Five years ago I was poisoned by VOCs whilst renovating a house. I developed flu-like symptoms and the roof of my mouth and nose were highly sensitive, like I had burnt them. These symptoms went on for months and caused me to develop Limbic System Dyfunction, which is a very debilitating and mysterious illness, caused by limbic system brain injury.

I went from being very fit and healthy to a shadow of my former self. It seemed like my life was over, and I spent a lot of time crying with frustration, as I could hardly do any of the things I loved to do anymore. I could only just about get up the stairs, then I would have to lie down afterwards. I could hardly look after myself, let alone my children. I could not dance, or take our dog for a walk in the countryside, which are two of my true passions. As well as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome I developed Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. I started having reactions to chemical smells, so could not go near people with perfume or aftershave on, or go to the supermarket. We moved house so there was no longer the smell of new carpets and paint, and we got rid of all chemicals in the house and used natural cleaning products. Myself and the boys had to use fragrance free personal care products, and people who came to our house had to do the same. I developed insomnia, and the only way to get to sleep was to have my own bedroom with blackout blinds and ear plugs and take medication to help me get to sleep, and stay asleep. I developed food sensitivities, hypoglycaemia, fibromyalgia and chronic pain. It affected my immune system, and every time the kids brought a cold or illness back from nursery or school it would take me weeks to recover. It was a very isolating illness, and caused me to develop social anxiety. Many people found it hard to understand what was wrong with me and how debilitating it was, after all I looked ok! (It's times like this that you discover who your true friends are). It was like being locked in an invisible prison, and being tortured. At some points life did not feel worth living, I was just trying to survive, was in constant pain, and had very little enjoyment in my life. It was my husband and children that kept me going. Thankfully Paul was very understanding and supportive and did so much for me and our boys, whilst holding down a full time job. For which I am very grateful.

For two years I did not know what was wrong with me or what had caused it. Unfortunately the NHS did not really help me, apart from diagnosing me with CFS, it was like hitting my head against a brick wall! We spent a lot of money and I spent a lot of time trying to find out what was wrong with me. A good friend recommended Dr Myhill, a private fatigue specialist. I could not get an appointment to see her so I read her book (Diagnosis and Treatment of CFS), and that was when I discovered what was wrong with me. It was a lightbulb moment, and such a relief to finally have some answers. I had been poisoned by breathing in volatile organic compounds, for several years, whilst renovating and living in the houses we were working on. The tipping point had been when we had a new carpet fitted in winter, and had not ventilated the room well enough. I followed Dr Myhill's recommendations to recover from VOC poisoning, which included a special diet, nutritional supplements, pacing yourself and detoxification using far infrared sauna. I did this for over a year. I improved slightly, but not anyway near back to full health.

This was when I knew there had to be another aspect to this mysterious illness. I looked into other treatments and discovered The Dynamic Neural Retraining System (DNRS), which uses neuroplasticity to recover from acquired limbic system brain injuries. I was very sceptical at first, but was willing to do anything to get my health back. I purchased the DVD course and made great improvements with that. I was then very lucky to be able to attend a five day in-person course, when the facilitators came to the UK, in April 2018. This really helped me perfect the brain retraining technique and it was great to meet other people who understood what I was going through. It turned out to be a total game changer, and helped me to move from surviving to thriving, and has given me my life back. I am so thankful that I found DNRS, that it showed me how to heal myself, and to Annie Hopper who developed it, after suffering from the same chronic illness.

DNRS is a natural, drug-free, neuroplasticity-based healing programme that can help you recover from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Lyme Disease, Food Sensitivities, IBS, Chronic Inflammatory Conditions, Chronic Pain, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, Electric Hypersensitivity Syndrome, Anxiety, Depression, PTSD, Gulf War Syndrome and many other conditions. Many of these conditions are related to a chronic stress response and limbic system dysfunction. It causes you to get stuck in the fight or flight mode and heightens your senses. If not stopped your symptoms can become more and more debilitating over time. Some of the causes include one or a combination of chronic stress, poisoning, mould toxicity, viruses, Lymes Disease, and PTSD, amongst others. When you rewire the limbic system, you move your body from a state of survival to a state of growth and repair – where true healing can take place.

I am running the 10K to get my fitness back, and help raise money to pay for people suffering from limbic System Dysfunction, but cannot afford to pay for the online or DVD course , which is around £250. I want to help people get their life back through this amazing healing programme. I also want to raise awareness of this mysterious and debilitating illness, and the environmental issues that can lead to it developing. This illness is becoming more common. We are increasingly coming into contact with more and more chemicals, whether they are in our homes, at work or local areas, in the products we put on our skin and hair, or sprayed on our food. We need to make informed decisions about the products we use.

Whether I run or walk the 10K I am determined to get round it, and your support will be greatly appreciated.