The sickness that saved me
The worst thing that has ever happened to me also became my greatest blessing. That’s how I think of it now: without the absolute horror of waking up one day and not being able to move, see, hear, or speak; without the ordeal that followed, I wouldn’t have changed my life. I would still be an unforgiving perfectionist, pushing myself without mercy to achieve, without stopping to consider if it’s what I really want, without any regard for my own well-being… all while presenting an image of a successful woman. I wouldn’t be able to raise awareness of functional neurological disorder (FND), which I believe is probably far more prevalent than people realise – even among healthcare professionals. This is my story.
Climbing the ladder
After working in tourism overseas for over 12 years, I came back to South Africa and began to establish a career for myself in the travel industry here. I had clients from all around the world: Australia, Japan, Europe, North and South America. So there were no ‘working hours’ – I was always on call, always prepared to work at any hour. I was ambitious. I wanted to be at the top. And I got there. I started my own luxury global boutique tour operator business. We worked with high-end clients, private jets and so on.
Along the way, I met my husband; we married and had two beautiful children.
By 2018, I was exhausted. The long hours and constant battle to stay at the top had taken its toll. I was permanently tired. I couldn’t admit to myself that I was burnt out. So I had some blood tests to help me figure out what was wrong, and I was diagnosed with adrenal fatigue.
Dit verhaal komt uit de September/October 2023 editie van Fairlady.
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Dit verhaal komt uit de September/October 2023 editie van Fairlady.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Al abonnee? Inloggen
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