that would have held something very different for me, had I decided against undertaking the Petrovic Protocol.